How To Become a House Cleaner: Unlocking a Rewarding Career Opportunity
Imagine having a career that is relatively laid back, makes people happy, and is rewarding both physically and mentally. Even better, you don’t need a college degree to do it — you just need to be active, willing, and determined to do your work well.
If this sounds like what you’ve always wanted in a career, you might consider becoming a house cleaner.
As society gets busier and busier, many people prefer to leave the cleaning of their homes to others who will consistently do it well, freeing up time for their own careers and families.
Read on for detailed information about different ways to be a housekeeper, the qualities a good housekeeper should have, the regular duties housekeepers perform, and other considerations involved in this worthy and gratifying career.
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How To Become a House Cleaner: 4 Ways To Make Housekeeping a Career
In considering how to become a house cleaner, you should be aware of the various business options for providing your services. If you are looking for a house cleaning job in Portland, Tidy Up Portland! can help you find one.
#1: Be a Self-Employed House Cleaner
A self-employed house cleaner runs an independent business by offering cleaning services to businesses, clinics, private homes, and hotels. As your own boss, you can set your own prices and decide which days and hours work and who you work for.
You will also be responsible for marketing your business, managing the administration and client relations (which can be more complicated if you have people working for you), and obtaining necessary licensing and insurance.
For a prevalent marketing presence in your area, you should consider the following:
Social media business page
Referrals from former and current clients
Mailers to send to local residents
Advertisements
Your business name and contact on your company vehicle
Business cards and flyers that you leave in local home goods and home improvement stores
Luckily, starting a house cleaning business doesn’t require a huge investment, so it makes running your own very doable. However, you may need to pay for your transportation and tools and equipment you will need to carry out cleaning services.
Some helpful cleaning items to ensure successful jobs include:
Broom
Vacuum
Mop
Various cleaners
Disinfectants
Ladder/stool
Sponges, rags, wipes
Buying in bulk from an industrial supply store or wholesale cleaning supply seller can save you money, but it could be more cost-effective to order your supplies online.
Although the challenge of being self-employed is that you must perform all the administrative tasks, you have more flexibility and independence than you might otherwise.
#2: Work as an Independent Contractor
Just like self-employed individuals, independent contractors purchase their supplies and must put back money for taxes and secure their own insurance. Some of these expenses can be deducted from taxes, however.
Unlike self-employed house cleaners, independent contracting requires that you work for a company (or several companies) on a contractual basis.
#3: Use House Cleaning Apps
You can offer your house cleaning services in a freelance fashion through apps as well. These apps are designed to eliminate tedious office work for you and allow you to effectively organize your business.
There are several apps you may choose from. Housecall Pro, for instance, allows you to:
Easily schedule one-time and recurring jobs.
Create estimates.
Assign teams.
Alert customers about jobs through automatic text messages.
Create automatic invoices.
Track and collect money owed to you.
Market your services.
Let your customers book your services online based on your schedule.
Maintain a record of services you’ve provided, as well as a customer database and price list.
Other apps that provide similar automatic assistance include:
#4: Work as an Employee for a Reputable House Cleaning Company
If you have some experience with house cleaning already, consider working for a reputable house cleaning company like Tidy Up Portland! Working for a company means the only thing you’d likely need to provide would be your transportation.
Uniforms, equipment, licensing, and administration are all taken care of by the business owner or people they have delegated for the tasks. Another perk – Tidy Up Portland! pays a flat rate for some jobs, which is very profitable if you are an efficient cleaner.
4 Important Considerations To Make Before Becoming a House Cleaner
While formal education is not typically required (a high school diploma or GED is sufficient), there are things to consider that affect whether someone can be a quality house cleaner.
When we hire at Tidy Up Portland!, we look for individuals who possess certain characteristics, have some experience, and are eager to learn.
#1: Skills and Qualities
A good house cleaner often has many of the following characteristics:
Cleaning skills: You should have a good understanding of cleaning techniques, like how to clean various surfaces, what products to use, and how to remove stains.
Detail-oriented: Attention to detail is needed to ensure every item or area is cleaned and organized.
Time management: You need to be able to work in a timely manner to ensure the job is done when the client expects.
Physical stamina: You need to be able to remain active (stretching, squatting, reaching, scrubbing, etc.) all day in order to complete the jobs that you agreed to.
Administrative organization skills: Even if you are not self-employed, you need to be able to budget your time, ensure you have the right supplies for particular jobs, and honor the agreement with your client.
#2: Experience
Many house cleaning companies or individuals prefer candidates with prior cleaning experience. You can gain experience by working as an assistant to an experienced house cleaner or through part-time jobs in the cleaning industry.
#3: Financial Responsibilities
If you are not the owner of a house cleaning company it is your responsibility to raise sufficient funds to cover:
Licensing: First, you must register your business for state and local taxes. Next, you may need a license to operate a business in your city or county and an occupational license specific to the cleaning industry. A business license may cost anywhere from $50 to $300. Check with your local municipality to learn how to obtain the licenses required.
Insurance: You should have general liability, workers’ compensation, and commercial auto insurance. General liability insurance protects your company if you get sued for an injury (such as someone slipping on your waxed floors) or property damage. Workers’ compensation insurance helps pay for injured employees’ medical bills and any lawsuits over employees’ injuries. Commercial auto insurance covers your company vehicle(s).
Supplies: Buying the items listed above periodically will probably require the greatest expenditure.
Marketing and promotion: Advertising your business in the newspaper and other print and digital media is an expenditure you should consider.
#4: Ethical and Legal Considerations
House cleaners often have access to clients' personal belongings and spaces. Maintaining ethical standards of trust and respect is critical in this profession.
Understand the legal aspects of your work, including issues related to client privacy and adherence to local regulations, especially when handling hazardous materials.
Typical Duties Required of a House Cleaner
A house cleaner’s daily routine differs according to the needs of the clients served each day. For a regularly scheduled (weekly or bi-weekly) clean, the house cleaner cleans the exterior of all surfaces and tidies everything in the home.
This typically includes:
Sweeping
Dusting
Vacuuming
Mopping
Making beds
Dishwashing
If the client needs a deep clean, the house cleaner cleans the interior of more items, such as microwaves, etc., and does more extensive scrubbing and vacuuming. Some items that require deep cleaning but take more time and effort are considered add-ons. These often include the fridge, ovens, and windows.
The following tasks are not the responsibility of house cleaners:
Cleaning ceilings, except for small spot cleaning
Serious organizing
Handling materials considered hazardous, including compost, black mold, and biological waste (these require a caretaker’s service)
How To Become a House Cleaner With Tidy Up Portland!
If you live in the Portland area and are looking to continue your house cleaning career with a reputable and experienced company, contact Tidy Up Portland! today. Our team is always happy to chat with trustworthy and dependable cleaners and offer them opportunities for professional growth in the house cleaning field.
Contact Tidy Up Portland! today.
