Cleaning is a big and growing market in the UK. Many people are busy and still need clean homes and offices. In fact, around one third of UK households now pay for a cleaner. Businesses from offices to shops and schools also need cleaning staff. The UK cleaning industry is worth nearly £60 billion and keeps growing. Demand is rising: for example, 40% of young adults now hire a cleaner. Cleaning is also fairly “recession-proof” and always needed. These trends make cleaning a great business idea in 2025 for anyone who wants to start small and grow big.

Cost to Start a Cleaning Business in the UK

Starting a cleaning business can cost very little or more, depending on choices. You can begin as a sole trader using your own car and basic gear for only a few hundred pounds. On the other hand, buying a good van and full equipment might cost thousands. One guide says that cleaning startups in the UK typically spend between £4,000 and £35,000 in total.

Key startup costs include:

• Business registration and setup: Registering as self-employed or a company costs about £12–£40. You may also pay for a business bank account or simple accounting software (around £350–£450 per year).
• Insurance: Public liability insurance is recommended to protect you if something is damaged. If you hire employees, you also need Employers’ Liability insurance. Insurance can cost from a few pounds a month to several tens of pounds, depending on cover.
• Equipment and supplies: (See next section for details.) You can start with basic tools (vacuum, mop, cloths, cleaners) for under £500, but specialized machines or multiple kits add up.
• Vehicle or transport: If you have a car already, that saves money at first. If you need a van, a good used one often costs £5,000 or more. The vehicle must fit all your gear.
• Marketing and website: At the start, you can do free marketing (see below). If you make a simple website, it might cost £100–£200 with DIY tools. One source advises to budget a bit for initial advertising. As you grow, plan to spend about 2–5% of revenue on marketing and ads.
• Legal and admin: You should also plan for things like a basic business phone or internet, and perhaps a small marketing kit (flyers design, business cards). Some cleaning courses or training are recommended too (basic health & safety training can be ~£20+VAT).

Overall, a very lean startup (using a personal car and basic kit) might be under £1,000. A more full setup with a vehicle and full kit could be several thousand pounds. Many successful cleaners start small part-time and slowly reinvest profit as they get clients.

What Equipment and Supplies You Need

To work safely and professionally, you need certain equipment and supplies. Start with the essentials and add more as you grow. Basic items include:

• Vacuum cleaner: A good commercial vacuum (hoover) for carpets and floors, ideally around £300 or more.
• Mop and bucket: A sturdy mop and bucket for hard floors. These are inexpensive (maybe £10–£30).
• Cleaning trolley or caddy: A small cart to carry supplies between rooms. Guides suggest a cleaning trolley costs about £250–£400.
• Cloths and wipes: Microfiber or color-coded cloths (different colors for kitchen, bathroom, general) to avoid cross-contamination.
• Cleaning products: A set of basic cleaning chemicals and solutions. For example, multipurpose spray, window cleaner, bathroom cleaner, floor cleaner and disinfectant. Stock enough to start, maybe £5–£10 per product. You can buy refill bottles to save long-term.
• PPE (safety gear): Gloves (latex or rubber), shoe covers, maybe dust masks and goggles if needed. This keeps you safe. Gloves are cheap (box for a few pounds). Some guides also suggest a simple first aid kit (bandages, eye wash) to handle minor accidents.
• Additional tools: Depending on services, you might add a carpet shampooer, floor buffer, window squeegee or small ladder. These can be more expensive (a decent carpet cleaner can be £300+). For starters, you can subcontract specialty jobs or keep them local.
• Uniforms/work clothes: Optional at first, but a matching polo shirt or T-shirt with your logo can look professional.

Most of these can be bought as needed. For example, one guide says a basic start kit of equipment and materials might be around £150 (not including heavy items like a new vacuum or van). It’s smart to start with quality where it matters (a good vacuum, sturdy mop) so you don’t replace items often. As you earn money, reinvest in more gear or a van.

Finding Your First Clients

Residential Clients

For home cleaning, word of mouth and local promotion work best. Start by telling friends, family and neighbours about your service. Often a satisfied customer recommends you to others. You can also:

• Flyers and leaflets: Print a simple flyer or business card and drop it through letterboxes in your area. Focus on neighbourhoods where people are busy (e.g. new housing areas, suburbs with working families).
• Community boards and shops: Ask to pin a flyer on local noticeboards (libraries, community centres, supermarkets) where allowed.
• Local online groups: Join local Facebook groups or apps like Nextdoor and post a friendly introduction of your new service (just once is fine). Often neighbourhood sites let residents recommend tradespeople.
• Google Business Profile: Create a free Google Business listing for your cleaning company. This makes you show up when locals search for “house cleaner near me”. Encourage your first customers to leave a review there.
• Neighborhood networks: Offer a small “first clean” discount to get initial clients. Once you have 1 or 2 clients, ask them for referrals and online reviews. Happy customers are your best marketers.

Commercial Clients

Commercial cleaning (offices, shops, holiday lets, etc.) can pay more per job. To get business clients:

• Networking: Tell local business owners or managers that you have started a cleaning service. Attend local business meetups or chamber of commerce meetings. A polite conversation can lead to future contracts.
• Property managers and agents: Connect with estate agents, letting agencies or Airbnb hosts. These often need cleaners between tenants. Some guides suggest partnering with letting agents – when they have a new tenant moving in, you do the end-of-lease clean, and in return they may recommend you.
• Office visits: After hours, you can visit local offices, offices parks or shops with a business card or brochure. Say “Hello, I run a cleaning business and wonder if you might need a cleaner.” Even if they have someone already, they may keep your card.
• Online business directories: List your company on directories like Yell.com or free sites like Gumtree and Checkatrade. Many businesses look online for trusted cleaners.
• Small ads: Consider a very small classified ad in a local business newsletter or community paper. Often a short line like “Reliable Office and Home Cleaning – contact [Your Name]” is enough to generate interest.

Keep track of all enquiries. Follow up quickly with a polite email or call, and give a clear quote (see below). Always be professional and friendly – reliability is key. Over time, a mix of good work and referrals will fill your diary.

Pricing and Quoting for Jobs

Setting the right price is crucial. You need to cover all your costs plus make profit. Here are simple steps:

• Calculate your costs: Think about everything needed for a job: your time, cleaning products, travel, equipment wear, and taxes.
• Choose a rate structure: Some cleaners charge by the hour, others by job or by home size. Hourly rates in the UK commonly range from about £10 to £25 per hour (higher in big cities or for specialty work). For example, an independent cleaner’s average hourly rate is about £25. You can start in the mid-range (say £15–£20/h) and adjust as you learn the local market.
• Example calculation: If you quote £20/hour and a job takes 3 hours (including travel), you would charge £60. Remember to round up if there are extra tasks. If a client wants regular weekly service, you might offer a small discount after a month (e.g. charge 4 weekly cleans but give one free).
• Deep cleans and special services: For a move-out clean, oven clean or carpet shampoo, you might charge a flat fee based on estimated hours. Deep cleans often pay more. (For example, end-of-tenancy cleans can range £100–£500 per house.)
• Be competitive but fair: Look at what others in your area charge. You want to be competitive, but too low can undervalue you. As one guide notes, consider local income levels and your experience.
• Quoting process: Visit the property if possible to see its size and condition. Send a clear written quote listing the tasks included (kitchens, bathrooms, floors, etc.) and the total price. Keep quotes simple and transparent.

In summary, base your price on time and cost. A useful tip is to estimate how many hours the job takes and multiply by your rate. Make sure to factor in a small cushion for travel or unforeseen mess. Over time, as you gain confidence, you can fine-tune your rates. Do not forget to increase prices a little each year (for inflation).

How to Scale to £500,000 per Year

Earning £500k a year is a big goal and will take time, but it’s achievable if you grow steadily. Here’s how to think about it:

• Add more clients: The fastest way to grow revenue is to serve more customers. If one cleaner can earn ~£20k–£30k a year, then 5 cleaners could earn £100k–£150k. Scale up by hiring more cleaners and finding more jobs. For example, if 10 cleaners each bring in £50k a year, that’s £500k total.
• Hire staff and managers: Eventually you will need a team leader or operations manager to handle scheduling and quality. As you add staff, you can take on bigger contracts and focus on growing the business rather than doing all the cleaning yourself.
• Target large clients: Commercial accounts can bring in steady income. Pursue contracts like offices, schools, care homes or councils. These clients often sign regular contracts that pay well. Successful cleaning companies often win school or office contracts that are worth tens of thousands per year.
• Offer more services: Introduce extra services that clients need, such as carpet cleaning, window washing, oven cleaning or infection control cleans. Specialized services usually command higher fees. According to industry data, niche services like carpet and upholstery cleaning are seeing growing demand.
• Reinvest profits: Any profit you make should go back into marketing, better equipment or staff training at first. A guide suggests reinvesting a few percent of revenue into marketing to get bigger. This helps fuel growth faster.
• Maintain quality: Scaling up too fast can hurt quality. Make sure your team is well-trained and works consistently. Happy clients will stay and refer others, which supports growth.

Reaching £500k will likely take several years. For example, one source notes a single cleaner averages about £19,000/year. It may take 3–5 years to build a team and client base strong enough to hit six-figures. But with persistence, each year you add more clients and staff. By year 3 or 4 you might pass £100k turnover, and by continuing to grow you can work toward £500k in years 5–10. The key is steady growth, keeping an eye on profit margins, and not taking on more than you can manage well.

Hiring Staff and Managing a Team

When you start hiring, you become an employer. This adds costs and responsibilities, but it lets you serve more clients. Keep these tips in mind:

• Contracts and legal requirements: Provide each employee with a simple written contract. You must pay at least the National Minimum Wage (currently around £10–£11 per hour for adults). Also pay employer National Insurance and pension contributions as required by UK law. Do not pay cash in hand; use a payroll or service.
• Insurance: If you have staff, you must have Employers’ Liability insurance. This protects you if an employee is injured on the job.
• Training: Teach new cleaners how you do tasks, and what your standards are. Safety training is important (e.g. how to use chemicals safely). Keep records of training. A short basic health-and-safety course for cleaning staff costs around £20+VAT.
• Scheduling and communication: Use simple tools to manage jobs. Even an online calendar or free scheduling app can help. For example, team members could use Google Calendar or a free app to see their jobs. You might also use an app like Square Appointments or a dedicated cleaning software to assign work. Keep communication open (WhatsApp or Messenger is fine) so staff can ask questions.
• Payment and reporting: Pay staff on time. Keep track of hours (a simple spreadsheet or a time-tracking app). Issue payslips and keep records for tax. Also track job outcomes: did the client request extra work? Good record-keeping helps you scale and handle staff issues.
• Team leadership: As you grow beyond 3–4 people, consider appointing one person (or hiring) as a supervisor or office manager. They can handle customer calls, schedules, and minor issues, freeing you to look for more work or manage the business.

Managing staff is a new skill. Focus on treating them fairly. Cleaners who feel valued and paid well will stay longer. This reduces turnover and training costs. In short, hiring lets you multiply your earnings (more cleaners means more jobs done), but it also means following UK employment laws and organizing your team well.

Tools to Manage Bookings and Payments

Good tools save time. You don’t need fancy software at first, but as you get busier, consider these:

• Booking and scheduling software: There are free or low-cost apps that let customers book online and you schedule jobs. For example, Square Appointments offers a free booking website. It allows clients to book time slots 24/7 and even lets you take payments through the same system. This can make scheduling and getting paid easier.
• Job management apps: Specialized tools like Tradify or CleanManager are made for cleaning businesses. Tradify can store all your quotes and client details in one place. It lets you create quotes and invoices in minutes. CleanManager handles scheduling, invoicing and staff availability. These tools often have free trials or low startup costs, and they save many hours of admin time.
• Accounting and invoicing: You should have a simple system for invoices and records. Many small businesses use Xero or QuickBooks Online (both popular in the UK). They can link to your bank and turn your invoices into accounts automatically. Even a basic Excel spreadsheet or WaveApps (free) can work when you are very small.
• Payment methods: Make it easy for clients to pay. Accept bank transfers (BACS) by giving your sort code and account. You can also use card readers (Square has a mobile card reader) so you can take cards in person. Online invoices often let clients pay by card or PayPal. The goal is to get paid quickly. For regular clients, consider setting up monthly standing orders.

Starting out, even a simple diary or spreadsheet is okay. But as you grow, moving to digital tools will help you avoid double bookings, forgotten payments, or lost invoices. Using software may cost some money, but it usually pays off by saving time and making you look professional.

Simple Marketing Ideas (Flyers, Online Ads, Local Listings)

Marketing doesn’t have to be expensive. Here are some budget-friendly ideas:

• Door-to-door flyers: This classic method still works. A well-designed flyer (you can make one free on Canva or at a copy shop) dropped through letterboxes can catch attention. Use a colorful paper so it stands out from junk mail. Just be sure it’s allowed in your area.
• Local online ads: Running a tiny Facebook or Instagram ad campaign can reach people nearby. For instance, you can target ads to homeowners in your town for as little as £5 a day. Always include a clear call to action (“Call us for a free quote!”) and a nice photo or logo. Use the exact locations you serve.
• Google Ads: If you have a little budget, try Google Ads (paid search). A small campaign with a £10–£20 daily budget can put your cleaning service at the top of Google results when people search “home cleaning near me”. This takes care in setting up, but there are many guides online.
• Google Business and SEO: Make sure your free Google Business listing is complete with photos, hours, and services. This boosts your chance of showing up when people search for cleaners in your area. Also register on local directories like Yell, Thomson Local, or local Facebook community pages.
• Social media presence: Create a simple Facebook Page and Instagram account for your business. Post before-and-after cleaning photos (with client permission) and quick tips on cleaning. Engage with local community groups by answering questions (don’t hard-sell, just help and mention you clean).
• Word of mouth and referrals: Tell everyone you know that you started a cleaning business. Ask satisfied clients to write reviews on Google or Facebook. You can even set up a referral deal (e.g. “Give £10 credit to anyone who refers a new client”). People trust personal recommendations.
• Partnerships: Connect with non-competing local businesses. For example, stationery shops or laundry services might let you leave a few business cards. Estate agents and property managers can be great referral sources. A quick phone call or visit to introduce yourself can pay off.

Remember, consistency is key. It often takes several marketing touches for a person to become a client. Starting out, you might spend £0–£100 on flyers and online ads. As you book more work, re-invest a small percentage of your income into further advertising (maybe 2–5% of turnover). Over time, you’ll see which methods bring the most leads and focus on those.

Realistic Timeline to Reach Six-Figure Revenue

Growing to a high income takes patience. Don’t expect £500k in year one – it will build over time. A rough timeline might look like this:

• First 6–12 months: Focus on setup and getting your first clients. Many new cleaners start part-time or one-person and earn modest amounts (around £10k–£20k in year one is common). Use this time to refine your services and save money.
• Year 2: By now you should have some regular clients. Full-time effort or a small team (e.g. hiring 1–2 helpers) can push turnover up. You might reach tens of thousands in revenue this year.
• Year 3–4: With more clients and perhaps 3–5 staff, it’s possible to break into the mid six-figures. Many cleaning businesses cross £100,000–£200,000 in years 3–4 if they keep growing. Continue marketing and improve efficiency.
• Year 5 and beyond: If you sustain growth, the business can hit higher six-figures. To reach £500k, you’ll likely need 8–12+ reliable cleaners, or a mix of smaller staff and some larger contracts. By year 6–10, a well-run company can approach £500k annual revenue through steady client-building, upselling services, and price adjustments.

Every business grows differently. Some hit six figures faster with a lucky contract; others grow slowly. The key is steady effort: keep quality high so clients stay, reinvest profit into marketing and staff, and hire management help as you expand. Over a few years, a routine of finding new clients, training staff, and improving service can turn a small startup into a lucrative cleaning firm. With persistence and good planning, reaching a £500,000 yearly turnover is possible in the UK cleaning industry.

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