Cleaning Service Owners

High School

Because the materials, chemicals, and equipment for professional cleaning are likely to become more complicated, you should take courses that will help you adapt to chemical and mechanical advancements. Science courses can teach you about the products you'll be using. You'll need to purchase and use your own equipment, so a vocational class that covers mechanical systems and repairs can help you better understand the machines and their upkeep. Accounting classes and student business organizations will prepare you for the record-keeping aspect of the work. Take English and composition courses to develop writing skills for your own advertising and promotion. Learning a foreign language will help you to communicate with clients or staff who do not speak English fluently.

Postsecondary Training

Though this may change in the near future, the cleaning services industry had been typically easy to break into. If you're looking for employment with a cleaning service, you probably won't need any special certification, or even a high school diploma. Even as you develop your own service, you probably won't be hindered by a lack of education or training when seeking clients. As the job becomes more technically demanding, however, training programs will become standard.

Students should try to get firsthand experience in the business. You should seek out large cleaning businesses that contract their services to companies; these larger companies will be more likely to have good training systems in place. You should look for a company that has some certification and belongs to either regional or national professional organizations. Membership with such an organization will mean the company is privy to training information and requirements.

Some technical schools and community colleges offer training for cleaning technicians seeking certification. These schools offer courses in the use and care of cleaning agents, supplies, and equipment, as well as job organization and planning.

Other Education or Training

The Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification offers online, video, and home study continuing education (CE) courses on crime and trauma scene bio-recovery, mold remediation, water damage repair, estimating and sales, human resources, marketing, and other topics. The Restoration Industry Association and ISSA Residential also provide CE webinars and classes. Contact these organizations for more information.