Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: House Cleaner

Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.


Job Description: A house cleaner cleans the homes of clients to the client’s specifications.

Education: None required.

Skills: The ability to clean and manage the interpersonal relationships with clients.

Job outlook: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says that “the number of building cleaning workers [which includes house cleaners] is expected to grow by 5 percent from 2008 to 2018, more slowly than average for all occupation.” However, most urban areas, especially larger cities, that have dual-income families will likely see more opportunities for house cleaners. Check out the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for more details.

Possible employers: Ask family and friends for recommendations. Contact home healthcare companies to see if they recommend house cleaners to their clients. Try churches or other nonprofits that work with the elderly or dual-income families.

Preparation: Make sure you have working cleaning equipment. If you want advertise yourself as a “green cleaner,” make sure all your products are all natural, nontoxic or organic. Sign up for insurance, as this is a must for house cleaners. Also consider getting a background check and police record, so you can show potential clients your clean background. Draw up sample work orders that include what you will clean in each room and also “special” cleanings, such as deep cleanings or spring cleanings.

Get your foot in the door: Donate a house-cleaning to a local charity or school auction in your area. Put an ad in your local newspaper offering half-price cleanings to the first 10 respondents.

Now available on Kindle and Smashwords: HomeWork, which gives details on 50 at-home jobs or businesses.

Until next time,

Sarah