House Cleaner

A cleaning side hustle is a lot like what it sounds like—you earn money cleaning different spaces for paying customers. These could be the homes of people living in your neighborhood or corporate offices downtown.

The big attraction of a cleaning side hustle is the control you have as the cleaner. You get to set your own hours and pay rates. You can just do a bit of casual cleaning for money on the side while working a regular 9-to-5 job, or you could go all in and start your own cleaning business.

Is it legal to clean houses for cash?

Yes, it’s perfectly legal to clean houses or any other space for cash. If you’re running your own cleaning business or side hustle, it’s entirely up to you what forms of payment you use, as long as you’re accepting legal tender and not violating any laws.

For a casual cleaning side hustle, many cleaners charge cash. However, if you’re planning on starting a large-scale cleaning business, it’s a good idea to expand your payment options to accept payments via other methods, such as credit card, debit card, PayPal, Venmo, or bank transfer.

Types of cleaning you can do

Before you jump head-first into a cleaning side hustle, take a moment to explore your options. You don’t just have to clean houses. There are several different types of clients you can target with a cleaning side hustle.

Residential cleaning

As a residential house cleaner, you clean other people’s houses. This is perhaps the easiest type of cleaning to get into if all you want is a casual cleaning side hustle. You could easily start by cleaning the houses of neighbors or friends and then expand through word-of-mouth referrals.

Commercial cleaning

Commercial or business cleaning involves cleaning spaces that are used for business purposes. There are a few different types of spaces you can clean as a commercial cleaner:

• Offices
• Retail stores
• Clinics and other healthcare facilities
• Schools and daycares
• Stadiums and event spaces
• Factories, warehouses, or production facilities

Most commercial cleaners specialize in just one type of business setting since different businesses and organizations may have their own protocols and regulations. Getting clients for commercial cleaning can be a little trickier than finding house cleaning jobs since you’ll need to pitch to the company’s or organization’s appropriate point of contact.

Specialty cleaning

Some professional cleaners choose to structure their business around specialty services rather than around the space being cleaned.

Here are a few examples of specialty services you could offer:

• Deep cleaning
• Move-in / move-out cleaning
• Pre-event / post-event cleaning
• Pool cleaning
• Window cleaning
• Hoarding cleanup
• Airbnb and vacation rental cleaning
• Vehicle cleaning (e.g., cars, RVs, or boats)

You may need to invest more money upfront to buy special cleaning equipment, but you’ll find a more well-defined target market and eliminate some of the competition.

There are no legal requirements for becoming a cleaner, and you won’t find clients looking for a detailed resume of cleaning qualifications. You can even start a cleaning business without any professional cleaning experience. This is part of what makes cleaning an easy side hustle to start.

However, even with the low entry barrier, there are a few things you’ll need to prepare to ensure your cleaning side hustle is a success.

Cleaning skills

It goes without saying, but to start a thriving cleaning side hustle, you need to be an excellent cleaner. It can be hard to know just how good you are at cleaning if you’ve never had a paid cleaning gig before, so it’s crucial to get input from others.

Here are a few ways to test your cleaning skills:

• Educate yourself on cleaning best practices: Read blogs, watch videos, and soak in as much information as possible on how to be a good cleaner. There’s plenty of free information online that you can take advantage of.
• Clean for friends and family: Offer to do a couple of free or very cheap cleaning jobs for people you know. At the end, ask for their honest input on how you did and how you could improve.
• Shadow a professional cleaner: If you’ve got the time, there’s no better way to learn how to clean than to watch a pro cleaner at work. Some may be willing to take you on as an assistant for a couple of jobs.

Because cleaning often involves working with harsh chemicals, it’s also super important to familiarize yourself with safety guidelines for cleaning to avoid causing harm to yourself or others.

Startup funds to buy your own cleaning supplies

You don’t need to have lots of money to get your cleaning side hustle up and running, but you will need to have some basic cleaning supplies on hand. It’s also a good idea to use some of your income from your first few gigs to buy more and better cleaning supplies.

The table below shows a breakdown of the startup costs you can expect when it comes to buying tools and supplies for your cleaning business.

Equipment Costs for a Cleaning Side Hustle

There’s a chance you’ll already have some of these supplies at home already, in which case you won’t need to spend as much upfront. You may also need to budget more if you’re planning to do specialty cleaning that requires additional equipment not on this list.

A solid marketing strategy

In the cleaning industry, it’s all about your connections and referrals. When you’re just starting out, you’ll need to put in extra effort into finding your first customers. But as you complete more jobs, it’ll get easier and easier to find new work.

Below are some good ways to find cleaning customers:

• Social media: Post about your house cleaning services on community-centric platforms, such as in local Facebook groups or on Nextdoor.
• Craigslist: This is a great way to put the word out about your cleaning services, particularly if you’re running a house cleaning side hustle.
• Targeted ads: If you want to do office cleaning or business cleaning, then it may be worthwhile paying for Google Ads to boost visibility in your area.
• Physical marketing: Don’t snub your nose at good old-fashioned physical marketing—make professional business cards and flyers and look for bulletin boards in your local area where you can advertise.
• A website: You could also set up a professional website for your cleaning business that includes a contact form where customers can request your services.
• Promotions: Promotions are a good way to attract new customers in the early stages of your house cleaning side hustle.

There are several different places to find cleaning jobs. Some are better for a full-fledged cleaning business, whereas others are ideal if you just want to pick up some quick cleaning shifts in your spare time. Here’s a rundown of all your options.

Best Places to Find Cleaning Gigs

If your goal is to start a part-time cleaning side hustle, then your best bet is to use cleaning apps or join a cleaning agency. This way, you avoid a lot of the hassle that comes with being a self-employed cleaner.

On the other hand, if you want to become a full-time independent cleaner, then you should search for opportunities on job boards and take advantage of free advertising strategies, such as posting on Craigslist or in local Facebook groups. Paying for leads is also an option, but this strategy comes with greater financial risk.

While earnings vary, most cleaners make somewhere in the range of $20–$60 per hour from their side hustle. Some of the reported earnings on the lower end of this spectrum come from cleaners working for already-established cleaning companies, with self-employed cleaners commanding higher rates.

Factors that may affect your earnings

There are several factors that can influence how much you make from a cleaning side hustle:

• Services offered: If you offer specialized cleaning services, such as wood floor cleaning or mold removal, you can fetch higher rates than if you only provide basic home or office cleaning.
• Location: To stay competitive when you’re first starting out, you’ll need to charge in line with the going rates in your area. These will vary depending on local cost of living and demand for cleaners.
• Job scope: You’ll be able to earn more cleaning larger and dirtier spaces.
• Cost of cleaning supplies: You’ll need to regularly buy cleaning supplies, which will detract from your revenue.
• Transportation: You’ll need to take into account the cost of gas (if you’re driving to and from jobs) or public transport.
• Physical condition: Cleaning is a physically demanding job, and if you get injured or sick, you won’t be able to work. Moreover, being self-employed means you won’t get compensated for missed work.

Take all these factors into consideration when setting your cleaning rates to ensure that your actual take-home pay is worthwhile for you.

Can you make good money cleaning houses?

Yes, you can earn a decent income from a house cleaning side hustle. However, your income potential from residential cleaning may be more limited than your potential earnings from commercial cleaning. Businesses often have bigger budgets and sometimes even multiple locations where your cleaning services may be needed.

When starting out, you’ll likely be eager to recuperate the initial investments you’ve made for your cleaning side hustle. If you’re set on a house cleaning side hustle, here are some tips for success.

1. Check what your competitors are charging

Before you can start your own house cleaning business, you’ll need to research the competition in your area to identify the following points:

• What services house cleaners offer
• How much they charge
• Any potential gaps in the marketing
• What marketing strategies other cleaning businesses use

2. Offer promotions when starting out

Offer discounts, free add-on services, or other incentives to customers if they refer friends or family members to you. This is an easy and cost-effective way to drum up more business for your cleaning side gig.

3. Get business insurance for cleaners

You don’t necessarily need insurance if you’re just planning on cleaning houses for some friends here and there, but it is something you’ll need if you plan on starting a cleaning business. Insurance policies for cleaning businesses can cost anywhere from $30 to $500 per month, depending on the extent of coverage you get.

4. Stay on top of your taxes

Unless you’re working for an agency that withholds your taxes for you, you’ll need to pay self-employment taxes on the income from your cleaning side hustle if you earn above the income threshold ($400 for the 2024 tax year).

It’s important to budget properly for taxes and pay your estimated taxes on time to avoid penalty fees and financial burden. You can use a self-employment tax calculator to get a better idea of how much you owe, but it’s a good idea to consult a qualified tax professional to see what deductions (if any) you’re eligible for.

5. Keep a first aid kit on hand

Accidents happen, so having a first aid kit on hand is always a good idea, especially since you’re dealing with hazardous chemicals and dirty environments.

Offering professional cleaning services can be a great side hustle, but not everyone will enjoy this type of work. You need to be okay with getting your hands dirty, working long hours, and dealing with customers who may have unrealistic expectations.

Pros and cons

To help you make a more informed decision on whether a cleaning side hustle is right for you, consider all the pros and cons of cleaning for profit.

What to expect from a cleaning side hustle

For better or worse, there are a few characteristics of the job that you should be prepared for before you start a cleaning side hustle:

• It’s easy to get started: With low entry barriers and startup costs, starting a house cleaning business is incredibly easy.
• Demand is higher in more populated areas: Cleaning is almost always in demand in cities and urban areas, whereas it can be a bit trickier to find work in more isolated areas.
• You can work flexible hours: If you’re starting your own cleaning business, you’ll have control over when and how much you work.
• You’ll face competition from cleaning agencies: These days, plenty of people rely on cleaning agencies and apps to book cleaners because of the convenience of these types of services. If you’re planning on working as an independent cleaner or starting your own business, it can be tricky to compete.
• Your livelihood depends on your physical health: Cleaning is a labor-intensive job, and this type of work can take a toll on your body over time. You’ll need to take precautions to protect your physical well-being to avoid getting injuries or burning out and not being able to work anymore.

Starting a cleaning side hustle can be stressful, and it takes time to build the credibility required to really take off. However, considering how easy it is to break into this field and the consistent demand for cleaning services, it’s well worth trying to make money cleaning as a side hustle.