Cleaning jobs · Getting started
How to become a house cleaner in Australia
Quick answer: You don't need a licence or a qualification to clean homes in Australia. You need cleaning experience, the right to work here, a reliable kit, and an ABN if you work as a contractor or for yourself. Most cleaners start with an employer, a platform or a few private clients, then build from there.
What a house cleaner does
A house cleaner cleans the kitchens, bathrooms, floors and living areas of people's homes, to a checklist, in the time the job allows.
A regular clean covers benchtops and appliances, sinks, showers, baths and toilets, dusting, vacuuming and mopping, and emptying bins. Deep and end of lease cleans go further: inside cupboards and appliances, skirting boards, and marks on walls. Our standard cleaning checklist shows the list our cleaners work to.
The job is also about trust. You're in someone's home, often alone, with their keys and their things. Being on time, careful and honest matters as much as how well you clean.
The skills that matter
Speed with care, knowing which products are safe on which surfaces, and reliability.
- Working to a checklist in the time allowed, without skipping the parts people notice.
- Surface knowledge. Stone, timber, stainless steel and glass each need the right product. The wrong one can damage a benchtop for good.
- Safety. Never mixing products, and knowing when a job is unsafe to do.
- Reliability. Turning up when you said you would, every time. It's what keeps regular customers.
Do you need a qualification?
No. A certificate isn't required to clean homes, though one can help with commercial or specialist work.
The national qualification is the Certificate III in Cleaning Operations (CPP30321). It has no entry requirements, and no licence depends on it. Most house cleaners learn on the job instead. Some employers and agencies ask for a national police check, and a few kinds of work need extra checks, such as working with children.
How to get your first cleaning jobs
Start where the customers are already found for you, then add your own as you build experience.
- An employer. A cleaning company trains you and pays at least the award minimum. It's the easiest start with no experience.
- A platform or agency. You work as a contractor and choose your hours. Most, including Simply Maid, want some experience first.
- Your own clients. Friends, neighbours and referrals. See how to start a cleaning business.
Do you need a resume?
Most cleaning employers ask for a short one. Simply Maid's application doesn't: you tell us about your experience as you apply.
If you write one, keep it to a page. List where you've cleaned (homes, offices, end of lease), for how long, and what you're good at, such as particular surfaces, deep cleans or working in a team. Mention your availability and whether you have a car and your own kit. A line from a regular customer saying you're reliable is worth more than a list of adjectives.
Becoming a cleaner with Simply Maid
We work with experienced cleaners, teams and cleaning businesses as independent contractors, from $45 an hour, paid weekly.
You need cleaning experience, an ABN, the right to work in Australia, your own vacuum, mop, cloths and products, a way to travel with your kit, and a smartphone. The application checks your identity, ABN and bank details, and includes a short standards quiz and the provider agreement. Approval is automatic once every check is complete. See application requirements.
Questions people ask
Can I become a cleaner with no experience?
Yes, through an employer that trains you. Platforms such as Simply Maid look for cleaners who already have experience.
Do cleaners need a police check?
It isn't a legal requirement for house cleaning in general, but some employers and agencies ask for a national police check, and some work, such as working with children, needs specific checks.
Do I need an ABN to be a cleaner?
Only if you work as a contractor or for yourself. Employed cleaners don't need one.
Is there a cleaning certificate in Australia?
Yes: the Certificate III in Cleaning Operations (CPP30321). It's optional for house cleaning.
When you're ready
Apply for cleaning jobs
Start with your mobile and email. Approval is automatic once your checks are complete.
Start with your mobile and email. Your progress saves as you go.
Sources
Qualification details from training.gov.au on the date shown. Simply Maid's requirements are quoted from its cleaner help centre.
- CPP30321 Certificate III in Cleaning Operations, training.gov.au. Read 6 October 2026. Current qualification; no entry requirements; no licensing requirement at endorsement.
- Standard cleaning: what's included, Simply Maid. Read 6 October 2026. The live service checklist.
- Application requirements, Simply Maid cleaner help. Read 6 October 2026. What the application asks for.
- Equipment and supplies, Simply Maid cleaner help. Read 6 October 2026. The kit cleaners bring.
- Our services and what we don't clean, Simply Maid cleaner help. Read 6 October 2026.
Official rates and rules quoted from the government source on the date shown. General information, not legal, tax or financial advice.