The only time cleaning is rewarding for me is when you find a pocketful of change in the chair cushions. I really get so sick of cleaning up after everyone and no one ever wants to help. Which is why I was so surprised when one day I came home to find my son excited and counting a wad of bills that he said he received for clearing out trash from a neighbor's basement? You mean you were Cleaning? But I thought that was a dirty word and yet here he was happy and excited to clean because he could get paid for it.



Apparently he did such a great job that the neighbor hired him to clear out his garage next. So he was so excited that he wanted to start a cleaning business and I didn't even know he knew how to clean!

Then I thought about it. Cleaning is a truly unique opportunity because almost anyone can start such a service. Most people already have the know-how to clean! You could start now and be very successful, very quick.

And cleaning is no longer the lowly, poor paid venture it once was. It can be really quite a futuristic, high technology business. Quite respected, and in many cases, very highly paid. My son had made quite a bit of money for one day's work.

Cleaning was an ideal business for my son. He could work part-time while he was in school and then full time when he wasn't. He set up his own books, got a name, made signs and advertised. He got a partner and they called on all their friends to tell their parents they were "in business." They also started with no equipment except my vacuum cleaner, broom and some rags. However, I did open my cleaning cabinet one day to find many of my household cleaning supplies gone.

A few weeks later I asked how everything was going. He told me they so much business they needed to specialize and narrow down the types of cleaning they were going to offer. He said contrary to what you might think, cleaning is quite a sophisticated, operation. I began to see this was not just a teenage way to make some extra money, but a valuable home business.

Here are just some of the different types of cleaning operations to expand a simple starter home cleaning business:

Household cleaning of peoples homes. More and more people need a few hours' daily help with household duties. You can set your clients up for weekly, every other week or even monthly cleaning. It is dependable money and flexible.

Next, there is specialized cleaning. In the cleaning industry there are forms of specialized cleaning that most firms don't undertake. So you can corner the market in these specialized areas. Often no experience is needed. Popular in this area of cleaning is kitchen cleaning, in restaurants and hotels. Washroom cleaning/servicing is another area. Cleaning services to specific industries, such as food, processing, computers, electronics, chemicals, cosmetics, are also possibilities. In many cases the customers will train you to the standard required.

Then there is the area of special big jobs. These are the jobs which are only required periodically. Here you offer a year round 'spring' clean service to homes and business customers. Initial cleans are needed prior to occupation of newly built buildings or apartments. Both these services can provide very big jobs for very big incomes. Get your customer to provide equipment and materials needed if you don't want to buy.

Floor Cleaning is very lucrative these days. Commercial premises have vast areas of tiled or linoleum floors. It all needs regular cleaning and there's a huge sub-industry set up to do this. All that is needed is a special cleaning and polishing machine which can be rented if purchase prices are too high.

Carpet/Upholstery Cleaning for homes and business has been a proven money maker. Special equipment is required. There is some competition with franchises, so operating at the quality end of the market is best.

Window Cleaning is not the lowly paid activity you might think if properly organized. Most areas are short of good, reliable cleaners. The upside is your only requirements are a bucket, cloth and ladder. Domestic windows offer good potential and you can offer to clean inside and out for extra profit. Commercial windows offer lower prices, but huge jobs and regular work. This is perfect contract work.

Car Detailing which is the cleaning of new and used cars is potentially big business with millions on the road. Equipment not always necessary and you could offer a mobile service. Offer to the public or get a contract with a car sales shop.

Industrial Cleaning of factories and the industrial machinery is a possible 'big business' service. A pressure washer would be a valuable tool here.

Exterior Cleaning or contract cleaning of outside areas such as shopping centers, car parks, office, or factory grounds is a reasonably new opportunity offering much potential. It comprises of mainly litter collection and sweeping, however the new type tractor mounted jumbo vacuum cleaners on the market now are set to revolutionize the service. Definitely one of those services that could be tomorrow's big business success.

Finally, there are acoustic ceilings to be cleaned. One of the very latest cleaning opportunities is cleaning millions of square yards of acoustic suspended ceilings in commercial premises. They can only be cleaned with a special machine which sprays a chemical that causes the dirt to drop from ceilings. Although equipment is required, this is quite a new, exclusive service that the newcomer can dominate in their areas. You will probably want to consult specialist suppliers for equipment.

You may well discover many more cleaning opportunities, because new services are being invented all the time. Most of them quickly become essential services - something people want because nobody likes to clean. Good selling and organization can get you started but, as you can see, the possibilities are endless.

To summarize, cleaning is a humble enough opportunity to start and succeed in. But, quickly can become a lucrative and impressive business. That is not the only benefit to the business. My son seems to keep a cleaner bedroom now and every once in awhile I catch him put his dirty dishes in the sink. But, there are also drawbacks to his having his own cleaning business. One, I have to pay him to clear out my garbage, although I do get a family discount. The second drawback is I don't find change in the cushions anymore. He must have figured out that was where all his money was going.