Most Essential Cleaning Business Equipment Checklist

The Most Essential Cleaning Business Equipment Checklist

A lot goes into running a profitable cleaning business but cleaning supplies are undoubtedly the most integral component of the industry. From cleaning solutions and vacuum cleaners to cleaning software, you need it all to make your house cleaning business a success.

But if you’ve just started your cleaning service, curating the list of cleaning equipment might be overwhelming for you. We’ve taken over this tedious task for you. Check out our list of cleaning products and equipment below.

Cleaning Business Equipment

Should You Provide the Cleaning Products?

Not every cleaning service supplies cleaning equipment to the customers. Instead, some businesses use whatever is available in the client’s house or office. Both options have their pros and cons.

Providing the Supplies

If you provide the cleaning products to the customer, you have the following advantages:

  • It makes you look professional since the client will know you’ve come prepared.
  • Since these are the supplies you have hand-picked and worked with before, you know they’re effective. Plus, you know how to use them in the best possible way.
  • You don’t have to opt for alternatives simply because something is not available in the client’s house.
  • You can charge the customers more since you’re also bringing the cleaning equipment and supplies.

Using the Client’s Supplies

On the other hand, when you use the cleaning tools available at the customers’ place, it saves you the hassle of shopping for cleaning solutions and other things.

Plus, some customers prefer you use the products of their choice, such as green cleaning solutions or hypoallergenic cleaners.

However, if you opt to use the supplies provided by the customers, make sure you ask them beforehand what’s available.

Also, inform them to put out all the supplies in a container so that you do not have to waste time looking for everything individually.

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Which Cleaning Supplies Do You Need?

When you start a cleaning business, you need to take many things into account, such as insurance, marketing, and recruiting competent employees. One of the most important tasks is curating a cleaning supplies checklist.

If you also offer commercial cleaning services, the list will be more extensive for you. Here are the basic cleaning supplies you will need for your cleaning company:

Safety Supplies

When buying cleaning business supplies, people often overlook these necessary safety items:

  • Disposable nitrile or latex gloves
  • Cleaning uniform
  • Apron
  • Shoe covers
  • Knee pads
  • Antibacterial handwash
  • Comfortable shoes

Depending on the kind of cleaning solutions you offer, you may also need face masks and eye covers. For instance, if you offer mold removing service, you’ll need these things to protect yourself from fungal infections and the cleaning solutions’ fumes.

Floors

Almost all cleaning businesses offer floor cleaning services, making the following equipment a necessity:

  • A vacuum cleaner with a multi-surface and a carpet cleaning head(make sure you invest in a top-notch option as it will make your job a breeze)
  • Dusting mop
  • Wet mop and replacement pads
  • Brush and dustpan
  • Broom

Organization

It’s important to get the best for your own cleaning business, especially if you’re just starting out.

You want to put a good impression on the customers, and for that, you need to be organized. Here are the supplies you’ll need:

  • Spray bottles
  • Garbage bags
  • A caddy for carrying products (get one with dividers so that you can keep the cleaning solutions separately)
  • Cleaning bucket

Which Cleaning Equipment Do You Need For Each Room?

To make things easier for you, we’ve made separate checklists for each room, depending on its cleaning needs.

Bedroom and Living Room

Since these rooms are larger but not as dirty as bathrooms or kitchens, they don’t need ‘aggressive’ cleaning products. Here’s what you need to clean bedrooms and living rooms:

  • Dusting mitt
  • Long duster for fans and cobwebs on the walls
  • Short duster for shelves and tables
  • Furniture polish
  • Microfiber cloths for glass furniture and mirror
  • A handheld vacuum
  • Leather cleaner

Bathrooms and Kitchens

On the other hand, bathrooms and kitchens are dirtier and need specific cleaning supplies, such as for removing mildew and cleaning grout.

  • An all-purpose cleaning solution
  • Disinfectant
  • Scrub pads for sinks
  • Toothbrushes for narrow spaces
  • Cleaners for removing soap scum
  • Sponges
  • Microfiber cloths
  • Bathroom cleaning solutions or powder
  • Disposable toilet brushes

Common Cleaning Products Checklist

To run a profitable business, you need to ensure you have everything you need to satisfy a customer. Here are some common cleaning products you’ll definitely need:

  • Disinfectants
  • Shower cleaner to remove mold, limescale, mildew, and grime
  • Toilet cleaner
  • Floor cleaning solution
  • Wood polish
  • Oven cleaner
  • Stainless steel cleaner
  • Window cleaner
  • Abrasive cleaners
  • Air freshener
  • Degreasing solutions
  • Laundry detergent
  • Descaling solution
  • Dishwashing liquid
  • Stain remover 

Having all these cleaning products in your caddy will make your cleaning job a success, especially if you’re working on the whole house.

Commercial Cleaners or Homemade Cleaners: Which are Better?

As a cleaning business, you need to develop a unique reputation for yourself. For that, you may want to do something differently, such as using homemade cleaners. But before you take this step, you should know the pros and cons of both types of cleaners.

Commercial Cleaning Products

Store-bought cleaning business supplies are convenient to use since they take the guesswork out of your job. They come with clear instructions. So, you know how to use them and which surfaces they are suitable for.

Plus, you can get a separate cleaning solution for each room, surface, or dirt type. Since their manufacturers have already tested the ingredient ratios, the final blend you’re getting is perfect for removing stains or dirt.

Also, you won’t have to worry about coming in contact with potentially toxic ingredients, such as bleach, since everything is pre-prepared, and you don’t need to mix anything manually.

Homemade Cleaning Products

On the other hand, homemade cleaning business supplies are readily available in most homes. These include ammonia, vinegar, citric acid, and baking soda. In some cases, they are cost-effective and save you trips to the market.

However, you need to be knowledgeable about the possible effect of each product on different surfaces. Otherwise, you’ll end up damaging a marble, concrete, or wood surface by using a damaging cleaner on it.

Only use homemade products in your cleaning business if you know extensively about their uses and can mix them in correct ratios to ensure spotless cleaning.

Should You Go Green?

If you want your cleaning business to stand out, you may want to offer eco-friendly house cleaning services to your clients. The approach works particularly well for environment-conscious clients who prefer using green cleaning solutions for their families.

Don’t merely advertise yourself as a ‘green cleaning business’ unless you actually are one. Plus, when you’re buying house cleaning supplies, make sure you confirm the products to be non-toxic, biodegradable, and organic. Here are some expert-approved natural cleaning products to try.

the Complete Cleaning Business Starter Kit

Get our FREE Comprehensive Start-Up guide, complete with a checklist, business card template, pricing calculator and Invoice template.

Cleaning Business Office Supplies

While the aforementioned cleaning business supplies are the ones you need at the clients’ homes, there are some things you must have in your office.

Here are some of them:

  • Business cards for marketing
  • Printer
  • Laptop or computer
  • Phone line
  • Insurance
  • Cleaning business software

How Important is a Cleaning Business Software?

How would it reflect on your work ethic if you’re not fully up to date with the happenings in your own cleaning company? Just because you have a more ‘hands-on’ cleaning business doesn’t mean you don’t need to bring in tech.

A cleaning business software can make you look more professional, save time, and be efficient in your business operations. Here’s how a software can help you streamline your own business:

  • Scheduling: A software lets you schedule your visits according to the time and client’s name. In this way, your crew can also stay on the same page, and you can allocate different jobs to each team.
  • Online Bookings: With software, you can offer online bookings to your clients instead of them having to come to your office.
  • Give Quotes: Plus, you can give quotes to people enquiring about your cleaning solutions. Or, you can let them calculate the quotes by filling a certain form or different fields, such as the number of rooms, size, etc.
  • Invoices: Many cleaning softwares also let you create professional invoices that you can send directly to the clients. Plus, your clients can pay you online too.
  • Manage Client Information: If you have recurring clients, a software can help you keep all their information in one place. You can also access this information on the go as most softwares have mobile apps.

Conclusion

Before you start advertising or marketing your cleaning business, you need to ensure you have all the equipment you need. Having the right equipment makes your job easier and lets you impress new customers easily.


If you are a new business, you should at least have the basic cleaning supplies discussed in this article.


As your business grows, you can include other equipment to your list, such as eco-friendly cleaning products and software for employee scheduling and invoicing. You’ll soon notice that having the right supplies has a significant impact on your client base and job efficiency.

More To Explore

the Complete Cleaning Business Starter Kit

Get our FREE Comprehensive Start-Up guide, complete with a checklist, business card template, pricing calculator and Invoice template.