To start a cleaning supplies business, first decide which kind you’re building: a reseller that buys branded products in bulk and supplies them, or a producer that makes and packages its own liquid soap, detergent or disinfectant. Then check the product rules for your market, and sell to the buyers who reorder every month: offices, schools, clinics, hotels, restaurants and cleaning companies.
The money in cleaning supplies is in repeat orders, not one-off retail sales. This guide shows how to set up, what it costs, how to price a supply contract and how to win business buyers.
Key takeaways
- Reselling is faster to start. Making your own gives better margins but brings registration and testing duties.
- Disinfectants are regulated: the EPA registers them in the US, and GB biocidal products may need HSE authorization. In Nigeria, NAFDAC regulates detergents and soaps.
- Business buyers on monthly contracts are worth far more than walk-in retail.
- Price contracts from your landed cost plus delivery, and protect yourself against price rises.
Who buys cleaning supplies?
Everyone, but some buyers are worth much more than others. In the US alone, there were about 2.4 million janitor and building cleaner jobs in 2025, and each of those workers uses supplies someone has to buy.
That chart is a target list. Cleaning contractors, schools and healthcare sites buy steadily and in volume. The same buyer types exist in Lagos, London and Houston. If you also run or plan a cleaning service, our guide to starting a cleaning business covers that side.
Product rules you must know
- Pesticides how the US EPA classifies disinfectants, which it regulates and registers US EPA, 2026
- Up to 5 products a micro-scale producer can register under NAFDAC's MSME route, which covers laundry detergents and soaps NAFDAC, 2024
- 2,432,600 janitor and building cleaner jobs in the US, 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026
Nigeria. NAFDAC regulates detergents, soaps and related household products. Its MSME route lists items such as laundry detergents, liquid air fresheners and soaps, and lets micro-scale producers register up to five products (NAFDAC MSME). If you resell, buy only NAFDAC-registered products and keep supplier invoices.
United States. The EPA says disinfectants are pesticides and that it registers antimicrobial pesticides and approves their label language (EPA). If you make or relabel a product that claims to kill germs, you need EPA registration, and states may require their own. Ordinary soaps and detergents with no germ-kill claims have fewer rules, but safety data sheets and hazard labels still apply.
United Kingdom. Disinfectants and sanitizers are biocidal products. In Great Britain they fall under GB biocides rules run by the HSE, and new products may need authorization before sale. Use the HSE’s biocidal product check before you launch a product with germ-kill claims.
How to start a cleaning supplies business, step by step
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Choose reseller or producer
Reseller: lower risk, faster start. Producer: better margin, more compliance. Many start as resellers and add one own-brand product later.
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Pick a core range
Liquid hand soap, dishwashing liquid, multi-surface cleaner, bleach, trash bags, paper towels, gloves. Fewer lines, always in stock.
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Choose your buyers
Offices, schools, clinics, hotels, restaurants and cleaning companies. One segment first.
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Register the business
CAC in Nigeria; state registration in the US; sole trader or Ltd in the UK.
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Secure supply
Get quotes from at least three distributors or raw-material suppliers. Agree minimum orders and credit terms.
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Handle product compliance
NAFDAC registration for own products in Nigeria; EPA for US disinfectants; HSE checks for GB biocides.
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Set up storage and delivery
A dry, ventilated store away from food, and a reliable way to deliver weekly.
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Price your contracts
Use the worked example below.
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Win your first five accounts
Visit, sample and offer a trial month.
Making your own products: what changes
Producing your own liquid soap or detergent can lift margins, but it changes the business:
- Consistency becomes your job. Write a recipe sheet with exact quantities, mixing order and batch numbers, and keep a sample from every batch.
- Testing and records. Regulators and larger buyers will ask for product specifications, safety data sheets and batch records.
- Packaging and labels. Labels need the product name, directions, hazard warnings, your business details and any registration number required in your market.
- Space. Mixing needs ventilation, protective equipment and storage away from food and children.
A sensible path is to resell for the first few months, learn which products your buyers reorder most, then register one own-brand version of your best seller.
How much does it cost to start a cleaning supplies business?
| Cost item | Estimate | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Opening stock (reseller) | $500–$3,000 | Planning estimate; supplier minimums drive this |
| Raw materials and containers (producer, first batches) | $300–$1,500 | Planning estimate |
| Product registration (Nigeria, own brand) | NAFDAC tariff | NAFDAC MSME; confirm current fees |
| Storage shelving and safety equipment | $100–$500 | Planning estimate |
| Delivery (fuel, bike or van hire) | Monthly running cost | Planning estimate |
| Business registration | Under $300 (US); £100 Ltd (UK); CAC fee (Nigeria) | SBA, GOV.UK |
| Labels and branding (producer) | $100–$600 | Planning estimate |
Pricing a monthly supply contract: worked example
Illustrative numbers for one office account. Use your supplier quotes.
- Monthly basket at your cost: soap 40, dishwashing liquid 25, surface cleaner 35, trash bags 30, paper towels 60, gloves 10 = 200
- Delivery cost per month (4 drops): 20
- Your markup: 30% on goods = 200 × 0.30 = 60
- Monthly contract price: 200 + 20 + 60 = 280
Gross profit per account: 280 − 220 = 60 a month. Ten accounts bring 600 a month. Thirty bring 1,800. That’s why volume and retention matter more than margin per item.
Add one clause: prices are reviewed every quarter, or when supplier prices rise more than an agreed percentage. Without it, one bad price rise wipes out your margin.
How to win business customers
- Start with a trial month. Offer to supply one site for a month at the contract price, with free delivery.
- Talk to the right person. Office managers, facilities managers, school bursars and cleaning supervisors make the decision.
- Make reordering easy. A WhatsApp order line, a fixed delivery day and one monthly invoice.
- Be findable. Buyers search “cleaning supplies supplier [city]” when their current supplier lets them down. A clear website and Google profile help. See our local SEO work.
- Build a target list. Our lead generation team covers how to build and work a list of B2B buyers.
When you sell to businesses, the first sale is rarely the hard part. Keeping the account is. I'd make reordering so easy that switching to a competitor feels like more work: a fixed delivery day, a standing order the office manager only has to confirm, and one clean monthly invoice. Then check in each quarter, before they have a reason to shop around.
Myth vs fact
- MythAnyone can mix and sell liquid soap or disinfectant without registration.
- FactNAFDAC regulates detergents and soaps in Nigeria, the EPA registers disinfectants in the US, and GB biocidal products fall under HSE rules.
- MythThe lowest price wins every contract.
- FactBusiness buyers value reliable delivery and consistent quality. Running out of stock loses accounts faster than a slightly higher price.
- MythMore products bring more sales.
- FactA focused range you never run out of is easier to sell, store and deliver than a long catalog.
Before you sign your first contract
- Supplier quotes from at least three sources
- Product registration or compliance checked for every line you sell
- Safety data sheets on file for each product
- Storage set up away from food and heat
- Contract price, delivery schedule and price-review clause written down
- Invoice and payment terms agreed
Frequently asked questions
Is a cleaning supplies business profitable?
It can be, mainly through repeat business accounts. Margins per item are usually modest, so profit comes from volume, retention and keeping delivery costs low. Own-brand products can improve margins once they're properly registered.
Do I need NAFDAC approval to sell cleaning products in Nigeria?
If you make or package your own detergents or soaps, expect to register them with NAFDAC. NAFDAC's MSME route covers products such as laundry detergents and soaps. If you resell, sell only registered products and keep your invoices.
Can I start a cleaning supplies business with little capital?
Yes, as a reseller with a short product list and a few business customers. Buy stock after you confirm orders where you can, and negotiate credit terms with suppliers once you've built a payment history.
Who are the best customers for cleaning supplies?
Buyers who reorder every month: cleaning companies, offices, schools, clinics, hotels and restaurants. They buy in volume and value reliable delivery over the lowest price.
Do I need EPA registration to sell cleaning products in the US?
Only for products that claim to kill or control germs, which the EPA treats as pesticides. Ordinary soaps and cleaners without those claims don't need EPA registration, but labeling and safety rules still apply. Check your state's rules too.
Next step
Pick one buyer segment and list 30 businesses in your area that fit it. Visit or call five this week with a sample basket and a trial offer. If you’ll make your own products, see branding at TechDella Studios for labels that look trustworthy on a shelf.
