How to earn money as a cleaner in Liège, Belgium

Where paying customers for cleaning are in Liège

People in Liège pay cleaners for work in their homes, in small offices and shared workspaces, in medical practices, schools, shops and restaurants. Neighbourhoods across the city have households - there is no single wealthy area where all the work is. Small businesses and services (hairdressers, doctors, cafés) need regular cleaning and often hire someone local. Schools and care homes in and around Liège employ cleaning staff or contract the work out.

Most customers find cleaners through word of mouth - someone they know recommends you, or a business owner hears about you from another business. Online search is growing: people type 'cleaner near me' or 'cleaning services Liège' into a search engine or marketplace. A small number of customers come through local notice boards, Facebook groups for Liège residents, or direct contact with building managers and business owners.

Setting your first prices

When you set a price, you are choosing how much you earn per hour or per job, and that number affects whether customers call you. In a city the size of Liège, customers paying for cleaning expect to pay more than nothing but less than in Brussels or Antwerp. You do not know yet how fast you work, how much time travel takes between jobs, or what your own costs are - fuel, cleaning supplies, equipment wear. This is why many cleaners start by asking what other cleaners charge in your area, then setting a price slightly lower or the same.

Talk about money without embarrassment. When a customer asks 'how much', you give a number - per hour, or per room, or per whole job, depending on what you agreed. Write it down in a message so there is no confusion. Some cleaners give a small discount for regular weekly or fortnightly work, because that customer is easier to plan around. Do not undercut so much that you are working for less than you need to live; that burns you out fast.

Being self-employed in Belgium: the legal side

In Belgium, you can work as a self-employed person (indépendant or zelfstandige) in the cleaning trade. This means registering with the proper authorities, paying social contributions, and keeping records of your income and expenses. The rules are set by Belgian law and differ slightly between the Walloon region (where Liège is) and other regions.

You must check the current requirements with the official sources: the SPF Economie (federal economy ministry), your regional Walloon business office, or a social contributions office (caisse d'assurances sociales) for the self-employed. These bodies can tell you the steps to register, the contributions you owe, and what records you must keep. A tax advisor or accountant who knows Belgian self-employment can also guide you, though that is an extra cost. Do not skip this step - penalties for working without registering are serious.

Your first ten customers: what they usually look like

Your first customers are often not the ideal ones. They may be a one-time deep clean because someone is moving house. They may be a small business owner who wants to try you before committing to regular work. They may be a person with a busy schedule who found you online and did not compare other options closely. Some will pay quickly; others will delay payment or try to negotiate down. A few will be easy to work with and become regular; others will ask for extra work without paying more, or be difficult to schedule around.

The first months are usually the hardest for income. You have few customers, so each job matters more. You make mistakes - you underestimate how long a job takes, you forget to ask about payment terms, you spend money on supplies without counting it. You lose a customer because you were sick one week. Building a list of ten regular customers takes months, not weeks. During that time, many cleaners keep another job or live off savings.

What tends to go wrong in the first months

Underpricing is the biggest mistake. You quote a price to be competitive, then find you spend two hours on a job you thought would take one, or you run late and miss your next customer. Customers remember the low price and expect it next time. Raising the price later is harder than setting a fair one at the start.

Payment problems are common. A customer says they will pay you next week, then you have to chase them. Some customers expect you to invoice them formally but do not have a system set up on their end. Without a clear agreement, disputes happen - the customer says the work was not good enough, or you say they promised more money than they now claim.

Scheduling is chaotic at first. You say yes to every job, then you are running between addresses, missing time windows, or exhausted. You may damage something in a customer's home and not have insurance. You may injure yourself and have no income protection. You may spend so much on travel between jobs that your real hourly wage drops below what you need.

Solo cleaners without a system also burn out. The work is physical. Doing it alone means you are always the bottleneck - if you are sick or tired, the customer does not get served. Building a client base slowly, with clear terms and real prices, is harder at first but more sustainable.

How a Websta profile helps you earn

A profile on Websta works as a personal website for your cleaning business in Liège. You list the services you offer - house cleaning, office cleaning, deep cleaning, laundry service - with prices you set. Customers nearby can find you by searching for cleaning services and your area. They see your prices, photos of your work (if you upload them), and can book you or send a message through the contact form.

When a customer pays through your Websta profile, the money goes straight to your own bank account via Stripe, a standard payment processor. You do not hand cash to anyone else, and you do not wait weeks for payment - you see the money in your account. This makes it easier to track your income, which you need anyway for your tax and social contribution records in Belgium.

A Websta profile is a page you can send to anyone - a new customer, a friend who asks how to find you, a business owner who wants to check your services. It works on phones and computers. Unlike social media, it does not disappear into a feed. It is a real address on the internet where you can be found, and it shows that you are serious about the work.

Starting without a large investment

You do not need much to start. Basic cleaning supplies, a few cloths, a mop, a vacuum if you do not have one. Good shoes that do not hurt after eight hours. A phone to answer calls and take payments. A bank account in your own name to receive money. If you drive to jobs, you need a reliable way to get around and money for fuel.

A Websta profile costs something - you can check the current pricing on the site - but it is far less than a shop, a van, or expensive equipment. It is one tool among many to find customers. Word of mouth and local reputation will likely bring you more work than any single tool, but a profile with your prices and online booking removes friction when someone wants to hire you.