Cleaning supplies will take up a significant part of your running costs. Nevertheless, you can still end up profitable if you can get the best deals on such supplies.

What cleaning products do you need to start a commercial cleaning business? The truth is, you need to have a full understanding of the basic supplies. These range from equipment to other forms of consumables.

We aim to provide you with detailed information about some of the best commercial cleaning supplies you can find. These are popular products and designed to provide cleaning services with the best solutions possible.

Professional Supply List for Cleaning Business

Before we reveal the components of a cleaning business starter kit, there are basic things you must know;

The term “commercial cleaning” is quite broad and involves a whole lot of niches. There are graffiti removal services, carpet cleaning, sanitation, window cleaning, power washing, and post-construction cleaning services.

Others include property and standard maintenance commercial cleaning services.

These and many more are types of commercial cleaning categories or niches to ponder on. While some cleaning supplies and equipment may fit more than one type of commercial cleaning, others won’t.

As you read on, you will find more information on all such cleaning supplies.

Commercial Cleaning Supplies and Equipment

There is a long list of commercial cleaning supplies that will fit the needs of any cleaning business. These have their unique functions and must be used for purposes made.

Asides the cleaning supplies or consumables are equipment. Like all equipment, these must be maintained to limit damage or breakdown.

Let’s start with cleaning agents. Afterward, we will discuss other major supplies for cleaning businesses.

  • Cleaning Agents

These are chemicals used in the commercial cleaning industry. Such cleaning agents come in different brands. However, their chemical compositions may vary a little.

Cleaning agents fall under different classes such as disinfectants, detergents, sanitizers, sterilizing agents, solvent cleaners (degreasers), acids, and abrasives.

All these are made for a single purpose which is, the removal of all dirt forms. Commercial cleaning agents usually come in the form of concentrates.

As a result, these will need to be mixed in the ratio provided by the manufacturer before use. This shouldn’t be news to anyone wishing to start a commercial cleaning business.

i. Examples of All-Purpose Cleaning Agents

There are tons of products under this category of cleaning supplies. These are almost inexhaustible, however, some of the most popular products include Odoban multipurpose cleaning concentrate.

LIST: Green Cleaning Agents

Others are Lysol, Simple Green, Nu-Calgon (Nickel-Safe Ice machine cleaner), and PURELL disinfectant spray.

Adam’s ECO all-purpose cleaner, Scotch-Brite, Professional Lysol IC Quaternary, Clorox, and Flo-Kem GP107 make up a few of the most popular commercial cleaning agents.

  • Basic Cleaning Supplies

When it comes to commercial cleaning, there are basic supplies you must have. These include protective gloves, microfiber cloths, sponges, scourers, plastic caddie, cleaning brushes, glass polishing cloths, and dustpans.

Others include furniture polish, sanitizers, oven cleaners, dishwasher chemicals, toilet cleaners, mildew cleaner, bleach, and so on. Let’s briefly discuss some of these.

i. Protective Gloves

As the name suggests, protective gloves are necessary for all types of cleaning. It protects your hand from injuries, harmful chemicals, and a whole lot of other dangers.

ii. Microfiber Cloth

This is made of synthetic material and is ideal for cleaning surfaces. It is a vast improvement over rags that are less likely to clean thoroughly. Microfiber cloths will leave no residue on surfaces as it completely lifts them away. This is unlike cleaning rags or towels made from other materials that hardly give the desired result.

iii. Sponges

Sponges are essential for all types of cleaning. This includes commercial cleaning. These are made to scrub off all forms of debris including food. The ideal sponge for your commercial cleaning needs should be durable, be able to be used in different conditions, have absorbent features, must be comfortable to handle, and must fit the surface for which it is used on.

Types of sponges include dry, microfiber, natural, and cellulose sponges. Each of these has its ideal applications or uses.

iv. Plastic Caddie

These are necessary for the easy movement of cleaning supplies. You only need to stack up required cleaning supplies and push to different parts of a building.

v. Cleaning Brushes

Commercial cleaning cannot be done effectively without brushes. These tools consist of different types which are suitable for different kind of jobs. There are duster brushes for dust removal, grout brushes for grime removal between tiles, and toilet brushes among others.

vi. Consumables

This category of supplies will need to be replenished more frequently as you get more commercial cleaning jobs. Such supplies consist of furniture polish, sanitizers, detergents, etc. These are over-the-counter products that come with a direction for use.

As mentioned earlier, lots of professional cleaning chemicals come as concentrates. These have a mixture ratio that must be followed for the best results. There are also those which are popular among commercial cleaning companies.

Some of these have been mentioned above and have proven to be very effective in getting the job done.

  • Commercial Cleaning Devices and Equipment

Equally important as cleaning agents are equipment which makes commercial cleaning much more efficient. There is also an inexhaustible list of this equipment.

As expected, these are meant for specialized use. Hence, the need to understand how to use them.

Cleaning Tools And Equipment Names

The following are some commercial equipment and what they are used for.

i. Carpet Cleaners

Carpets attract a buildup of dirt over time. This could result in mild or tough stains. Whatever the case is, the carpet cleaner is a useful piece of equipment that helps to remove such tough stains. Your clients don’t need to dispose of such carpets when you have such equipment that helps eliminate stubborn stains.

READ: Supplies For Carpet Cleaning

Carpet cleaners come in different brands too! Some of the most popular carpet cleaners include Hoover FH50251 Power Scrub Elite Pet Carpet Cleaner, Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3, McCulloch MC1275 Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner, and Bissell 14259 Little Green ProHeat.

ii. Sweepers

When it comes to commercial cleaning, sweepers are among the most common. These are largely used in large outdoor areas. These could also be used indoors depending on how accessible the area is. Sweepers are large machines that require skilled personnel manning them. Its sweeping heads rotate underneath the machine and are efficient and ideal for fast cleaning.

Sweepers aren’t restricted to those having mechanized brooms or sweeper’s heads. There are those having the vacuuming capability as well as regenerative air sweepers.

iii. Pressure Washers

Another important equipment to include in your commercial cleaning supply list includes the pressure washer. This is used for a variety of tasks, some of which include the removal of difficult stains and dirt or grime. Many parts of buildings have this;  including walkways, walls, and patios.

Pressure washers are also used to clean most types of vehicles. The same applies to commercial or industrial kitchens. This is a piece of must-have equipment if you must start a commercial cleaning business.

iv. Vacuum Cleaners

When it comes to commercial cleaning, industrial vacuum cleaners should be among your list of equipment. Unlike those used for domestic use, these are heavy-duty vacuum cleaners designed for more tasking jobs. Vacuum cleaners consist of two main types; the dry and wet variants.

Certain commercial cleaning jobs will require expelling water. Under this circumstance, the wet vacuum cleaner will be ideal. Some industrial vacuum cleaners offer both functions. That is both dry and wet vacuuming capability.

v. Polishers

After some time, hardwood and laminate floors lose their luster when exposed to the elements. This is when the need for a polisher arises. This piece of cleaning equipment helps to restore the beauty by polishing it to its original form. Polishers come in different sizes.

For commercial cleaning jobs, it is expected that you’d go for industrial polishers.

vi. Scrubbers

Like sweepers, scrubbers are used to clean stained floor surfaces. However, the difference between the two is that scrubbers are mostly used indoors on marble fireplace or wooden floors. Commercial scrubbers are bigger. These also require manning.

Scrubbers are of two types. The ride upon scrubbers and the walk behind scrubbers. Both types of scrubbers except for automatic scrubbers require some form of control.

Scrubbers are some of the most important supplies for kitchen cleaning.

vii. Steam Cleaning Machines

These types of equipment are mostly used on carpets. As the name suggests, this emits steam under high pressure. Water used includes detergent. As a result, the high pressured steam penetrates the deeper layers of the carpet to remove all types of dirt and stains.

Some popular steam cleaner brands designed for commercial use include US Steam, Ladybug, Vapor Clean, and Vapamore.

viii. Gas/Diesel Pressure Washers

These are specially designed pressure washers for gasoline and diesel. If you’re interested in providing commercial cleaning services for the oil industry, then this piece of equipment is a must-have.

Nevertheless, other types of commercial cleaning jobs outside the oil industry may require using this equipment.

Safety Precautions

Safety should be a major consideration for a serious commercial cleaning service. The cleaning supplies mentioned are meant to be used in a certain way. Anything less than that raises the risks of injury or poisoning. Therefore, you must carefully read through the use of instructions after purchase.

Protective gear such as gloves and nose masks where necessary must be used.

Maintenance

Commercial cleaning equipment maintenance is an important part of doing business. You don’t want a situation where your equipment develops faults on the job. Therefore, you need a backup plan as well as making sure all of your cleaning equipment is in top shape.

What supplies do I need for a cleaning lady? You have them listed above.

These are commercial cleaning supplies list anyone interested in starting such business must possess. Due to the availability of so many cleaning products, we have only mentioned a few. These come in the form of concentrates that will need to be diluted in the appropriate ratio. The equipment list is also a basic part of the supplies required.