New cleaning business owners find themselves running to the store to pick up cleaning supplies they didn’t think to buy. The smart ones (you) avoid the problem by finding a good cleaning supplies list online. (It’s below.)

They also keep their costs down by starting with only the essentials. As the money starts to flow, they add other timesaving items.

This list of cleaning supplies for businesses comes from real-life cleaning pros. It’s divided into supplies you need on day one — and the items you’ll be glad to have three months from now. We’ve also linked to the top products (and best prices), and you can rest assured we don’t make money from the cleaning products on this page.

Copy-paste this cleaning supplies list

You can download this list here:

• Make a copy of the Download cleaning equipment list (Google Docs)
• Download the cleaning equipment list (Excel)

Cleaning Business Supplies List
Product Type	Item	Cost
Essential cleaning equipment
	Vacuum cleaner (Choose 1)
	Shark	$149
	Karcher	$448
	Lindhaus	$493
	Proteam backpack	$514
	SEBO	$1399
	Broom and dustpan	$26
	Mop and bucket	$39
	Cleaning caddy	$15
	Extendable duster	$10
Essential cleaning chemicals
	Disinfectant spray	$10
	Zep floor cleaner	$13
	Bar Keepers Friend	$3
	Scrubbing Bubbles	$9
	Spray bottle of water	$4
	Spray bottle of Windex	$4
	Oven cleaner	$5
Essential scrubbers
	Scrubbing pads	$7
	Magic Erasers (Choose 1)
	Mr. Clean	$6
	BAISENJIE	$15 bulk
	Paper towels	$7
	Nitrile Gloves	$12
	Garbage bags (4 gallon)	$7
	Garbage bags (8 gallon)	$17
	Garbage bags (13 gallon)	$15
	Garbage bags (33 gallon)	$15
	0000 steel wool	$5
	Microfiber cloths	$8
Personal protective equipment
	First aid kit	$18
	Coveralls	$45
Subtotal of essentials		$449
Optional cleaning supplies
	Washable shoe covers	$23
	Step ladder	$36
	Steam cleaner	$401
	Putty knife	$7
	Scrub brush	$17
	Clorox Toilet Wand	$12
	Microfiber glass cloths	$16
	Reusable cloth bags	$20
	Cleaning business software	$50
Subtotal of optionals		$582
Commercial cleaning supplies
	Push broom	$22
	Pressure washer	$900
	Floor buffer	$348
	Carpet cleaning machine	$1,889
	Squeegees (Choose 1)
	WCR	$232
	Sorbo	$449
	Face shield	$15
	Wet floor signs	$25
Subtotal of commercial		$3,431
Total for all essential & optional		$4,462

You can download and edit the above list of cleaning supplies, choose the vacuum cleaner you like best, and finalize your startup costs.

Cleaning equipment: Essentials

Here’s everything you need to start a cleaning business, prioritized by urgency.

Vacuum cleaner: $150 to $1,400

If you can afford it, get a SEBO, Karcher, Lindhaus, or a Proteam backpack vacuum. They won’t clean better than a Shark, but they’ll hold up to daily use and last a lot longer. A backpack model is cheaper and easier to handle. Start with a Shark or a used model if you’re on a budget, then upgrade when you have the money.

Broom and dustpan: $30

Get a lobby broom with a built-in long-pole dustpan to quick-clean hard floors without wearing out your back and knees.

Mop and bucket: $30

You’ll be glad to have a two-compartment bucket and mop. Use one compartment for clean water and one for wringing out, so you don’t have to change your water often. Get a microfiber mop with washable heads. O-Cedar makes an excellent one, and so does Libman.

Cleaning caddy: $20

You’ll need a caddy to carry your cleaning supplies without having to make trips back and forth to the car. A cheap Amazon caddy works fine.

Extendable duster: $10

For ceiling fans, cobwebs in the corners, and dusty blinds, get an extendable duster with a telescoping pole and washable heads.

Cleaning products: Essential chemicals, scrubbers, and trash bags

Here are the most essential chemical cleaning supplies (like floor cleaner and disinfectant),  and scrubbers (like Magic Erasers and microfiber cloths) and trash bagsfor a cleaning company.

Cleaning chemicals

• Disinfectant spray: Get a gallon of Odoban for $9 and a sturdy spray bottle. Mix it with water and you get 128 spray-bottles full, and it works and smells great.

• Zep floor cleaner: Economical, powerful, and pH balanced, Zep Floor Cleaner is a multipurpose cleaner pros use on all kinds of floors. $15

• Bar Keepers Friend: You’ll use this cleanser on countertops and anything metal or ceramic in kitchens and bathrooms to get it sparkling with less effort. $5

• Scrubbing Bubbles: Great for showers, you can buy the name brand for $5 or other brands for less.

• Spray bottle of water: A water sprayer is cheap and comes in handy in dozens of situations. $5

• Spray bottle of Windex: Even if you won’t clean windows, Windex or a bargain brand will help you clean kitchens, bathrooms, and other hard surfaces.

• Oven cleaner: Use Easy Off or another brand to clean and shine ovens without a lot of elbow grease. $5

Scrubbers

• Scrubbing pads: For sinks and stuck-on messes in kitchens, bathrooms, or elsewhere in a house or business, buy some low-cost scrubbing pads. $5

• Magic Erasers: These deserve their “magic” name. The Mr. Clean brand is the original, but you can get cheaper ones in bulk that work just as well. $5

• Paper towels: You’ll need plenty of paper towels but the brand doesn’t matter. $10

• Nitrile Gloves: You might expect to see this in the personal protective equipment list below, but disposable nitrile gloves are so essential we put them here. $15

• Garbage bags: Stock up on garbage bags to replace the ones you carry out. Keep a supply of 4-gallon, 8-gallon, and 13-gallon bags on hand. You might want to buy a couple of 33-gallon bags to keep in the vehicle, just in case. $50
• 0000 steel wool: For cleaning ovens, nothing beats fine steel wool. $5
• Microfiber cloths: Buy different colored microfiber cloths for kitchens, bathrooms, and living areas. $10

Pro Tip: Do not use bleach and don’t use any products with bleach. Spills happen, and a customer can drop you or even sue you for a single mistake.

Trash disposal supplies

Stock up on garbage bags to replace the ones you carry out. Keep a supply of:

• 4-gallon trash bags $20
• 8-gallon trash bags $10
• 13-gallon trash bags $15
• 33-gallon trash bags $15 (Just a couple in the vehicle, just in case.)

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Not just an afterthought, PPE is an essential cleaning supply that can save you from massive hospital bills and lost work time.

• First aid kit: A first aid kit can save you from unnecessary hospital visits and infection, stop bleeding, and help you provide care until you can get to a hospital or clinic. $20
• Coveralls: Protect your clothes and skin and look more professional.
• Non-slip shoes: According to Smith Law Center, slips and falls were the biggest cause of ER visits in 2023, and working daily with detergents and cleaners puts you at high risk. $100
• Face shield: Essential safety gear for cleaning in public spaces. $15
• Wet floor signs: Important signage for commercial cleaning companies. $30

Cleaning supplies: Nice to have

You don’t absolutely need the cleaning business supplies below on day one, but they’ll make your life a lot easier.

• Washable shoe covers: Keep your shoes clean and avoid tracking dirt inside when you need to make a quick trip to the car with shoe covers. $25
• Step ladder: A two-foot ladder is high enough to reach shelves, fridge tops, and other high places, and your insurance company may veto anything taller. $40
• Steam cleaner: You don’t need a steam cleaner when you first start out, but once you have a few customers, get one for cleaning out refrigerators and doing upholstery. 
• Putty knife: Keep a putty knife in your kit or sticky things like gum or melted candy, just in case. $10
• Scrub brush: Save your hands and knees when you clean showers and tubs with an extendable scrub brush. $15
• Clorox Toilet Wand: It’s good to have a toilet wand in case the customer doesn’t have their own toilet brush. $15
• Microfiber glass cleaning cloths: If you decide to clean windows, use microfiber glass cloths so you don’t scratch them. $15
• Reusable cloth bags: Keep a few cloth bags in your vehicle to carry clean and dirty cloths and/or sheets and towels. $20
• Cleaning business software: You can schedule and complete more jobs with an efficient system supported by the right cleaning business software like GorillaDesk.

★★★★★

“Man am I so glad I went with GorillaDesk. Can’t wait to see what this year holds for our company after seeing what the program did for us last year.”

-Tawndra F., Business Owner

Commercial cleaning supplies

You’ll need the equipment below if you’re starting a commercial cleaning business, though some of it (such as a pressure washer and squeegees) only applies if you’ll be cleaning windows.

• Push broom: If you’re cleaning larger spaces like schools and offices, you’ll need a push broom. $30
• Pressure washer: This is a must if you’ll be cleaning windows on commercial cleaning jobs. Get a belt-driven model. $1,000
• Floor buffer: For cleaning and waxing hallways and large tiled rooms in schools and office spaces. $350
• Carpet cleaning machine: Specialized equipment for regular carpet maintenance in larger facilities. $2,000 to $4,000
• Squeegees for windows: T-bars and squeegees are important gear for a commercial cleaning business that does windows. Sorbo is expensive but the best, or you can get a basic budget kit for less. $200 to $500

6. Grow your cleaning business with CRM software

To grow fast, you need to schedule cleanings, plan your routes so you don’t spend all your time driving from place to place, and create fast quotes and invoices. So — 

As soon as you can afford it, start using a cleaning business CRM like GorillaDesk to handle it all for you. GorillaDesk is a full-featured field service software tool to trim your workload, tame your schedule, and handle your invoicing.

GorillaDesk is the highest-rated cleaning company software on top review sites like Capterra for a good reason. Our exemplary customer service chats with you in three minutes on average, and our interface is legendary for its ease of use and full-featured power. Call for a free demo today.