Squeaky Clean Accounting: 5 Best Accounting Software for Cleaning Business
One year ago, Ellen (not that one) used to DIY her cleaning business accounting. The day would include invoicing new clients, tracking expenses, monitoring employee’s payroll, and managing the overall business.
While her cleaning services were spotless, she couldn’t keep her with all the mess of invoices, receipts, and other paperwork. For one month, she didn’t even send invoices to one of her clients.
After doing research and asking friends, she found accounting software suitable for her needs. If you are facing a similar situation, today’s guide can help you a lot. Here, we’ll mention the 5 best accounting software for cleaning businesses. We’ll touch everything from simple invoicing to free scheduling apps.
Why do you Need the Best Accounting Software for Cleaning Business?
As a cleaning business owner, you should know that living in a cluttered environment increases stress, and you can’t seem to focus on anything. Similarly, running a business means you have a lot of things to manage.
You have to order cleaning supplies, manage employees, send invoices, do taxes, and so much more. If you are going to stay cluttered with all of this, how will you manage everything?
A few days back, we published a blog on how to organize receipts. It’s related to why you need accounting software, so make sure to check that out after this.
Having accounting software means organizing everything in one place. Your documents, payrolls, invoices, taxes, and expenses are all managed in one tool, saving you from all the paperwork and hours of manual calculation.
In addition, many cleaning business software packages include scheduling, which helps you manage appointments and client requests in one place.
The research paper, “The impact of accounting software on accountants’ performance in the furniture companies”, showed that “recent improvements to accounting systems in general, and accounting software in particular, can enhance performance in furniture companies.”
So, it’s not just about managing day-to-day bookkeeping; having software means creating a system to grow your business.
What to Look for in an Accounting Software for Cleaning Business?
According to Research and Markets, the accounting software industry is expected to grow by $734.94 billion at the end of 2025. With many tools entering the market, it can be hard to know which one you should look for. So, let’s break down what makes accounting software suitable for a cleaning business.
Invoicing
You need to make sure that the software can generate and manage invoices. Most software comes with invoicing templates, so you can easily customize them. The software should also support multiple payment methods and should track all payments like clients payments, income, and reimbursements.
Expense Management
As we know, the cleaning business incurs many expenses, such as cleaning supplies, transportation, and other operational costs. Accounting software should list different expense categories so you can calculate and track them easily. It should also be able to scan expenses from receipts and automatically input them (yes, it’s possible with integrations).
Payroll
If you have a team, then payroll management should be available in your accounting software. Imagine doing all the data entry yourself. We feel agitated even writing this.
As many tools come with a lot of integrations, you can also manage time tracking, HR management, and client management.
Booking and Scheduling
Many of the best software integrates with free scheduling apps for cleaning businesses. It should schedule recurring appointments and allow customers to book appointments around the clock.
Tax Management
If there’s one thing more tiresome than picking leaves from the lawn, it is tax management. The accounting software should simplify this process and organize data for easy tax filing. So, you don’t miss out on any deductions.
5 Best Accounting Software for Cleaning Business
1. QuickBooks
QuickBooks is the OG of accounting software. The accounting software giant has been around for 32 years and offers plenty of accounting features, from invoicing to payroll to tax preparation. The software provides different options, such as QuickBooks Payroll, QuickBooks Commerce, QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Payments, and QuickBooks Live QuickBooks Time.
The best thing is that with all the different options, you can pick the one suitable to your needs. For instance, if you are a growing business, you can select QB Enterprise. On the other hand, if you are a startup, you can select QB Online.
We have a detailed guide on QuickBooks Online vs QuickBooks Enterprise. So, if you are looking to select, make sure to check all the features.
One problem is that QB can be expensive. If you are just starting out, buying software can add to the expense list. But don’t let the price get in the way of growing your business.
You would be happy to know that Tangent Consulting partnered with QuickBooks to offer 80% off the first 6 months of an annual subscription. This offer also includes a 30-day free trial. So, grab a deal now before it’s too late.
2. Xero
If QuickBooks is the mop, Xero is a floor-cleaning machine. It’s a cloud-based cleaning software that allows you to track expenses, manage payrolls, and handle direct client payments.
It comes with a user-friendly interface making it perfect if you are not an accounting genie like Tangent Consulting 😉
The good thing is that Xero integrates with many apps, such as CRM, payments, jobs, and others. This means you’ll spend less time chasing payments and more time on business growth.
3. FreshBooks
Did you know 67% of accountants prefer cloud accounting? FreshBooks is one of the top contenders when it comes to cloud accounting.
The good thing about FreshBooks is that it is designed for services-based businesses. It offers invoicing, payments, time tracking, receipts, client management, bookkeeping, and so much more. It comes with a simple interface like QuickBooks Online, and you don’t need a ton of IQ to run it.
One thing you should know is although FreshBooks offers tax services, they are basic and may not help you get over the tax season. Here, you can hire a tax expert like Tangent Consulting. We make sure that you have a peaceful sleep during the tax season by minimizing tax liabilities and maximizing tax deductions.
4. Zoho Books
“Wait what? How come Zoho is on the list?”
Yeah, we know Zoho is a popular CRM platform. However, it also offers accounting solutions. Zoho Books is a powerful accounting software that various accounting solutions at affordable prices.
It offers invoicing, billing, banking, inventory management, expense tracking, documents, reporting, and other features.
From tracking expenses to automating your workflow, Zoho Books can handle it all. The best thing is you can integrate it with Zoho CRM and manage every aspect of your business in one place.
5. Jobber
If you are looking for software built for the cleaning business, it’s Jobber. It’s a management platform where you can schedule, invoice, manage clients, manage work orders, and more.
Jobber isn’t just a regular accounting software; it’s an all-in-one solution for services businesses. Our detailed guide outlines Jobber’s additional features.
If you think Jobber is cool, we have something cooler. We have partnered with Jobber to offer some cool perks for small businesses. You can get a free trial and 20% off for six months on an annual plan.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the best accounting software for cleaning business is like choosing the top cleaning products. It saves you time and stress and makes sure your business is running smoothly. If you are on the fence, maybe the time is right to ditch the old-fashioned ledger.
At the end of the day, managing your cleaning business’s finances shouldn’t feel like scrubbing floors. With the right software and a bit of help from Tangent Consulting, you can have the cleanest books.
FAQs
What is the accounting term for cleaning services?
The right accounting term varies from business to business. However, cleaning and janitorial services and operational expenses are generally used for accounting.
What is cleaning in accounting?
Accounting clean-up refers to reviewing and reconciling a company’s records to make sure financial records are accurate.
What is balance sheet cleaning?
A clean balance sheet means a company has no debt with healthy liquidity.
