Your employees represent your business in every client interaction. Learning how to hire cleaners for my cleaning business effectively means finding reliable people who’ll maintain your quality standards and protect your reputation.
This guide covers everything from finding candidates to making successful hires.
When to Hire Your First Cleaner
Don’t hire too early or too late.
You’re ready to hire when you’re consistently booked at 80% or more capacity, turning away work regularly, wanting to reduce your personal cleaning hours, and having documented processes ready for training.
Hiring before you’re ready creates financial pressure without sufficient revenue. Waiting too long leads to burnout and missed opportunities.
Where to Find Cleaning Employees
How to find cleaners for my cleaning business starts with knowing where to look.
| Source | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Indeed/ZipRecruiter | Large reach, many applicants | Can be overwhelming, mixed quality |
| Craigslist | Free, local focus | Requires careful screening |
| Facebook Jobs | Social vetting possible | Limited reach in some areas |
| Employee referrals | Pre-vetted, similar values | Can create clique dynamics |
| Local job boards | Community connection | Smaller pool |
| Staffing agencies | Pre-screened candidates | Higher cost |
Most successful cleaning businesses use multiple sources. Job boards cast a wide net, while employee referrals often produce the best hires.
What to Look for in Candidates
Prioritize these qualities when evaluating candidates.
Reliability matters more than anything else. Someone who shows up on time consistently beats a skilled cleaner who’s unpredictable. Ask about attendance at previous jobs and verify with references.
Attention to detail separates good cleaners from great ones. Look for candidates who notice small things during interviews. Their observation skills indicate how they’ll clean.
Physical capability is necessary since cleaning is demanding work. Candidates should be able to bend, lift, and stand for extended periods without health issues.
Trustworthiness is essential because your employees enter clients’ private spaces. Background checks are mandatory. Look for stable work history and verifiable references.
Communication skills prevent misunderstandings. Cleaners must communicate with clients and with you about schedules, problems, and needs.
The Hiring Process
Follow a structured process for consistent results.
Start with application review. Screen for basic qualifications, relevant experience, and any red flags like unexplained employment gaps or frequent job changes.
Then conduct phone screening. A brief call filters candidates before investing time in in-person interviews. Assess communication skills, schedule availability, and basic fit.
Schedule in-person interviews. Meet candidates face-to-face. Assess personality, professionalism, and fit with your company culture. Ask behavioral questions about past situations.
Check references. Actually call previous employers. Ask about reliability, work quality, and whether they’d rehire the person.
Run background checks. Criminal background checks protect your clients and your business. Use a reputable screening service.
Conduct a paid trial. Before full hiring, have promising candidates complete a paid trial cleaning with you. Observe their work quality, speed, and attitude.
Interview Questions That Reveal Quality
Ask questions that uncover how candidates actually behave.
Tell me about a time when you had to handle a difficult client. This reveals customer service skills and conflict resolution ability.
Describe your cleaning process for a kitchen. This shows attention to detail and systematic thinking.
What would you do if you broke something valuable at a client’s home? This tests honesty and problem-solving.
Why did you leave your last job? Listen for red flags or patterns of conflict.
How do you handle it when you’re running behind schedule? This reveals prioritization and communication habits.
What does “clean” mean to you? Their answer shows their standards and attention to detail.
Setting Compensation
Pay affects who applies and who stays.
Research local rates for cleaning employees. Pay should be competitive or slightly above market to attract quality candidates.
Consider your compensation structure options. Hourly pay is simple and predictable. Per-job pay incentivizes speed but can sacrifice quality. Percentage of job revenue aligns employee interests with business success.
Factor in total compensation including scheduling flexibility, potential for advancement, and working conditions. Some candidates value these highly.
Budget for payroll taxes, workers’ comp insurance, and any benefits you offer. These add 20-30% to the base wage cost.
Training New Hires
Good hiring means nothing without good training.
Create a structured training program. Document every cleaning procedure. Create checklists. Show exactly what your standards look like.
Shadow training works well. New hires work alongside you or an experienced cleaner for several jobs. They observe, then practice with supervision.
Test their work before independent jobs. Have them clean while you observe and provide feedback. Don’t send them solo until they meet your standards.
Provide ongoing feedback. Regular check-ins catch problems early and reinforce good habits.
Retaining Good Employees
Hiring is expensive. Retention saves money and maintains quality.
Pay fairly. Underpaid employees leave or cut corners. Competitive pay reduces turnover.
Provide consistent schedules. Employees value predictability. Erratic scheduling frustrates them.
Offer growth opportunities. Clear paths to advancement motivate performance and loyalty.
Recognize good work. Acknowledge employees who exceed standards. Recognition costs nothing but means a lot.
Address problems quickly. Don’t let issues fester. Handle conflicts and performance problems promptly and fairly.
Your Hiring Success Starts Here
You now understand how to hire cleaners for my cleaning business—where to find candidates, what to look for, and how to evaluate them.
Great employees build great businesses. Invest time and effort in hiring, and you’ll build a team that delivers quality consistently.
At the Cleaning Business Institute, our courses cover hiring and team management for cleaning businesses. We teach interview techniques, training systems, and retention strategies.
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Hire the right cleaners for your business.