Cleaning is the business most immigrants in the US start with for one reason: customers pay you the same day, and you don’t need inventory, a location or a loan. Thousands of Hispanic-owned cleaning companies began with one person, a bucket of supplies and a phone. «No money» is not literally $0 — you will spend about $300 in the first month — but every dollar after that can come out of your first jobs. This guide is the plan: what to buy, what to skip, how to get five paying clients in 30 days, and how to price so the business is worth your time.
What «no money» really means: the $300 first-month budget
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic supplies (all-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, disinfectant, microfiber cloths, sponges, gloves, mop, bucket, scrub brushes) | $80 – $120 | Dollar store and warehouse club; enough for 8 – 10 homes |
| Vacuum | $0 – $60 | Use the one you own or buy a used one; many clients let you use theirs |
| Business cards and flyers | $25 – $40 | Vistaprint or a local print shop; 250 cards + 100 flyers |
| Google Business Profile, Facebook page, Nextdoor | $0 | Your main marketing for the first year |
| City/county business license (where required) | $0 – $50 | Many places don’t require one until you pass a revenue threshold |
| Bond and liability insurance | $0 first month | Buy from your first jobs: ~$40 – $60/month for $1M general liability |
| Total | ≈ $110 – $270 | Plus gas |
What you do not need in month one: an LLC ($50 – $500 depending on the state — form it once you have steady clients, ideally before month three), a website, uniforms, a logo designer, a van, a commercial carpet machine or any software subscription. Every one of those is a month-two-or-later purchase paid with revenue.
Step 1: Decide what you clean
Start with residential recurring cleaning — homes cleaned every week or two. It requires the least equipment, clients pay on the spot, and recurring visits are what make the income predictable. Add-ons you can offer from day one: move-in/move-out cleaning ($250 – $500 per home), deep cleaning (1.5 – 2× the standard price), and Airbnb turnovers ($80 – $150 per unit). Leave offices, post-construction and carpet cleaning for later: they need insurance certificates, equipment and net-30 invoicing.
Step 2: Get legal for (almost) free
- Sole proprietor first. You can legally operate under your own name with no filing. If you want a business name («Maria’s Cleaning»), file a DBA with your county or state ($10 – $50).
- Tax ID. If you have a Social Security number, use it. If you don’t, an ITIN lets you file taxes and, once you form an LLC, get an EIN. You can start working while the ITIN is in process — just keep records of every job.
- Local business license. Check your city and county. In Tennessee, for example, a county business license is required once you reach $3,000 in annual sales ($15 fee); in many Texas and Florida cities there is no general license at all. Call the county clerk; it is a two-minute question.
- Sales tax: residential cleaning services are not taxable in most states (Texas is a notable exception — cleaning is taxable there). Check your state’s department of revenue.
- Insurance and bonding — buy it from job #3. A $1 million general liability policy runs $40 – $60 a month for a solo cleaner, and a janitorial bond (protects the client against theft claims) about $100 – $150 a year. Clients with nicer homes and every property manager will ask for a certificate. Until you have it, work only for people who know you.
Step 3: Price it right from the first quote
The mistake that sinks new cleaners is charging $15 – $18 an hour because «that’s what I made as an employee». An employed cleaner earns about $17 an hour (BLS median, 2025); the client price is two to three times that because it covers supplies, gas, insurance, taxes and profit. Reference rates for a solo residential cleaner in 2026:
| Service | Typical price | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly (first visits, very dirty homes) | $25 – $50 per cleaner | — |
| Standard recurring, 3 bed / 2 bath | $150 – $250 flat | 3 – 4 h |
| Deep cleaning | $250 – $450 | 5 – 8 h |
| Move-in / move-out | $250 – $500 | 4 – 8 h |
| Airbnb turnover | $80 – $150 | 1.5 – 3 h |
| Extras: oven, fridge, inside windows, laundry | $25 – $45 each · $5 – $10 per window · $20 – $30 per load | — |
Rules: quote a flat price per visit (not hourly) for recurring clients; charge the first cleaning as a deep clean; put every price in writing before you start; and never go below $25 an hour equivalent, even in a small town. Full pricing method with a 5-step calculator: cuánto cobrar por la limpieza de casas (Spanish).
Step 4: Get your first five clients without spending on ads
- Your own network, in writing. Send one message to every contact: what you clean, your area, your price for a standard home, and that you have two openings this week. Half of new cleaners get their first client this way within 72 hours.
- Google Business Profile. Free, and it is where «house cleaning near me» searches land. Verify it, add 10 photos of real work (before/after), and ask every client for a review the day you finish. Five reviews put you on the map in most suburbs.
- Facebook groups and Nextdoor. Post in local «moms», «buy/sell» and neighborhood groups. Don’t spam: answer people asking for recommendations and post one before/after a week.
- Flyers where your clients are: laundromats, daycare boards, churches, apartment mailrooms (with permission), Hispanic grocery stores. Include a price — «3-bedroom home from $150» gets calls; «call for a quote» doesn’t.
- Property managers and realtors. One realtor who sells 30 homes a year needs 30 move-out cleanings. Bring a card and a one-page price list.
- Referral offer: «$25 off your next cleaning for every friend who books.» Your first five clients become your first fifteen.
Step 5: Reinvest in this order
Month 1 (first $1,000 in revenue): liability insurance and bond, a second set of supplies, a business bank account. Month 2 – 3: form the LLC and get the EIN (protects your personal assets once you are in strangers’ homes every day — see cómo abrir una LLC), a simple booking/invoicing app (free tiers exist), a magnetic sign for your car. Month 4 – 6: your first helper (paid as an employee with payroll, not «under the table» — the fines are not worth it), a better vacuum, uniforms. Only after 15 recurring clients: paid ads, a website, a second crew.
The 30-day plan
| Week | Do | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buy supplies, print cards, set prices, create Google Business Profile, message 50 contacts | 2 booked jobs |
| 2 | Clean, photograph, ask for reviews; post in 5 local groups; visit 3 realtors | 3 more jobs, 2 reviews |
| 3 | Buy insurance and bond; offer recurring schedule to every one-time client; flyers in 10 spots | 3 recurring clients |
| 4 | Open business bank account; file DBA or LLC; raise prices for new clients if you are full | 5 recurring clients ≈ $1,500 – $2,500/month |
Mistakes that cost new cleaners their first year
- Working without insurance in homes with expensive things — one broken TV eats a month of profit.
- Charging hourly to recurring clients: the faster you get, the less you earn.
- Doing the oven «as a favor» once — it becomes free forever. Everything outside the standard list is an extra, in writing.
- Not keeping records. Every job in a notebook or app: date, client, amount. It is your tax return, your proof of income for a loan or a lease, and your immigration paper trail.
- Buying equipment before clients. Clients first, equipment second, always.
Frequently asked questions
Can I start a cleaning business without a Social Security number?
Yes. You can work as a sole proprietor and file taxes with an ITIN, form an LLC (state filings don’t require an SSN) and get an EIN. See how to start a business without a Social Security number.
Do I need a license to clean houses?
There is no state cleaning license in the US. Some cities and counties require a general business license; check yours. Insurance is not legally required but practically necessary.
How much can a solo cleaner make?
With 12 – 15 recurring homes at $150 – $200 every two weeks, $3,500 – $5,500 a month in revenue, working four days a week, before supplies, gas, insurance and taxes.
Should I buy a cleaning franchise instead?
Not with no money: franchises cost $3,000 – $50,000 up front plus royalties. Start independent; you can always join later.
When should I form an LLC?
As soon as you have three or more recurring clients and can pay the state fee from revenue — usually month two or three. Before that, a sole proprietorship with insurance is enough.
Sources and official links
- BLS — Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners, wages
- SBA — Apply for licenses and permits
- IRS — Get an EIN
- Tennessee Department of Revenue — Business tax and license
General information, not legal or tax advice. Read the full Spanish guide: cómo iniciar una empresa de limpieza en Estados Unidos. Ready to form your LLC or get your EIN? Request a quote — we work in English and Spanish.
