Which customers should a cleaning business go after first?
Pick one kind of cleaning to lead with, because each kind of customer looks for a cleaner in a different way. A household wanting a weekly clean asks neighbours and searches nearby. A tenant moving out needs a date and a checklist. An office manager wants a visit and a written quote.
Start with the work you can do well this month, in the area you can reach easily. A cleaner who covers a few postcodes in depth usually fills a diary faster than one who says "we cover the whole county". Short travel between jobs also leaves more paid hours in the day.
Write down three things before you spend time or money on marketing: the services you offer, the postcodes you cover and how a customer books. Every channel below uses those same three answers.
What should your cleaning website show?
It should answer the questions people ask before they ring: what you clean, where you work, how pricing works and how to book. A site that leaves those out sends visitors back to the search results. A clear one turns the same visit into an enquiry.
Give regular domestic cleaning, end-of-tenancy cleans and commercial work their own sections. Say what is included and what costs extra, such as ovens or carpets. If you cannot give a fixed price, explain what the quote depends on: property size, condition and how often you visit.
- A list of the postcodes or towns you cover.
- What each service includes, and what it does not.
- A quote form that asks for postcode, property type, service and preferred date.
- Real reviews, shared with the customer's permission.
- A phone number and a form, not just an email address.
Our guide to websites for cleaning companies shows how we lay out services, areas and the quote form for cleaners.
How does a Google Business Profile help a cleaner get found?
It gives people searching nearby a listing with your services, your reviews and a way to call you, on Google Maps and in Google Search. For a cleaner who works in set towns or postcodes, it is often the first place a new customer sees you.
Most cleaners visit customers rather than having customers visit them. Google calls this a service-area business. Its help page on managing service areas for service-area businesses says that if you don't serve customers at your business address, you should remove the address from your profile. You then set the areas you cover instead, which Google says helps people find your profile, and your home address stays private.
Choose the category that best describes your main service, add real photos of your work and keep your opening hours accurate. If you would rather someone else handles the profile, our local search engine optimisation (SEO) team can help: the local SEO service for small businesses covers Business Profile management, reviews and local listings.
How do you get reviews for a cleaning business?
Ask every happy customer, at the moment they are happiest: straight after a clean they liked. Most people who mean to leave a review forget unless you make it easy, so send the link the same day.
Google's tips to get more reviews say you can ask customers to visit a Google link or scan a quick response (QR) code, a square code a phone camera opens. The same page warns against one common habit. Offering free or discounted services in exchange for reviews counts as fake engagement and is strictly prohibited. So do not offer money off the next clean for a five-star review.
Reply to every review, good or bad, politely and briefly. If a bad review or an old listing is hurting you, our reputation management service can help. Our guide on how to get more Google reviews includes a short message you can copy and send after each job.
Rather have it done for you? We build your website free, it goes live in days, and you pay nothing for the first 14 days. No card needed. See how the free 14-day trial works.
How can letting agents and landlords send you end-of-tenancy work?
Letting agents and landlords need a property cleaned every time a tenant moves out, so one good agent can send you steady work. They want a cleaner who turns up on the agreed date, follows a checklist and leaves the property ready for the next viewing.
Tenants have a reason to book a proper clean too. The UK government's guide to tenancy deposit protection says a landlord must put the deposit in a government-approved scheme. Tenants get it back if they meet the terms of the tenancy agreement, do not damage the property and pay their rent and bills.
- List the independent letting agents and block managers in the postcodes you cover.
- Prepare a one-page sheet: your end-of-tenancy checklist, the areas you cover and how quickly you can book in.
- Call or visit each office and ask who arranges cleans between tenancies.
- Offer to do one clean so they can judge your work, then send before and after photos.
- Follow up after each job and ask whether they have another property coming up.
Do leaflets still work for cleaning businesses?
They can, if you aim them. A leaflet through every door in town rarely pays back. A small run through the streets around homes you already clean works better, because neighbours can see your van and ask their friends about you.
Keep the leaflet simple: the service, the areas you cover, how to book and your web address. Use the same wording as your website so people recognise you when they look you up. Add a line inviting them to search for your reviews.
Ask every new customer how they heard about you, and write the answer down. After a couple of months you will know whether leaflets, Google or word of mouth brought each booking. Spend more on what works and stop what does not.
How do you turn one-off cleans into repeat bookings?
Offer the next visit before you leave. A customer who has just seen their home clean is the easiest person to book again. Suggest a regular slot, weekly or fortnightly, on the same day and time each visit.
A short follow-up message also helps, but check the rules first. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) explains them in its guidance on email and text marketing. You must not send marketing emails or texts to individuals without specific consent. There is a limited exception for your own previous customers, often called the soft opt-in. You must give a simple way to opt out when you first collect their details and in every message.
Keep a simple list of every customer, the service they had and the date. A reminder in spring for a deep clean, or before Christmas for a one-off tidy, then goes only to people who agreed to hear from you.
Which channel suits which kind of cleaning?
Match the channel to the customer. Most cleaning businesses do best with two or three channels done well, not ten done badly.
- Regular domestic cleaning: a Google Business Profile, reviews, word of mouth and leaflets in nearby streets.
- End-of-tenancy cleaning: letting agents, landlords and a website page with your checklist and booking form.
- Deep cleans and one-offs: your website, your Business Profile and reminders to past customers who opted in.
- Commercial cleaning: direct approaches to local offices, a clear survey and quote process on your website, and referrals from existing clients.
Whichever you choose, the website is where most customers check you before they book. That is why it is worth getting right first.
How can Buzzozo help your cleaning business get more customers?
We build websites for cleaning companies that show your services, the areas you cover and a quote form that asks the right questions. Our cleaning company website service keeps domestic, end-of-tenancy and commercial cleaning clear and separate.
The Website plan is from £149 a month for the first 100 businesses, locked for life, and from £299 a month after the first 100. It is monthly, with no contract. Our website plans and prices list everything included.
You can see it working before you pay anything. Get your free website: we build it, it goes live in days, and you pay nothing for the first 14 days. No card needed.
If you need to compare channels before spending, read our small business marketing ideas for a small budget and choose a test you can measure.
Common questions
How do I get my first cleaning customers?
Start with people who already know you, then set up a free Google Business Profile and a simple website that lists your services, areas and how to book. Ask each early customer for a review, and offer them a regular slot before you leave.
Should I put my home address on my Google Business Profile?
Not if customers do not visit you there. Google says a business that does not serve customers at its address should remove it and set a service area instead. Your profile then shows the areas you cover, not your home.
Can I offer a discount for a Google review?
No. Google says offering free or discounted services in exchange for reviews counts as fake engagement and is strictly prohibited. Ask every customer for an honest review instead, and make it easy with a link or a code they can scan.
Can I text past customers about a new cleaning offer?
Often, yes, if they bought from you before and you gave them a simple way to opt out when you took their details. The ICO calls this the soft opt-in. Include an opt-out in every message, and do not text people who have not bought from you without their consent.