15 Successful Cleaning Business Stories & Case Studies [2023]
Starting a cleaning business is an excellent opportunity to be your boss and make money doing what you love. This business is relatively easy to create and does not require much equipment or funds.
There are many cleaning services, so deciding what services (or combination of services) you will offer and what hours of the day or week those services will be available is essential.
To start cleaning service, you’ll want to consider investing in professional cleaning equipment such as a vacuum cleaner, a quality mop, and a good cleaning bucket. You will also need to buy environment-friendly cleaning products such as detergent, bleach, paper towels, and trash bags.
Here are some real life success stories of starting a cleaning business to help you get started with your own:
1. MaidThis Franchise ($1.2M/year)
Neel Parekh (from Los Angeles, CA, USA) started MaidThis Franchise over 9 years ago.
Hey! My name is Neel Parekh and I am the Founder and CEO of MaidThis® & MaidThis® Franchise, a cleaning franchise that helps residential homeowners and short-term rental hosts (Airbnb, VRBO, etc) with their cleanings.
- We made our niche focus on cleaning Airbnbs and vacation rentals, in addition to regular home cleaning, which is a rapidly growing industry. We became the first cleaning franchise specializing in vacation rental cleaning.
- Local businesses are often pretty old school and typically aren’t the best with marketing, especially digital marketing. We’re bringing new-age marketing tactics to this old-school industry.
- Remote work: we’ve been able to stay extra nimble and lean with having a global workforce. This was initially done out of necessity so I could travel, but quickly became a huge competitive advantage. Our office team works across 8 different countries.
2. The BBQ Cleaner ($900K/year)
Jeffrey Krentzman (from Hackensack, NJ, USA) started The BBQ Cleaner about 14 years ago.
My name is Jeffrey Krentzman and The BBQ Cleaner was born in 2009. After cleaning BBQ grills in Northern New Jersey for the previous four years with our unique system, we felt fully confident we could show people in other markets how to replicate the same success we had. We were right! Now with over 240 locations across the United States, we are the largest and only successful grill cleaning business opportunity on the market.
We use the Ovenu system which has been used around the world successfully in 11 countries over 3 continents. We fill a large demand for people looking to get their grills cleaned and this system makes it easy to do, delivering a staggering 99% and higher customer satisfaction rate. So many locations are either making over 6 figures or have expanded into multi-unit locations just to keep up with the customer demand!
Learn more about starting a cleaning business:
Where to start?
-> How much does it cost to start a cleaning business?
-> Pros and cons of a cleaning business
Need inspiration?
-> Examples of established cleaning business
-> Marketing ideas for a cleaning business
-> Cleaning business slogans
-> Cleaning business Instagram bios
-> Cleaning business Instagram captions
Other resources
-> Cleaning business tips
-> Blog post ideas for a cleaning business
-> Cleaning business quotes
4. Omegasonics ($8.5M/year)
Frank Pedeflous (from Simi Valley) started Omegasonics over 26 years ago.
My name is Frank Pedeflous and my wife Sandy and I bought a small business named Ultrasonic Blind Cleaning Systems twenty-five years ago. The business originally manufactured hard window covering cleaning equipment and sold it as a business opportunity to new start-ups and retailers selling window coverings.
We bought the company originally for $535,000, and today our revenues are approximately $10,000,000 annually.
5. DeluxeMaid ($1.2M/year)
Finn shifted from a typical engineer job to starting his local house cleaning business. He launched in 27 days. Nowadays, they’re making $60k/mo.
Finn shifted from a typical engineer job to starting his local house cleaning business. He launched in 27 days. Nowadays, they’re making $60k/mo.
6. Two Maids & A Mop ($7.2M/year)
Ron Holt (from Birmingham, Alabama, USA) started Two Maids & A Mop almost 20 years ago.
Hello dreamweavers, empire builders and world changers. My name is Ron Holt, CEO & Founder of Two Maids & A Mop.
Today, we serve 82 markets across the country and generate more than $25M in annual revenues. The Two Maids & A Mop network employs more than 500 hard-working employees everyday and here’s an amazing and boastful stat:: my little cleaning business that only cleaned two homes on its first day cleaned nearly 400,000 homes last year! It’s been a crazy ride built on a ridiculous dream from a small-town country boy who believed his 250 square foot office space was just a temporary home that would one day grow into one of America’s most successful residential cleaning brands.
7. CleanLots.com ($660K/year)
Brian Winch (from Alberta, Canada) started *CleanLots.com * over 41 years ago.
Hi, I’m Brian Winch, owner, author, and creator of Cleanlots - America’s Simplest Business. I manage a simple environmental service that provides daily litter cleanup for property management companies. Our service is performed after hours on foot using unique hand tools. Almost as easy to do as going for a walk!
I started this business in 1981 as a side hustle with little money, education, and skills but plenty of passion, patience, and persistence. I quickly grew this gig into a successful full-time one-man operation, then scaled it into a yearly 6 figure business that utilizes an army of people to keep my city litter-free.
8. Go Green Cleaning & Maintenance Services ($360K/year)
Nicholas Ciano (from Walnut Creek, California, USA) started Go Green Cleaning & Maintenance Services about 6 years ago.
Hi, my name is Nicholas Ciano, I own an exterior home cleaning company called Go Green Cleaning & Maintenance in Walnut Creek, CA. We take pride in customer service and five-star performance.
I started this company 4 years ago on the idea that I wanted to work for myself and provide for my growing family. We specialize in gutter cleaning, solar panel cleaning, exterior window cleaning, deck restoration, cement, and paver sealing. We average about $20,000/month.
9. Hangover Helpers ($36K/year)
James Hookway (from Perth Western Australia, Australia) started Hangover Helpers about 8 years ago.
I am James Hookway and I own and run Hangover Helpers. The business is an after-party cleaning company that started about 5 years ago. We don't just clean up your mess we also bring breakfast and refreshments. (Please note due to COVID-19 we have ceased the food and beverage services until further notice).
Monthly revenue about 3k a month with some months up to $7k during the busy summer period. After COVID-19 there is a big backlog of cleans here in WA so we are having to say no to cleans as not enough staff. We are about to hit our 500th clean, so on average we do 100 cleans a year (just on weekends).
10. Dermestidarium ($24K/year)
Carla Brauer (from Dallas, Oregon, USA) started Dermestidarium about 9 years ago.
I'm Carla Brauer, the founder and owner of Dermestidarium. My business uses flesh-eating beetles (yes, you heard that right!) to clean animal bones for display.
11. Go 2 Girls ($996K/year)
Read this inspiring story from Crystal Hamm about how she grew her maid service to a 7-figure business.
Crystal Hamm (from Raleigh, NC, USA) started Go 2 Girls over 5 years ago.
Crystal Hamm founded Go 2 Girls, a woman-founded & women-operated house cleaning service co in Wake County, NC.
They provide cleaning services for bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and living rooms.
Crystal wants to ensure that both her clients and staff are satisfied with the company’s service and work ethics.
The company also offers free cleanings to women undergoing cancer treatments.
Go 2 Girls supports various nonprofit organizations, including school fundraisers, The American Red Cross, Colitis Foundation, and The Salvation Army.

Watch the full video on youtube.com ➜
12. Mrs Buckét ($3M/year)
Name: Rachael FlanaganCompany: Mrs BucketCompany description: Domestic and commercial full service cleaning companyStarted in: 2005
Rachael Flanagan (from Swansea, UK) started Mrs Buckét about 18 years ago.
In 2005, Rachael Flanagan founded Mrs Buckét, a business providing industrial cleaning services.
They operate a commercial cleaning company that has won numerous awards. They provide commercial cleaning services and facilities to companies in the public and private sectors.
Mrs Buckét offers commercial building services to facilities in south Wales and Bristol for prestige car showrooms, offices, manufacturing & educational institutions.
When she started out, Rachael was only 18 years old, and she had just £20, which she used to buy a hoover and flyers.

Read the full story on startups.co.uk ➜
13. Bright & Beautiful ($5M/year)
Ten years after leaving her high-powered job Rachel Ray employs nearly 500 staff and has a turnover of £5m
Rachel Ray (from Wales Scotland ) started Bright & Beautiful about 16 years ago.
- Rachel Ray was motivated to found Bright & Beautiful when she observed a need for an expert cleaning service.
- In 2007, Ray quit her demanding job as a business consultant to launch her own professional housekeeping franchise.
- She made this a priority to use non-toxic, environmentally friendly products for cleaning her business.
- There currently oversee over 50 franchises for Bright & Beautiful in the UK.

Read the full article on manchestereveningnews.co.uk ➜
14. Wolf's Auto Detailing ($36K/year)
Joseph LandWolf Sanchez (from Phoenix, AZ, USA) started Wolf's Auto Detailing almost 2 years ago.
Hi Starter Story! My name is Joey Sanchez and I'm the founder of Wolf's Auto Detailing in Phoenix, Arizona. We are a mobile auto detailing service that focuses on quality work and convenience. We specialize in interior detailing, Paint polishing, and ceramic coating just to name a few.
While our client list consists of many different types of vehicles and personalities, they all share one thing in common: they all understand the value of quality work. We hold our standards very high and measure our success not only in dollar amounts but in the satisfaction of our clients. However, making $3K a month only working 3 days a week isn't a bad deal!
Hey! 👋 I'm Pat Walls, the founder of Starter Story.
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