How to Trademark a Cleaning Service Name

Which class covers cleaning services?

Cleaning services — including residential house cleaning, commercial janitorial work, window cleaning, and carpet cleaning — generally fall in Class 37, which covers building maintenance and repair services. If you also sell branded cleaning products, those goods would fall in a separate class. For most cleaning businesses, Class 37 is the core registration that protects the service brand.

Why are cleaning names hard to protect?

Many cleaning businesses use descriptive names like "sparkle clean" or "spotless" that merely describe the service, which the USPTO can refuse as descriptive. Distinctive, non-descriptive names register far more easily and protect better. Choosing a suggestive or arbitrary name from the start avoids a refusal and gives you a stronger, more enforceable mark.

How do you file a cleaning trademark?

Pick a distinctive name, run a clearance search to check for conflicts and descriptiveness risk, file in Class 37, and submit a specimen such as your website or branded materials showing the services. File early under the first-to-file system, especially if you plan to franchise. Secure Mark USA can search and file from $99 plus the $350-per-class USPTO fee.

Key takeaways

• Cleaning and janitorial services generally fall in Class 37.
• Branded cleaning products would fall in a separate goods class.
• Descriptive names like "spotless" risk a USPTO refusal.
• Distinctive names register more easily and protect better.
• Secure Mark USA files cleaning trademarks from $99 plus the $350-per-class USPTO fee.

Frequently asked questions