So you’re settled on the decision to start your own cleaning business. Great! There’s an exciting journey ahead of you!
Although you may now be stuck wondering exactly what type of cleaning business is right for you – both what you’ll most enjoy doing and what cleaning niche will likely generate the most profit.
Make no mistake, running a successful cleaning business isn’t a walk in the park. Profitability in business can always be traced back to the work you put in as an owner and the opportunities you can capitalise on. Although the nature of the business will play a part in overheads as well.
This post is here to help you settle on the right cleaning business idea for you, giving you helpful guidance when choosing what kind of cleaning to base your business around, and a brief overview on some of the options out there. It’s important to think about the long term success of your cleaning business from the very start.
Benefits of running a cleaning business
Cleaning services, whether for residential or commercial properties, are in constant demand throughout the year. There’s a reason there were 73,655 cleaning businesses recorded as of the British Cleaning Council’s (BCC) research report 2024. The evergreen nature of cleaning means you will almost always see consistent demand from a variety of clients. Yes demand will go up and down slightly depending on the season, but your regular clients will usually keep coming back. Other benefits include:
- Setting your own work schedule. When running your own cleaning business, you’re free to take on the jobs that fit your schedule week-to-week and month-to-month. Being your own boss also allows for supreme flexibility in how work is carried out and which type of projects you take on.
- Low overheads. The primary costs associated with operating a cleaning business are the products and equipment used. While a vehicle might be a larger initial investment, this can be offset if it’s solely used for business purposes. Overheads will rise if you grow to employ other cleaners.
- Quick startup process. You don’t need to have any formal qualifications before starting a cleaning business beyond some measure of professional cleaning training. So not only is it simple to set up a cleaning business, it’s also a relatively quick process. Read ‘Do I need a license to start a cleaning business?’*link to other blog* for more insight on the starting requirements.
- Scalable. When it comes to scaling your cleaning business, this tends to happen naturally as you acquire more clients and larger commitments. From here you can hire additional cleaners to help you deliver more work across a wider geographical area.
- Operate in a local area. Cleaning business owners typically operate in an area around where they live. This is convenient for both travel and networking.
- Repeat work. There is a great deal of trust involved in using cleaning services, as your customers are letting you into their homes. As such, it’s usually the case that once you do a good job for a client they’ll have the confidence to give you more work down the line.
- Fulfilling work. Cleaning businesses provide a valuable service for which people are often thankful. Building these relationships as part of a professional network within your local area can create a great sense of personal fulfilment.
How much can a UK cleaning business make in a year?
You can’t judge the profitability of a specific cleaning business idea if you don’t know the possibilities. According to Checkatrade, owners of established cleaning businesses in the UK can earn a sizable income. Specifically, they estimate an average office cleaner salary of £62,084,78, and £44,251 for how much house cleaners earn on average.
Bear in mind these are averages and there are many factors which might affect the viability of a cleaning business for better or worse. This includes the size of the properties in question, average time it takes to finish a job, the amount of work, unexpected costs, the location you operate in, and more.
Due to the flexibility that comes with running your own business, your earnings will scale depending on the amount of work you put in and your organisational skills. The sky’s the limit when you have a cleaning business idea that aligns perfectly with your work ethic and lifestyle.
Take our own oven cleaning franchise for example: Based on the average order value of Ovenu franchisees, as well as the expenses and overheads involved, we estimate that a cleaning business owner completing 15 jobs a week will make a minimum annual profit £50,000. This is just a starting off point though. Any cleaning business has the potential to generate even more income with expert training and specialised cleaning products.
Types of cleaning businesses
Depending on your experience or preferences, there might be a certain kind of cleaning that you’re intending to be the sole focus of your business. However, due to the wide range of applications for professional cleaning services, it might also be difficult to decide on a niche. Take a look at our list of cleaning business ideas below to get some inspiration:
Dry cleaning business
Industry research from IBISWorld predicts that the size of the UK dry-cleaning market is due to grow between 2025-30. Dry cleaning and laundry businesses typically have a high profit margin so owners can take home a significant portion of revenue. According to Glassdoor, the average dry cleaner salary at the time of writing is £19,320.
Dry cleaning services are ideal for other businesses with large numbers of uniformed employees, where mass amounts of clothes need to be washed regularly. This kind of cleaning business also appeals to people who live in places without a washing machine, although your services should ideally target one of these areas to begin with.
Franchise option – Prima Cleaners (setup cost approximately £37,000)
Landlord cleaning business
End of tenancy cleaning can provide cleaning businesses with a regular influx of work at various times in the year. There is a great deal of flexibility in what you can charge for these services depending on the state of the property, as well as its size and other features. Cleaning rented properties typically requires a broad range of services as you’ll likely have to deal with communal areas, bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and potentially gardens.
Franchise option – Merry Maids (franchise fee £19,995)
Office cleaning
Office cleaning can be a very lucrative business model that generates repeat work for high-paying clients. On top of this, the typical expenses associated with a vehicle, fuel, cleaning products etc, are no different to any other type of cleaning business. Checkatrade estimates that an owner’s office cleaner salary will be over £60K a year on average, although this is before business expenses.
Franchise option – Minster Cleaning Franchise (fee and package £20,000)
Window cleaning
Perfect for homeowners and business premises alike, window cleaners are typically in high demand. For this type of cleaning business however, additional training will be required to ensure safety when working at height. One estimate has the average window cleaner salary at £23,574 per year, although this rises significantly with experience. This can be easily increased by specialising in work for large commercial buildings.
Franchise option – UK Window Clean (packages start at £2,995 plus percentage fees), My Window Cleaner Franchise (total investment £28,000)
Hotel cleaning
Establishing a hotel cleaning business can be a reliable way of securing regular cleaning work. While some hotels will employ their own cleaners full-time, you might have the opportunity to do work during busy periods or become the regular service for certain hotels.
If you can get the latter, this will bring in a massive amount of regular work. An experienced hotel housekeeper can earn around £25,000 according to the government job profile. However, this can change depending on location and the hotel.
Franchise option – Maid2Clean (£9,999 + VAT)
Car cleaning
Car washing and interior cleaning can be a highly varied job that’s perfect for anyone with a love of cars. It’s a great way to interact with a range of different makes and models up close. Glassdoor estimates that the base pay for UK car washers varies from £18k to £36k per year. However, car wash owners stand to earn significantly more on average.
Franchise option – Waves Car Wash (minimum investment £20,000)
Bathroom cleaning
Toilet and bathroom might not be glamorous, but it has the potential to pay well. This standalone cleaning service can be used by event spaces, commercial premises, schools, homeowners, landlords, and more. Bathroom/restroom cleaning typically involves cleaning mirrors, urinals, basins, floors, tiling, and countertops. Although dependent on the area and years of experience, the average salary for a toilet cleaner in the UK is around £20k per year.
Franchise option – The Fine Cleaning Company (Start-up package £15,000)
Carpet cleaning
Cleaning carpets is a notoriously difficult job which many business owners and homeowners won’t do themselves. Instead, they’ll enlist professional carpet cleaners armed with specialist deep cleaning equipment, products, and knowledge. According to Indeed, the average salary for a carpet cleaner in the UK is £55,050 per year.
Franchise option – Nationwide Cleaners (£7,999 franchise fee)
Event cleaning
Whether it’s preparing a space for an event or clearing up afterwards, event cleaners have the opportunity to work with many different venues and clients.
Examples include weddings, corporate events, private parties, and other events. The type of cleaning and the earnings for event cleaning services can vary dramatically, although the average yearly salary in the UK starts around £21,700.
Franchise option – Betterclean Services (packages starting from £25,000 + VAT)
Storage cleaning
Storage areas are often left undisturbed for weeks and months on end, allowing large amounts of dust and debris to build up. This is especially true for spaces which are slightly out-of-the-way, like sheds and garages.
Storage cleaning will typically involve some amount of organisational planning and decluttering to ensure storage spaces can be used effectively once they have been cleaned. The average warehouse cleaner salary in the UK is around £24k a year, which can likely be compared to any other kind of storage cleaning.
Franchise option – JAN-PRO (fees range from £2,520 up to £60,000)
Sports facilities cleaning
Any building that hosts indoor sports or exercise equipment will require regular cleaning for hygiene purposes. Gyms and sports centres are the most common examples. What’s more, these facilities are often attached to other buildings which might also need cleaning like schools.
Franchise option – Jani-King (packages starting at £20,000 + VAT)
Post-construction cleaning
Any renovation or construction work produces huge amounts of waste. Many companies won’t handle cleaning up afterwards, or at least won’t have the resources to clean areas to a high standard, which is where professional cleaners come in. If you can establish yourself as a post-construction cleaning specialist, you might be able to secure lucrative contracts cleaning up after large-scale projects. On average, construction site cleaners in the UK earn around £33k per year.
Franchise option – Dublcheck Cleaning (£15,950 minimum investment)
Healthcare cleaning
Hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare institutions have strict guidelines for cleaning and sanitation. As such, many make use of professional services which can be relied upon to complete cleaning work to a consistently high standard. The most experienced hospital cleaners in the UK benefit from an average salary upwards of £30k per year.
Franchise option – ClearTrace(£20,000 + VAT)
Upholstery cleaning
Upholstery cleaners can expect a similar salary to that of carpet cleaners, with an average UK salary around the £50k per year mark. This service requires knowledge and experience working with a range of materials, such as cotton, leather, polyester, wool, and silk. Care must be taken to avoid damage to furniture pieces, which is why customers are often willing to pay a premium price.
Franchise option – SafeClean (average initial investment of £19,995 with fees negotiated)
Ventilation system cleaning
Many commercial properties are outfitted with extensive Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems to support their operations. This line of work has the potential to be incredibly technical depending on the businesses that require your services. Job boards have an employer estimated rate at around £13-£14 an hour, although this will likely be much higher for business owners.
Franchise option – EnviroGroup (£24,000 minimum investment)
Airbnb cleaning
If you’re the owner of an Airbnb property, you might not live locally to complete cleaning duties between stays. Plus, even if you did, it’s a significant time commitment.
Providing Airbnb cleaning services means you’ll have constantly shifting work patterns dealing with properties of all shapes and sizes. This variety can help keep the work fresh. What’s more, the average salary for an UK airbnb cleaner is similar to that of a house cleaner at approximately £30k-£40k. Although there is a lot of scope for this to rise well above £50k.
Franchise option – Bright and Beautiful (£35,000 total investment)
School cleaning
Cleaning for public and private institutions, schools, nurseries, and universities can be a lucrative profession. It’s often a big job that takes you across large distances, dealing with all kinds of surfaces. As a result, you will likely need to expand your skills to include cleaning for floors, desks, computer screens, bathrooms, and carpets.
School cleaners average salary in the UK is around £22k per year. However, this is typically on a part time basis. If you were to have your own business providing school cleaning services you’d make considerably more.
Franchise option – Green Fox Cleaning(regular price of £18,000)
Pool cleaning
Although not as common in the UK as other countries, pool cleaning is required for leisure centres, educational buildings, and other sports facilities. Pool cleaning is essential maintenance which directly affects the experience of those who visit these places, so you can often expect competitive salaries. In the UK, senior technician pool cleaners and maintenance operatives can make up to £35k per year.
Franchise option – Clearway Pools and Spas (£25,000 investment)
Decking and patio cleaning
Removing dirt, grime, mould, moss, and other environmental damage from decks and patios often requires specialist cleaning. Pressure washing is a commonly employed technique here, with cleaning products and vehicle costs usually being the only other expenses.
The annual pay for deck cleaners can vary greatly as each job will produce a different gross pay depending on the size of the area and the extent of the cleaning required.
Franchise option – Smartseal (packages start from £1640 + VAT)
Gutter cleaning
There are many things which can cause blockages in gutters, from leaves and sticks, to building debris and frozen water. Cleaning the gutters on a property is necessary to avoid potential damage to pipework as well as the gutters themselves.
This type of specialist cleaning can easily combines with other kinds of exterior building cleaning such as window cleaning. The average owner salary for a gutter cleaner business is roughly £44,000 per year.
Franchise option – GutterPRO(£10,850 + VAT)
Chimney cleaning
Fireplace and chimney sweeping is often included as part of regular maintenance work to minimise hire hazards. As dust and soot builds up over time, it can cause pollution to blow back into the building and risk catching fire. Those offering chimney cleaning services in the UK can stand to take home £33,200 per year.
Franchise option – Wilkins Chimney Sweep(£13,000 + VAT)
House cleaning business
The average housekeeper salary in the UK is between £29,250 – £39,000 per year at the time of writing. Although the same database shows that the top salaries consistently exceed £50,000 per year. This variance is due to location, size of the houses, level of expertise, and other factors unique to the properties.
Franchise option – Molly Maid (minimum investment £18,975 + £7,000 fees)
Oven cleaning business
The oven is a hot-spot for dirt and grease build-up in any property. It’s a frequently used appliance which, unless cleaned regularly, won’t function as efficiently or safely as it should.
Oven cleaners provide a premium service but one that is confined to a small area of the property. As a result, most of the time oven cleaning professionals can complete a high volume of jobs throughout the work week to help scale profits.
The average oven cleaner salary for entry level positions is around £22,000 at the time of writing, rising to over £30,000 with experience. However, at Ovenu we’ve seen firsthand how the potential earnings for oven cleaning business owners can easily exceed £60,000 per year.
Although oven cleaning sounds niche, it can easily be expanded to include other appliances and areas within the kitchen. For instance, cleaning the glass in the doors of microwave ovens. Additional key areas for cleaning within the kitchen include extractor hood and hob cleaning. This flexibility is a beneficial feature of many cleaning business ideas as it allows for easier scalability.
Cleaning franchise opportunities
One option when it comes to starting your own cleaning business is to invest in a startup package from a franchise business. In a franchise, the effort needs to be channelled into duplicating and replicating an existing business model rather than trying things from scratch.
Yes, the cost of the package from the franchiser will be more than the costs of setting up the company by yourself. However, choosing to start your business as a franchisee allows you to establish yourself far quicker and reach higher heights.
Take our franchise package for oven cleaners as an example. The Foundation offering costs just £12,400 plus VAT and gives you access to Ovenu branding for your vehicle, tools, and patented cleaning products. On top of this, we provide a full week of professional training that teaches you how to clean and valet to the highest standards. Thanks to our ISO accreditation, no element is missed in our induction training. You’ll then receive ongoing support from the Ovenu team as well as other franchisees when you need it.
Another significant advantage of being part of a cleaning business franchise is the brand recognition and marketing resources that come from the franchisor. By using a well-known logo, potential customers will immediately recognise what kind of services you offer. There’s no need to think of cleaning business advertising ideas off your own back, as the franchise company often has a team of marketers running campaigns to help promote the services of all their franchisees.
Get your cleaning business off the ground with Ovenu
A successful cleaning business has the potential to be extremely profitable so long as you settle on a core idea and invest your time and energy into it. It’s an exciting journey but it’s important to stay focused and ensure your business can generate a livable income for you long term.
When you register your interest with us, you’ll receive a full breakdown of the equipment and tools provided as part of the Ovenu franchise, along with relevant financial information. This will include a rough timeline of predicted earnings based on our trading history and the earning potential you can expect.
If you’re stuck deciding what’s the right direction to take your cleaning business, why not give us a call? We’ll be happy to talk you through our offering and answer any questions to see how we can help.