How to Start a Commercial Restroom Cleaning Business

Boring businesses are some of the most lucrative ventures. While so many entrepreneurs seek out the latest and greatest invention, why reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to? 

Not every company in your city needs some new technology or solution. They doneed their bathrooms cleaned, though. That’s why we’re going to show you how to start a commercial restroom cleaning business here in this guide.

There are solopreneurs making thousands of dollars a day cleaning commercial restrooms, and you can scale your company as high as you see fit. The barrier to entry is low, so it’s easy to get started. All you need is a bit of work ethic and a restroom cleaning machine from SweepScrub.

Sure, you can clean your client’s restrooms the old-fashioned way - but the more bathrooms you can work through during the day, the more money you make. 

The Tornado Touchless Restroom Cleaning Machine can cut your cleaning time by ⅔, reduce human contact with germs, and achieve better results. So, if you’re serious about starting a commercial restroom cleaning company, take the next step at SweepScrub today!

Should I Start a Commercial Restroom Cleaning Business?

You need to do your due diligence before investing any money into this venture. There’s certainly lucrative potential for restroom cleaning service providers, but there are things you need to consider to figure out if it’s actually viable in your area or not.

The Upside

Every business with restrooms needs regular cleaning, and most of these companies would rather outsource the task to a professional than take it on themselves. 

In this sense, you should have no problem getting your operation off the ground with your first few clients. Offices, restaurants, schools, healthcare facilities, and retail stores are all great candidates. 

Unlike one-time cleaning jobs, you’ll get recurring revenue through weekly or bi-weekly service delivery. This means it’s easy to forecast your company’s growth. You can start as a solo cleaner and gradually build a team, expanding into multiple locations and service contracts.

One of the best reasons to consider starting this type of business is how little start-up capital you need to get the wheels turning. You don’t need a warehouse, a large office, or even employees at first. Just a strong work ethic and the basic supplies and equipment.

This is a fairly recession-proof business model, too. While companies might cut back on deep-cleaning services, restroom cleanliness is a non-negotiable standard for businesses.

The Challenges

No business is without its challenges. Fortunately, there aren’t too many for starting a restroom cleaning company. The biggest “cost” you’ll have as a start-up is time. You’ll likely do all the cold calling, networking, marketing, ANDservice delivery at first. You won’t have much free time.

The work you do is going to be intense from a physical effort perspective, too. This isn’t really an issue if you don’t mind rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty, though. And for what it’s worth, the actual work can be streamlined with the right equipment.

You’ll need to do your job well, no matter how you do it. Businesses expect flawlesssanitation. Any missed spots or lingering odors can cost you a contract you worked tirelessly to secure. You need to be ready to provide world-class service from your first client onward.

The most prominent challenge in starting this venture, though, is competition. You’re not the only person in your town trying to start a commercial restroom cleaning business. You’ll need to find a way to stand out, which is something we’ll discuss below.

Is This Business Right for You?

Detail-oriented, hardworking individuals who are comfortable building relationships with local business owners are the ideal candidates for starting this type of company. 

Take some time to research other commercial restroom cleaning services in your area and see if they’re falling short in some way. Read through reviews and determine if there’s room for you in the market. Chances are, there is. You just need to enter the market the right way.

How to Start a Commercial Restroom Cleaning Business: Step-by-Step Guide

Although starting a commercial restroom cleaning business is much simpler than, say, learning how to start a water restoration company, there’s still more that goes into it than you might initially assume.

We’re not going to bore you with basic details like forming an LLC, building a business plan, or other generic, boilerplate business tips. Here’s a no-nonsense guide on how to start a commercial restroom cleaning business, securing your first client fast.

Research the Market and Identify Opportunities

We’ve touched on this a bit already but you need to do your homework and confirm this is actually a viable business model in your specific area. 

Find out what local cleaning companies charge and where they fall short. Then, you can answer a simple question: how are you going to stand out? Again, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. It could be as simple as providing a better service, targeting a certain customer, or using eco-friendly cleaning chemicals.

Then, you can narrow down the type of clients you’re going to serve. There are so many options at your disposal but our recommendation is to specialize, at least at first, in a certain type of restroom cleaning:

• Offices with high employee traffic
• Retail stores and malls where cleanliness impacts customer perception
• Restaurants and bars, where restroom cleanliness is critical for reputation
• Medical facilities, which require strict sanitation standards
• Gyms, schools, and daycare centers, where hygiene is non-negotiable

Think about your personal connections - do you have any contacts who own businesses? Do they need restroom cleaning? This could be your entry point to the market.

Register Your Business and Get Licensed

Before you can actually offer services, you need to separate yourself from the business legally with some sort of company entity, but don’t overcomplicate this step. An LLC is best for liability protection, while a sole proprietorship is faster and easier.

You should also get general liability coverage to protect you if a client claims damage or an employee gets injured. This is more important down the road, but you might as well get it squared away now while you have the time.

Familiarize yourself with local health and safety regulations. Some areas require special certifications for janitorial services in food and medical facilities, for instance. You need to know this before reaching out to potential clients. 

Develop Your Service Plan and Pricing Model

One of the biggest mistakes we see restroom cleaners make that leads to their demise is underpricing their services. In other cases, we see start-ups using complex pricing models that confuse clients and make it harder to secure contracts.

We recommend you price per restroom or visit, not per hour. Businesses want predictable costs, and a flat rate is your best bet for this. You can also price your services per month if you do weekly or bi-weekly cleaning. This will earn you anywhere from $200 to $1,000+ per month.

But how do you actually price your services? Start by accounting for all the costs that go into cleaning bathrooms. That includes your equipment and supplies, travel, and labor. Then, add a comfortable profit margin so you’re pocketing at least 30-50% of every dollar a client pays you.

You can earn more by offering add-on services like drain unclogging, deep disinfection, or odor control for additional fees. Set cleaning frequency options so you’re not pitching clients on a “one-time cleaning,” but rather a regular service:

• Daily Cleaning (high-traffic businesses)
• 3-5x Per Week (restaurants, retail)
• Weekly or Bi-Weekly (small offices, low-traffic areas)

You’ll want to charge more for emergency cleaning or night shifts as well, as businesses are willing to pay a premium for convenience. Starting with solid margins from the get-go makes it easier to scale later on. It makes it easier to invest in better equipment, too…

Invest in the Right Equipment and Supplies

Technically, you can get by cleaning restrooms for clients using only a mop, a bucket, and wipes. But you’re going to look like an amateur to clients who are paying you a pretty penny for professionalism. You’re also going to spend a lot more time on each restroom than you need to.

That’s why we encourage you to set yourself up for success from the start with reliable equipment that empowers you to get better results in less time. 

That includes a commercial floor scrubber machine for deep-cleaning tiles and removing buildup. You might even want a heavy-duty commercial vacuum cleaner. But, the ultimate restroom cleaning solution is the Tornado Touchless Restroom Cleaning Machine.

This state-of-the-art machine helps you cut your cleaning time by ⅔ while preventing you from having to come into direct contact with dirty, contaminated services. Most importantly, though, it helps you get better results for clients - so they stick around and refer other businesses to you.

You’ll also want to stay stocked on the essentials like garbage bags, disposable gloves, masks, and of course, heavy-duty cleaning agents to sanitize the bathroom surfaces.

All of these necessities are right here at SweepScrub, so get in touch today. We’ll help you source everything you need to get your business off the ground. Let’s continue down our guide on how to start a commercial restroom cleaning business in the meantime. 

Establish Efficient Cleaning Procedures

You’re going to clean restrooms - but your service plan needs to be more specific than that. What exactly are you going to provide in each service? 

Consistency is essential, as clients will replace you if they see different results every time you show up. Here’s a sample standard operating procedure (SOP) you can use:

1. Empty trash, replace liners
2. Refill soap, toilet paper, and paper towels
3. Disinfect touchpoints (door handles, stall locks, flush handles)
4. Deep clean toilets and urinals using specialized tools
5. Scrub sinks, mirrors, and countertops
6. Mop or scrub floors, eliminating odors

Our commercial restroom cleaning checklist is a great resource for getting started. You can print it out or screenshot it on your phone and bring it along to every appointment to save time and stress.

You’ll want to keep a service log for your clients as well. Businesses appreciate transparency, and tracking what was cleaned, when, and by whom helps you avoid disputes over incomplete work.

Getting Your First Client

The hardest part of any cleaning business is landing that first contract. Businesses want to hire people with experience, but how do you get experience if nobody will take a chance on you?

We mentioned earlier that looking at your network is a great starting point. Maybe you have an old contact who is willing to throw you a bone and give you an opportunity. That’s all it takes - one contract. You’ll be able to show off your results to potential clients going forward.

Another option is to offer a free trial for your first clients. Show them what a difference your service can make in the state of their restrooms. Even if none of these businesses sign on as paying customers, you can use before and after photos to market your service.

In an era where business decision makers are getting hammered by cold calls and emails on a daily basis, get back to basics to stand out. Show up at the business with a simple one-page flyer and offer a demo.

Growing Your Business

Eventually, you want customers to come to you rather than the other way around. The easiest way to make that happen is by establishing a digital presence with your own website and social media channels.

80% of small businesses Google local services before hiring, so make sure you have Google My Business and Facebook set up. Offer free services or discounts to your first few customers in exchange for reviews to start building your reputation as the go-to provider locally.

Once you get to the point where you have 3-5 recurring clients, it’s time to scale. There are plenty of ways you can go about this, but word of mouth remains one of the most effective. Ask existing clients if they’ll refer you to other businesses in their network for discounted services.

You should start locking in long-term agreements once you make a name for yourself and earn a client’s trust. You can offer discounted services for a 6-12 month contract. This provides a more predictable revenue stream.

It might make sense to branch out into other services someday, too. Although you came here to learn how to start a commercial restroom cleaning business, you can also offer whole-office or kitchen cleaning for additional revenue.

Hiring and Training a Team (If Applicable)

There’s nothing wrong with being a one-man-show, and maybe that’s all you want out of this venture. But most entrepreneurs want to create a business that runs without them having to handle the service delivery. 

This way you can either reap the fruits of your labor and relax more, or you can focus on growing the business further. Either way, you’ll need to hire and train a team.

Look for detail-oriented, reliable employees with prior janitorial experience. A bad employee can ruin your reputation overnight, so don’t take this lightly. You get what you pay for in the workforce, so don’t expect to get rockstar team members on a low budget.

Train every new employee in your SOPs and make sure they follow that process to an exact science every time. You might want to shadow them on the job for a bit to make sure they’re capable of handling service delivery on their own.

Scale Your Business and Expand Services

It’s time to think bigger once your operations run smoothly. This might mean expanding to multi-location clients, with bulk pricing for chain restaurants, gyms, or office buildings.

Or, it could mean bidding on government and corporate contracts instead of targeting small businesses. A single contract with one of these whales can change your life. 

If you had to cut corners when first getting your business off the ground, now is the time to upgrade to faster, more powerful machines to bring down your labor costs and improve results. For that, look no further than SweepScrub.

Take the Next Step by Sourcing Your Equipment at SweepScrub!

Whether you need the best floor scrubber for tile and grout or a powerful restroom cleaning machine, we carry the top manufacturers and models at unbeatable prices, backed by exceptional service every step of the way.

Our commitment to customer support, fast shipping, and expert guidance makes us the go-to supplier for businesses serious about maintaining cleanliness - and even for entrepreneurs like you trying to start your own cleaning service!

The Tornado Touchless Restroom Cleaning Machine delivers efficiency, hygiene, and ease with its 15-gallon capacity, adjustable 500 PSI power, and touch-free operation. Deep cleaning, disinfecting, and extracting grime becomes effortless, and there’s nomanual scrubbing needed.

Cut cleaning time by two-thirds, improve results, and provide the service clients deserve - the type of service that keeps them sticking around and encourages them to refer you to their network. Get in touch to take the next step!

Wrapping Up Our Guide on How to Start a Commercial Restroom Cleaning Business

Starting a commercial restroom cleaning business is a compelling opportunity if you don’t mind a bit of hard work. This venture has strong demand, recurring revenue, and little startup capital is necessary.

We hope you feel confident in how to start a commercial restroom cleaning business. From securing your first client to scaling operations, remember that investing in the right equipment and streamlining procedures can make or break your success.

Our blog has additional resources on topics like how to use a commercial floor scrubber, the best way to clean restaurant floors, how to adjust squeegee on floor scrubber, floor sweeper repair, and more. 

Otherwise, it’s time to get your company off the ground by sourcing all the essentials at SweepScrub today. Outperform the competition with top-rated cleaning equipment and equip your business for success!