Whether you’re about to start a cleaning company or recently decided to add residential cleaning to your services, having a checklist on hand can give you and your team a solid starting point.
Below, we’ve listed a few common areas to clean around your clients’ homes, as well as additional cleaning services you may want to offer. Keep reading for a few tips and suggestions you may want to keep in mind as you start your cleaning business. Don’t forget to drop your email below to get small business resources delivered to your inbox.
General Cleaning Tasks
Let’s start with regular house cleaning items:
- Sweeping and mopping.
- Dusting furniture, ceiling fans, and surface areas.
- Vacuuming.
- Glass cleaning including mirrors, windows, and furniture.
- Disinfecting surface areas.
- Taking out the trash.
- General organization.
Living Spaces
Common living areas can include the living room, home office, den, playroom, and foyer. Here are a few places to add to keep on your checklist:
- Dust and polish furniture.
- Mop and sweep floors.
- Vacuum rugs and carpet.
- Tidy up items and electronics.
- Organize and wipe desks.
- Wipe glass surface areas.
- Dust blinds.
- Fluff cushions and pillows.
- Empty trash cans.
Kitchen
The kitchen is one of the most used spaces in our homes and perhaps the dirtiest. Here are the top spots to clean in your clients’ kitchens.
- Disinfect and wipe counters.
- Clean and organize the refrigerator.
- Clean and organize cabinets.
- Wash dishes and disinfect the sink.
- Disinfect the microwave and oven.
- Mop floors.
- Organize the pantry.
- Clean and disinfect the stove.
- Dust and wipe any kitchen furniture including the dining table.
Bedrooms
The bedrooms can be relatively straightforward to clean. Here are the main spots to keep on your checklist:
- Make and tidy beds.
- Vacuum rugs and carpet.
- Dust and polish furniture.
- Wipe countertops.
- Put dirty laundry in the hamper.
- Organize closets.
- Organize vanity and furniture tops.
- Wipe any glass surfaces.
Bathrooms
Although bathrooms tend to be smaller than the rest of the rooms and spaces around the house, they can be the most challenging to clean.
- Scrub and disinfect the toilet.
- Scrub and disinfect the tub.
- Take out the trash.
- Scrub and disinfect sink.
- Wipe countertops.
- Wipe mirrors and glass surfaces.
- Mop floors.
- Scrub and shine hardware and fixtures.
- Scrub tile, ceramic, and grout.
Outdoor Areas
Upon request or an added cost, a client may also ask you to clean their home’s outdoor spaces. Here are a few common places:
- Tidy up and dust outdoor furniture.
- Wash outdoor cushions.
- Sweep and rake leaves.
- Remove cobwebs.
- Clean the grill.
Additional Services
Lastly, there may be services you can offer at an additional cost or customize to the specific needs of your clients. Those can include:
- Doing the laundry.
- Shopping for groceries or cooking a meal.
- Deep cleaning certain areas of the house.
- Cleaning windows.
- Specialized treatment to furniture or floors.
- Cleaning baseboards.
- Pet hair cleaning and vacuuming.
- Basement and garage cleaning.
Things to Keep in Mind
If you’re just getting started, here are a few things you might want to keep in mind before you open for business.
- Get insured and acquire any necessary permits.
- Prepare with quality cleaning products.
- Set client expectations well in advance.
- Give a detailed list of your pricing, included services, and add-ons.
- Provide contactless, contactless payment.
- Set up a get reviews—especially as you gain traction.
If you’re ready to head out to a gig, be sure to download our blank checklist below and customize it for each client. If you’re ready to automate your cleaning business and help your clients find, book, and pay for your services without any heavy lifting on your end, sign up below to give GoSite a try!