BlogRunning a cleaning company looks simple from the outside: good staff, good chemicals, good vacuum, and you’re set – right?
In reality, even experienced cleaning businesses quietly lose money, clients, and staff because of a handful of avoidable mistakes.
Whether you focus on residential cleaning, end of lease cleaning, commercial/office cleaning or construction cleaning, steering clear of these common errors will save you stress, time and profit.
Below are the top mistakes cleaning companies make – and exactly how to avoid them.
1. Underpricing Jobs Just to “Win” the Client
One of the biggest traps is saying “yes” to any price just to secure the booking. It feels good in the moment, but:
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You rush jobs to stay on budget
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Staff get frustrated because they’re pushed for time
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You have no room for re-cleans or call-backs
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The business runs on razor-thin margins (or at a loss)
How to fix it:
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Calculate your hourly cost properly (wages, super, insurance, travel, products, admin).
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Set minimum charges for each service (e.g. end of lease cleaning, post-construction cleaning, deep bathroom cleans).
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Be confident explaining why your price reflects the time, products, insurance, and quality guarantee you provide.
You can still offer discounts or bundle deals, but never at the expense of basic profitability.
2. Not Having a Clear Cleaning Checklist
A vague scope like “full clean” means different things to different people. This is how disputes start:
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Client expected the windows inside and out
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Your team thought it was just a standard internal clean
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Real estate agent has a different checklist altogether
How to fix it:
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Create service-specific checklists, for example:
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Standard house clean
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Deep clean / spring clean
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End of lease / bond clean
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Office cleaning
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Builders / construction clean
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Share the checklist with clients before you start.
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Train your team to tick off items and send photos for quality control.
You can also link to your checklist from your website (for example, from your End of Lease Cleaning service page).
3. Poor Communication Before and After the Job
Many complaints come from simple miscommunication, not bad cleaning. Common examples:
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Not confirming access instructions or parking
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Not asking whether power/water will be connected (for vacate or new builds)
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Not confirming if carpet cleaning, oven cleaning, or window cleaning is included or extra
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Going silent after the job is done, especially if issues arise
How to fix it:
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Send a booking confirmation with date, time window, scope of work, price, and terms.
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Ask clear pre-job questions (furnished/unfurnished, pets, condition, stains, mould, etc.).
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Follow up after the job: “Is everything up to standard? Anything you’d like us to revisit?”
Good communication builds trust, protects your reputation, and reduces refunds and re-cleans.
4. Ignoring Staff Training and Onboarding
Many cleaning companies throw new staff into jobs with minimal training, then blame the worker when things go wrong.
The result?
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Inconsistent quality
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Damaged surfaces from incorrect chemicals
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High staff turnover because no one feels supported
How to fix it:
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Develop a basic training program covering:
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Chemical safety and correct dilution
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Colour-coded cloths and mops
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Correct techniques for glass, stainless steel, stone, timber, tiles, grout, etc.
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Standard for “before and after” photos
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Use shadow shifts – new staff work alongside an experienced team member first.
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Provide ongoing feedback and refreshers, not just “one-time” induction.
Well-trained staff protect your brand and your insurance.
5. Using the Wrong Chemicals or Equipment
Using the wrong product on the wrong surface can be very expensive:
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Acidic cleaners on marble or stone
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Abrasive pads on stainless steel or glass
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Strong oven or grout chemicals on painted surfaces
How to fix it:
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Create a simple product guide: where each chemical can and cannot be used.
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Label bottles clearly and keep Safety Data Sheets (SDS) on hand.
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Invest in the right tools: microfibre cloths, non-scratch pads, backpack vacuums, extension poles, HEPA filtration, etc.
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Encourage staff to ask before experimenting on unfamiliar surfaces.
A little extra time spent on product knowledge prevents a lot of costly damage.
6. Skipping Quality Control and Inspections
Even good cleaners miss things when they’re tired, rushed, or working in unfamiliar layouts.
If you never check your own work, you’ll only find issues when clients complain – or worse, when an agent sends a failure report.
How to fix it:
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Implement a simple quality checklist for team leaders or supervisors.
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For bigger jobs (e.g. bond cleans, builders cleans or office cleaning contracts), do a final walk-through before you leave.
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Take photos of “high-risk” areas: ovens, rangehoods, showers, grout, skirting boards, window tracks.
Catching issues on the spot is always cheaper and less stressful than going back days later.
7. Treating Marketing as an Afterthought
Some cleaning businesses rely purely on word-of-mouth, and that works… until it doesn’t.
Big mistakes:
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No professional website or outdated content
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No clear service pages (e.g. End of Lease Cleaning, Office Cleaning, Construction Cleaning)
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No Google Business Profile or very few reviews
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No clear brand identity – logo, colours, message
How to fix it:
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Build or update your website with clear, SEO-friendly pages for each service type.
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Optimise your Google Business Profile: up-to-date photos, services, service areas, and opening hours.
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Ask happy clients for Google reviews and respond to each review.
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Use blogs (like this one) to target search terms such as:
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“mistakes cleaning companies make”
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“how to choose a cleaning company”
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“end of lease cleaning tips for tenants”
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Good marketing doesn’t just attract more leads – it attracts better, more serious clients.
8. Not Having Clear Terms, Conditions, and Policies
Without clear T&Cs, every dispute turns into a long back-and-forth. Typical pain points:
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Re-clean policy – what’s included, what’s not
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Cancellation and rescheduling fees
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Parking and tolls
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Condition-based surcharges (e.g. heavy build-up, mould, rubbish removal)
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Access issues (no keys, no code, no power)
How to fix it:
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Write plain-English terms and conditions and link them from your quotes, invoices, and booking confirmations.
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Make your bond / end of lease re-clean policy crystal clear (timeframe, photos required, what is and isn’t covered).
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Be consistent: apply your policies fairly for all clients.
Clear policies protect both your clients and your business.
9. Neglecting Health & Safety
Cleaning looks harmless, but it involves chemicals, wet floors, ladders, repetitive movements, and sometimes hazardous sites.
Ignoring safety can lead to:
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Staff injuries and workers’ compensation claims
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Damaged client property
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Fines or contract loss (especially in commercial and construction work)
How to fix it:
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Provide PPE: gloves, masks when needed, non-slip shoes, safety glasses for certain chemicals.
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Train staff on safe lifting, ladder use, and chemical handling.
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Develop basic Site Safety Plans for construction cleaning and large commercial sites.
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Document incidents and near-misses to improve your systems over time.
Safe teams are confident teams – and clients notice.
10. Failing to Systemise and Automate
Many cleaning businesses run everything from someone’s phone: bookings, payments, staff rosters, job notes – all in calls and WhatsApp chats.
This works until you start growing. Then suddenly:
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Double bookings appear
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Addresses get mixed up
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Staff don’t know job notes
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Invoices are late or missing
How to fix it:
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Use simple software or apps for:
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Scheduling and job assignment
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Time tracking and GPS check-in
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Storing checklists and job notes
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Invoicing and payment reminders
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Standardise your documentation:
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Booking templates
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Quoting templates
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Checklists for each service type
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Onboarding documents for staff
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Systems give you freedom: you spend less time firefighting and more time improving the business.
11. Ignoring Client Feedback and Reviews
Negative feedback hurts, but ignoring it hurts more.
If you never ask for feedback or reviews:
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You miss chances to fix small issues early
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You miss free ideas for improving your service
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You miss powerful social proof that attracts new clients
How to fix it:
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After each major job (especially bond cleans and commercial cleans), ask:
“Is there anything we could have done better today?” -
If something went wrong, own it, fix it where reasonable, and update your systems so it doesn’t repeat.
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Invite happy clients to leave a Google review and share any testimonials on your website.
Feedback is free consulting – treat it like gold.
Final Thoughts
No cleaning company is perfect. Mistakes happen, especially when you’re growing fast and juggling staff, clients, and admin.
The goal isn’t to never make a mistake – it’s to:
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Spot patterns early
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Fix the root cause
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Turn those lessons into better systems, training, and communication
By tightening up your pricing, checklists, staff training, safety, marketing and policies, you’ll stand out from the crowd and build a cleaning business that’s both sustainable and profitable.
