# How to start a sneaker cleaning business: kit, prices, mail-in orders and first clients

> A sneaker cleaning business cleans, deodorizes and restores shoes by the pair, in person or by mail. You can start with under $150 of brushes and cleaner from Jason Markk, Reshoevn8r or Crep Protect, charge a basic clean, a deep clean and a restoration tier, and find clients through before-and-after videos, local sneaker shops and a mail-in option using USPS flat rate boxes.

Published 2026-10-29, updated 2026-10-30 by Broombook · Specialty cleaning services · 12 min read  
Canonical page: https://broombook.com/guides/sneaker-cleaning-business

## Key takeaways

- A starter kit is cheap: Jason Markk sells its Essential Kit for $18 and Reshoevn8r kits run $19.88 to $218.88 on their own sites.
- Price by tier and material: a basic clean, a deep clean with laces and insoles, and a restoration tier for suede, yellowed soles and paint touch-ups.
- Mail-in orders fit in a USPS Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box: $22.02 online or $25.80 at the counter, each way, so build shipping into the price.
- Short before-and-after videos are the cheapest marketing in this niche; sneaker shops, barbershops and resellers are the best local partners.
- Net earnings of $400 or more mean self-employment tax (15.3%) on Schedule SE, with the income reported on Schedule C, even for a side business.

## What does a sneaker cleaning business actually sell?

A sneaker cleaning business sells time and skill by the pair: surface cleaning, deep cleaning of laces, insoles and midsoles, deodorizing, and restoration work such as sole whitening, suede revival and paint touch-ups. Most clients are not trying to save money. They own a pair they care about and do not trust themselves with it.

That changes how you sell. A house cleaner competes on price per hour. A shoe cleaning business competes on trust and proof: photos of the pair before, photos after, and a clear promise about what you will and will not do to the material. The work itself is simple to learn. Judging materials (knit, mesh, leather, suede, nubuck, patent) and knowing which one you can damage with the wrong brush is the real skill.

Three ways to run it, and most people mix them:

- **Drop-off or pickup.** Clients hand you the pair at a shop, at your home or at a meeting point. You return it in two to five days.
- **Mail-in.** Clients ship their pair to you, you clean and ship back. This opens you up to the whole country and to collectors who have nobody local.
- **Pop-ups and events.** A table at a sneaker convention, a barbershop or a college event, doing quick cleans on the spot and booking deep cleans for later.

If you already run a cleaning company and want a low-cost add-on, compare this with the other services in our [list of cleaning business ideas](https://broombook.com/guides/cleaning-business-ideas). Sneaker work is the only one on that list that fits on a kitchen table.

## How much does it cost to start a sneaker cleaning business?

You can be working for under $150, and a serious setup with a mail-in station and restoration supplies is still under $600. Prices below come from the makers’ own stores and change often, so check them before you buy.

| Item | Example and price on the maker’s site | Why it matters |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starter cleaning kit | [Jason Markk Essential Kit, $18](https://www.jasonmarkk.com/products/essential-kit) (concentrated cleaner and brush) | Enough to practice on your own pairs and do your first basic cleans |
| Full kit with laundry bag and brushes | [Reshoevn8r kits, $19.88 to $218.88](https://reshoevn8r.com/collections/kits), including an all-material system at $84.88 | Three brush stiffnesses, a laundry system for machine-safe pairs, suede tools |
| Protector spray and wipes | [Crep Protect spray, $16; box pack, $40](https://www.crepprotect.com/collections/all) | Sold as an add-on after every clean; good margin per pair |
| Consumables | Microfiber towels, magic erasers, toothbrushes, cotton swabs, a spray bottle: $20 to $40 from any store | Replace often; cheap |
| Restoration supplies (later) | Sole deoxidizer, acrylic leather paint, finisher, suede dye, replacement laces: $60 to $150 | Needed only for the restoration tier |
| Photo setup | A white poster board, a $20 ring light and your phone | Your before-and-after photos are your marketing |
| Shipping supplies for mail-in | USPS Priority Mail boxes are free; add shoe-shaped bubble bags and a label printer | Only if you take mail-in orders |

Skip a brand-name kit at first if money is tight. A bottle of gentle cleaner, three brushes (soft, medium, stiff) and towels does 80% of the work. Buy the suede tools and the restoration supplies when a client asks and pays for them. Our [guide to starting with no money](https://broombook.com/guides/how-to-start-a-cleaning-business-with-no-money) has the general order of what to spend on first.

## What should you charge per pair?

Price in tiers by the work involved, then add for the material. A simple menu with three tiers and two or three add-ons is easier to sell than a long list, and it stops you from under-charging on suede and restorations.

There is no public price survey for sneaker cleaning the way Thumbtack publishes house cleaning averages, so build your prices from your own time. Below is a worked menu with **hypothetical numbers** that assume you want about $30 an hour after supplies while you are learning, and more once you are fast.

| Tier | What is included | Time per pair | Example price |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Basic clean | Uppers, midsole and outsole brushed and wiped, laces cleaned | 30 to 45 minutes plus drying | $25 to $35 |
| Deep clean | Basic plus insoles out, laces soaked, deodorizing, midsole scrub, protector spray | 60 to 90 minutes plus drying | $45 to $65 |
| Restoration | Deep clean plus sole deoxidizing, paint touch-ups, suede dye or lace replacement | 2 to 4 hours over several days | $80 to $150+, quoted from photos |
| Add-ons | Suede or nubuck (+$10 to $15), knit or mesh (+$5), new laces (+$8 to $15), protector only ($10) |  |  |

Check the math against your real time. At $30 for a basic clean that takes 40 minutes of hands-on work, you earn about $45 an hour before supplies, which is fine while pairs come one at a time. Deep cleans and restorations are where the money is, because drying time runs in the background while you work on the next pair.

Two rules that save you grief: quote restorations only after seeing photos of the pair in daylight, and put in writing that cleaning cannot fix cracked leather, separated soles or material that has already faded. Clients remember the promise, not the fine print, so say it in the message before they pay.

For the same pricing logic applied to homes, see our [house cleaning pricing guide](https://broombook.com/guides/house-cleaning-pricing-guide); the tier structure carries over almost unchanged.

## How does the mail-in model work, and what does shipping cost?

A mail-in order is a prepaid label, a box, a clean and a return label. The client pays online, you email a label, they drop the box at the post office, and you ship it back when the pair is done. The whole thing runs on a booking page, a label printer and USPS flat rate boxes.

USPS Priority Mail flat rate boxes are the standard choice because they are free to order, ship in two to three days and cost the same regardless of weight or distance. On the [USPS Priority Mail page](https://www.usps.com/ship/priority-mail.htm), the Medium Flat Rate Box (the top-loading one is 11 1/4 by 8 3/4 by 6 inches, and USPS lists shoes as a typical use) costs $22.02 with online commercial pricing or $25.80 at the counter. The Small Flat Rate Box is $12.95 online or $14.65 at the counter but, at 1 5/8 inches deep inside, is too small for nearly any pair. Multiply by two for the round trip.

A worked example, **hypothetical numbers**:

- Deep clean, mail-in: $55
- Shipping both ways at commercial online rates: 2 × $22.02 = $44.04
- Bubble bags, tape and the time to pack: about $3
- Total the client pays: $102; you keep $55 minus about $5 in supplies

Two things follow from that math. First, mail-in only makes sense for deep cleans and restorations, not basic cleans, because nobody pays $44 of postage on a $30 service. Second, you must buy postage online (Click-N-Ship or a shipping app) rather than at the counter, or you give away $7.56 per order. Offer a lower shipping rate for two or more pairs in one larger box, such as the Large Flat Rate Box ($32.75 online).

Protect yourself on mail-in orders:

- Photograph every pair the moment you open the box, before any cleaning, and send the photos to the client.
- Use USPS tracking on both legs and add insurance on pairs worth more than a few hundred dollars.
- State a turnaround (for example 7 to 10 days door to door) and text the client when the pair arrives and when it ships back.
- Keep a simple intake form: shoe model, size, known damage, what the client wants fixed, and consent to the material risks for suede and vintage pairs.

## Where do the first sneaker cleaning clients come from?

Your first 20 clients come from people who see your work, not from ads. In this niche, a 20-second before-and-after video does more than any flyer, and the places where sneaker owners already gather (sneaker shops, barbershops, resellers, gyms, campuses) are your sales channels.

### Build proof before you charge

Clean ten pairs for free or for the cost of supplies: your own, friends’, and a couple from a local reseller. Shoot every one in the same spot with the same light. Post the pairs side by side, one post a day, on Instagram and TikTok with your city in the caption and a one-line price (“Deep clean $55, mail-in available”). Resellers are a good first target because clean pairs sell for more and they have a constant supply.

### Partner with the places that already have the shoes

- **Sneaker and streetwear shops.** Offer a drop-off box in the store and a referral cut (10% to 15%), or a free clean for staff so they talk about it.
- **Barbershops.** The same customers, the same wait times. A small sign and a card holder at the counter is enough to start.
- **Resellers and consignment stores.** Volume work at a lower per-pair rate, paid weekly. Agree on a fixed menu so you are not quoting every pair.
- **Gyms, dance studios and youth sports teams.** Team cleans before a tournament or photo day, priced per pair with a group discount.

### Go online once the proof exists

A Google Business Profile with your photos gets you the “sneaker cleaning near me” searches, which are small in most cities but convert well. A one-page website with the menu, the mail-in steps and a booking form turns social views into paid orders. Our guides to [getting clients for a cleaning business](https://broombook.com/guides/how-to-get-cleaning-clients) and [cleaning company SEO](https://broombook.com/guides/seo-for-cleaning-companies) cover the profile and the website in detail; the same steps apply here with different photos.

## Which materials need extra care, and what ruins a pair?

Most damage in this business comes from four mistakes: the wrong brush on suede, soaking leather, heat drying, and leaving cleaner in the fabric. Learn the materials first, charge more for the risky ones, and refuse the jobs you cannot do safely.

- **Leather and synthetic leather.** The easiest. Gentle cleaner, soft brush, wipe, condition. Do not soak; water marks and cracking follow.
- **Suede and nubuck.** Dry-brush first with a dedicated suede brush and eraser; use liquid only as a last resort and expect color change. Always get written consent for suede and charge the add-on.
- **Knit and mesh.** Clean well but hold stains. A laundry bag and a gentle machine cycle work for many pairs; air dry only.
- **Canvas.** Tolerant of cleaner and water, but white canvas can yellow if cleaner is left in; rinse thoroughly.
- **Patent and glossy finishes.** Wipe only. Brushes scratch.
- **Vintage and collector pairs.** Old foam midsoles crumble, old glue lets go. Many pros decline these or take them only as “clean, no promises”.

Dry every pair at room temperature, stuffed with paper to hold its shape, away from direct sun. Never use a dryer, a radiator or a hair dryer on hot. Never mix cleaning chemicals, and keep sole deoxidizers (which usually contain peroxide) away from colored materials and off your skin. Follow the product labels for gloves and ventilation.

Because you are handling pairs that can be worth hundreds of dollars, a general liability policy with care, custody and control coverage (sometimes called bailee coverage) is worth a quote once you have steady work. Our [insurance guide for cleaning businesses](https://broombook.com/guides/cleaning-business-insurance) explains the policy types; ask specifically about coverage for client property in your possession. This is not insurance advice, so confirm with an agent.

## What do you need to set up legally for a side business like this?

For most people this starts as a sole proprietorship: no formation paperwork, income reported on Schedule C, and self-employment tax once net earnings reach $400 in a year. Add a local business license and an LLC later if your city requires one or your income justifies it.

The IRS explains on its [self-employment tax page](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/self-employment-tax-social-security-and-medicare-taxes) that the rate is 15.3% (12.4% Social Security plus 2.9% Medicare) and that you owe it when net earnings from self-employment are $400 or more. That is on top of income tax, so set aside a share of every payment. The IRS also publishes a [checklist for deciding whether a side hustle is a hobby or a business](https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/hobby-or-business-heres-what-to-know-about-that-side-hustle): keeping complete books, putting in time with the intent to make a profit and depending on the income all point to a business, which matters because business expenses (your kits, postage, the ring light) are deductible and hobby expenses are not.

- Open a separate bank account and a payment app for the business so Schedule C is a matter of exporting one statement.
- Log every pair: date, client, tier, price, materials used, postage. It is your income record and your proof if a client disputes a result.
- Check whether your city or county wants a general business license; many do, and the fee is usually small.
- If you work from home, check your lease or HOA rules on home businesses and client visits. Pickup at a coffee shop avoids the issue.
- Sales tax rules differ by state. Services are untaxed in many states, but some tax cleaning and repair services, so check your state’s department of revenue.

None of this is legal or tax advice. When the business passes a few thousand dollars a year, an hour with a local accountant pays for itself. Our guide on [when an LLC makes sense for a cleaning business](https://broombook.com/guides/llc-for-cleaning-business) covers the structure question.

## How do you keep orders, turnaround and payments organized?

The business breaks down when you lose track of which pair is at which stage. A simple pipeline (received, cleaning, drying, ready, shipped or picked up) with a date on each pair, plus payment up front, keeps a one-person operation calm.

1. **Take payment before you start.** Full payment for basic and deep cleans; a deposit on restorations. Card or payment app, never “pay at pickup”.
2. **Batch by stage.** Clean in the evening, let everything dry overnight, do detail work and photos the next day. Drying time, not cleaning time, sets your turnaround.
3. **Tell clients where their pair is.** One message at intake, one when it is ready. Fewer “any update?” texts, better reviews.
4. **Ask for the review and the repost.** Send the after photo with a line asking them to post it and tag you. Collectors do.
5. **Offer a return clean.** A discount on the next clean within 90 days, or a seasonal “pre-summer” deal, turns one-off pairs into repeat clients.

Software fits this business best when you do pickups or run a drop-off location on a schedule. Broombook is booking, scheduling and reminders for recurring service businesses: clients book a pickup or drop-off slot online, pay by card, and get automatic reminders, and you see the week in one calendar. It does not track a per-pair pipeline or print shipping labels, so pure mail-in operators will pair a shipping app with a spreadsheet instead. If you add sneaker cleaning to an existing house cleaning company, it slots in as another bookable service on the same page; see [what Broombook includes](https://broombook.com/features).

## Frequently asked questions

### Is a sneaker cleaning business profitable?

It can be as a side business or a small full-time one, because supplies cost a few dollars per pair and you can charge $25 to $150 depending on the tier. The limit is volume: you need a steady flow of pairs from partners, resellers and mail-in orders, not just friends, to earn a full income.

### How much should I charge to clean sneakers?

Most operators use tiers: roughly $25 to $35 for a basic clean, $45 to $65 for a deep clean with laces, insoles and protector, and $80 or more for restorations, with add-ons for suede and new laces. Set yours from your own time per pair and local demand; there is no official price survey for this service.

### What equipment do I need to start a sneaker cleaning business?

A gentle cleaner, soft, medium and stiff brushes, microfiber towels, a suede brush and eraser, a spray bottle, and a drying spot out of the sun. Branded kits from Jason Markk ($18 for the Essential Kit) or Reshoevn8r ($19.88 and up) bundle these. Add sole deoxidizer, acrylic paint and dye when you offer restorations.

### How does mail-in sneaker cleaning work?

The client pays online, you email a prepaid label, they ship the pair in a USPS Priority Mail flat rate box, you clean it and ship it back. A Medium Flat Rate Box costs $22.02 with online commercial pricing each way, so mail-in works for deep cleans and restorations rather than basic cleans.

### Do I need a license to clean sneakers?

There is no sneaker-specific license, but many cities and counties require a general business license, and some states tax cleaning or repair services. Check your city clerk and state department of revenue. You will owe self-employment tax once net earnings reach $400 in a year.

### Can I clean sneakers in a washing machine?

Some knit, mesh and canvas pairs can go through a gentle cycle in a laundry bag, which is why kits like Reshoevn8r include one. Leather, suede, patent and vintage pairs should never go in the machine, and nothing should go in a dryer. Air dry every pair stuffed with paper.

### How do I get my first sneaker cleaning clients?

Clean ten pairs cheaply or free, photograph each before and after in the same light, and post them daily with your city and price. Then put drop-off boxes or cards in sneaker shops, barbershops and reseller stores, and offer them a referral cut. Add a Google Business Profile and a one-page site with a booking form once the proof exists.

## Sources

- [Jason Markk: Essential Kit product page](https://www.jasonmarkk.com/products/essential-kit)
- [Reshoevn8r: shoe cleaning kits and prices](https://reshoevn8r.com/collections/kits)
- [Crep Protect: products and prices](https://www.crepprotect.com/collections/all)
- [USPS: Priority Mail flat rate boxes and prices](https://www.usps.com/ship/priority-mail.htm)
- [IRS: self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes)](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/self-employment-tax-social-security-and-medicare-taxes)
- [IRS: hobby or business, what to know about that side hustle](https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/hobby-or-business-heres-what-to-know-about-that-side-hustle)

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Broombook is scheduling, online booking and crew software for residential cleaning businesses. More guides for cleaning business owners: https://broombook.com/guides