3 Reasons Why Cleaning Companies Need Business Insurance

You get unbelievably excited when you successfully remove a red wine stain that has been setting in the carpet overnight. Your client didn’t think you would be able to do it—but you showed them!

As the old saying goes, “cleanliness is next to godliness”, and you have made it your business to help others attain this high level of hygiene. Moldy grout and clogged drains have nothing on you!

In your efforts to build a cleaner world, things can veer off course. Granite countertops can lose their luster if the wrong solution is used and cleaning chemicals can have an adverse effect on your staff’s lungs. It is imperative to your success that you have the right business insurance for cleaning companies. Should something go wrong, (and it will, that’s life!) your business insurance will come in and clean up the mess.

Having a hard time seeing the value in small business insurance? Here are three reasons why you need to sign up for a policy ASAP.

Stain remover used on a client’s oriental rug damaged the fibers. Different materials call for different cleaning solutions. If you aren’t careful, you could stain, bleach or burn your client’s furniture, carpets and rugs. If you or an employee should use too harsh a cleaning solution on a client’s rug that then causes damage, you’re liable for its repair or replacement.

An SMB liability insurance policy will cover the financial costs of repairing or replacing the damaged item at no additional cost to you or your client. If the item was a family heirloom and is irreplaceable, the client may try taking you to court for damages. An SMB professional liability policy will pay the litigation costs and restitution fees, should the lawsuit be awarded in the client’s favor.

Cleaning solution an employee used to clean a client’s oven burned their lungs. As you well know, you cannot clean the bathroom and the kitchen using the same cleaning supplies. Appliances often call for industrial strength solution to get at the burnt-on grime. Organic Consumers writes that “the most acutely dangerous cleaning products are corrosive drain cleaners, oven cleaners and acidic toilet bowl cleaners.” If one of your employees should inhale the fumes of such a harsh solution for an extended period of time, they could come down with chemical pneumonitis.

This could put the affected employee out on sick leave for an unknown period of time. To top it off, the same employee could blame you for their injuries. Workers’ compensation will cover their medical fees and lost wages, allowing them time to heal and get back on their feet. Workers’ compensation also covers business interruption. This means that you will receive a stipend to make up for the absent employee’s lost work.

An industrial vacuum short circuited and became damaged. No cleaning job is finished without vacuuming the space. If your industrial vacuum should break down, how are you going to be able to satisfactorily clean the carpets? SMB insurance will pay to repair or replace the vacuum as it covers the cost of equipment breakdowns and failures. Should the vacuum stop working, your insurance will pay to have it replaced, keeping the company’s money in the bank.

If you want to own and run a successful cleaning service, you need business insurance to keep your business going strong. Check out CoverHound for a free SMB quote today.