16 types of cleaning services to offer for profit

Starting a cleaning business offers a promising avenue for entrepreneurs. With a range of services to provide, from residential to commercial cleaning, your business can cater to diverse client needs. Understanding those needs and tailoring your offerings can significantly enhance your market reach and customer satisfaction.

But before we dive into the types of cleaning services you can offer, let’s first address a key aspect of running a successful cleaning business: securing the right insurance coverage.

Imagine accidentally damaging a client’s property during a routine cleaning, or a customer slipping on a newly mopped floor. Public Liability Insurance can offer a safety net against potential claims and damages should these incidents occur.

Furthermore when you have a small cleaning business, your health is your wealth. Any unexpected injury or illness can impact your ability to work and earn. Personal Accident and Illness Insurance ensures you’re covered not just for accidents at work, but also for those that may occur in your personal time, offering a safety net for your income and peace of mind.

Now with insurance essentials out of the way, let’s explore the list of cleaning services available. Hopefully, this list will help you decide which ones fit your business model.

Residential Cleaning Services

Residential cleaning refers to the cleaning services provided in a home setting. The cleaning services offered typically involves routine chores like dusting, mopping, and cleaning bathrooms and kitchens. These services are crucial for busy homeowners who want a clean, organized, and hygienic living environment but might not have the time to achieve this themselves. Residential cleaners can offer customised services based on individual household needs, including steam cleaning or eco-friendly cleaning services.

Commercial cleaning services

Commercial cleaning services focus on maintaining and cleaning commercial properties such as offices, retail stores, schools, and hospitals. The cleaning services offered are broader in scope than residential cleaning, often involving larger areas and the use of specialised equipment and techniques. Commercial cleaning upholds a business’s professional image and ensures a healthy, safe working environment. It also ensures businesses, offices and schools adhere to government health and hygiene standards.

List of cleaning services you can offer

1. General cleaning

General cleaning services cover the essentials to keep a home or office looking neat and tidy. This includes dusting surfaces, vacuuming and mopping floors, cleaning bathrooms, and tidying up living areas.

2. Deep cleaning

While basic cleaning covers the everyday tasks, deep cleaning goes one step further. It targets the hard-to-reach areas and tackles accumulated grime and dirt. This service involves detailed cleaning of baseboards, door handles, light fixtures, and more.

3. Laundry services

Offering laundry services adds significant value, particularly for busy families or commercial clients like restaurants and hotels. This can include washing, drying, ironing, and even folding clothes.

4. Sanitisation services

Using specific chemicals and techniques, sanitisation goes beyond standard cleaning to eliminate bacteria and viruses from surfaces. It’s ideal for locations requiring strict hygiene standards, such as medical facilities, schools, and food establishments.

5. Carpet cleaning

Carpet cleaning involves deep cleaning to remove dirt, stains, allergens, and odours embedded in carpets. Techniques can include steam cleaning, dry cleaning, and shampooing, depending on the carpet material and level of soiling. This service not only cleans but also extends the life and appearance of carpets.

6. Window cleaning

Window cleaning involves washing the interior and exterior surfaces of windows to remove grime, streaks, and build-up. It’s essential for enhancing natural light and improving the overall aesthetic of a building. Training is required for this service as window cleaning involves some risk, especially when dealing with high-rise buildings.

7. Office cleaning

Office cleaning involves maintaining a clean, organized, and hygienic workspace. The cleaning services offered include routine tasks like trash removal and floor cleaning, along with cleaning of restrooms, kitchens, and communal spaces.

8. Restroom cleaning

Restroom cleaning services address one of the most germ-prone areas in any building. This service covers everything from scrubbing toilets to disinfecting sinks and restocking supplies.

9. Janitorial services

Janitorial services involves the regular maintenance and cleaning of commercial or public buildings. These services cover a range of tasks from basic cleaning like dusting and vacuuming, to specialised care like floor waxing and window cleaning.

10. School cleaning

School cleaning is a dedicated service aimed at keeping educational environments clean and hygienic. It involves routine cleaning of classrooms, restrooms, cafeterias, and play areas, with a focus on minimizing the spread of germs and ensuring a healthy setting for children and staff.

11. Medical cleaning

Medical cleaning uses specialised tools and disinfectants to clean and sanitise healthcare-related facilities, such as hospitals, clinics, and dental offices. This service is highly specialised, following stringent cleaning protocols to provide a safe environment for patients and healthcare workers.

Niche cleaning services

In today’s market, diversifying your cleaning offerings can set you apart. Here’s a look at some niche cleaning services that cater to unique and specialised needs.

12. Green cleaning

Green cleaning brings an eco-friendly touch to cleanliness, using natural, organic cleaning products to reduce environmental impact. This service appeals to customers with chemical sensitivities or those striving for a greener lifestyle. Green cleaning can cover everything from carpet to window cleaning with earth-friendly products.

13. Air duct or vent cleaning

Air duct and vent cleaning focus on improving air quality and enhancing energy efficiency. Specialists in this area often possess HVAC knowledge, providing deep cleaning of air systems to reduce allergens and increase overall efficiency in homes and offices.

14. Chimney sweeping

Modern chimney sweeping covers far more than clearing out soot. It involves thorough inspection and cleaning of chimneys, fireboxes, and flues. The cleaning services offered are crucial for maintaining safety and efficiency in residential homes, and becoming certified can set your business apart.

15. Cleaning foreclosed properties

Cleaning foreclosed properties often involves handling intense clean-up scenarios. From trash removal to dealing with severe stains and damage, this service caters to real estate and banking sectors looking to refurbish properties for resale or auction.

16. Crime scene or disaster cleaning

Professionals in disaster and crime scene cleaning manage the aftermath of traumatic events. These experts are trained in biohazard cleanup, mould remediation, and restoring sites to safety. This cleaning service requires both technical skills and the ability to handle emotionally charged situations.

Secure your cleaning business with BizCover

With BizCover, you can get multiple quotes for cleaning business insurance in just minutes – no paperwork, no fuss. Trusted by thousands of small businesses nationwide, BizCover makes protecting your business easy, so you can continue to deliver exceptional cleaning services with confidence.