TL;DR
A supplies and equipment clause answers three questions: who brings the cleaning products, who brings the vacuum and other equipment, and where any of it is stored between visits. Industry practice varies widely, so the clause is worth reading rather than assuming, especially if you have sensitive surfaces, allergies, or a product you want used.
Who Usually Brings the Supplies?
Practice splits roughly three ways across the industry. Many companies bring their own products and equipment. Some use the household's supplies on request or by default. Some do a mix, bringing chemicals but using the home's vacuum. The agreement should say which arrangement applies, and it should say who replaces what runs out.
There is no single correct model. A crew carrying its own kit gets consistent results across many homes. A crew using your products avoids scent conflicts and surface surprises. Either can work well, and either can go wrong if it is unwritten.
What should never be vague is who pays. If the household is expected to keep certain items stocked, the clause should list them, so the crew does not arrive to find no trash bags and no paper towels.
What Does a Supplies Clause Usually Cover?
A supplies clause usually covers who provides chemicals, who provides equipment, whether the household can request specific products, who replaces consumables such as bags and liners, whether a fee applies when the company supplies everything, and how equipment is stored or transported. Some clauses also address what happens if the household's equipment fails.
The strongest versions also say what happens when the company's product is not suitable for a surface. A crew should be able to skip a surface and flag it rather than guess, and the clause is where that expectation gets set.
Source: cleaning industry trade association service agreement templates
Equipment: the Vacuum Question
Vacuums are the single most common friction point. They are the heaviest thing a crew carries, they wear out, and they behave very differently on different flooring. Ask directly whether the crew brings one.
If the household's vacuum is used, the clause should say who is responsible for maintaining it and what happens if it breaks. Normal wear on a household machine used weekly is not the same as damage, and the difference is easier to discuss before it happens.
Other equipment worth naming: mops and mop heads, buckets, microfiber cloth systems, step stools or ladders and the height limit that applies, and extension tools for high ceilings and fans. Many companies cap ladder work at a stated height for safety and insurance reasons, and that cap belongs in writing alongside the rest of what a service agreement should specify.
Can You Request Specific Cleaning Products?
Usually yes, and most companies will accommodate a written request, but few commit in advance to a fixed product list because product selection is made per job and per surface. The practical approach is to write down what you want used, what you want avoided, and why, then confirm the company received it.
Requests worth making in writing include a fragrance-free or low-fragrance preference, avoidance of a specific ingredient class, a pH-neutral requirement for natural stone, and a no-bleach rule if you have colored textiles or a septic concern.
Surface restrictions are the ones that actually protect your property. Vinegar and other acids permanently etch marble, travertine, and limestone. Engineered quartz should not meet bleach, abrasives, or high heat. Hardwood and laminate need a damp mop rather than a wet one. Luxury vinyl plank should not meet a steam mop, because heat can lift the wear layer. Any of those is worth a line in the agreement.
Storage, Access, and Chemical Safety on Site
If products or equipment stay at the property between visits, the clause should name the storage location and who has access to it. A locked utility closet is different from an open garage shelf, and it matters if you have children or pets in the home.
Storage is also a safety issue. Household cleaning products should be kept in original labeled containers, upright, away from heat, and out of reach of children and pets. Never store an acid product next to a chlorine bleach product in a way that lets a spill combine them, because bleach mixed with an acid releases chlorine gas. The same warning applies to bleach and ammonia, which produce toxic chloramine gas, and ammonia is present in many glass cleaners.
A crew that carries its own kit removes most of that risk from the property, which is one honest argument for the company-supplied model. A household that supplies everything keeps full control over ingredients, which is the honest argument for the other. Pick the trade you prefer and write it down.
Source: poison control center household chemical storage guidance
What to Ask Before You Sign
Ask who brings chemicals and who brings equipment. Ask whether a supply fee applies either way. Ask what the company does when a surface needs a product it does not carry. Ask whether the crew can use a product you provide, and whether that changes anything about responsibility for the surface.
Then ask the storage questions: where does anything live between visits, who can reach it, and is it locked. Those answers usually reveal how carefully a company thinks about a home it does not own.
Put the answers with the rest of what to get in writing before the first visit. A short supply list attached to the agreement prevents more friction than any other single page. If you are still comparing providers, the wider checklist for hiring a cleaning service covers credentials and references alongside these logistics.
Households comparing quotes across house cleaning services should note that a supply fee is not a hidden charge if it is disclosed up front. What makes a fee a problem is finding it on an invoice you never agreed to.
FAQ
Do house cleaners bring their own supplies?
It depends on the company. Many bring a full kit of products and equipment, some work with the household's supplies, and some do a mix such as bringing chemicals but using the home's vacuum. The service agreement should state which arrangement applies before the first visit.
Do cleaning services bring a vacuum?
Some do and some do not, and it is the single most common misunderstanding in a first visit. Ask directly, and if the household vacuum is used, agree in writing who maintains it and how normal wear is treated compared with actual damage.
Can I ask a cleaning company to use my products?
Usually yes, and most companies will use products a household provides on written request. Expect the company to skip a surface rather than guess if a supplied product is not suitable for it, and expect responsibility for surface outcomes to shift when you choose the chemistry.
Is there usually a fee for supplies?
Some companies build supplies into the visit price and some add a separate line item. Neither is unusual. What matters is that any supply charge is disclosed before you book, so the quote you compare against other providers reflects the same thing.
What products should I ask a cleaner to avoid?
Name anything that damages what you own. Acids such as vinegar etch marble, travertine, and limestone permanently. Bleach, abrasives, and high heat damage engineered quartz. Steam mops can lift the wear layer on luxury vinyl plank. Fragrance restrictions belong on the list too if anyone in the home is sensitive.
Where should cleaning supplies be stored between visits?
In original labeled containers, upright, in a cool dry place out of reach of children and pets, and with acids kept away from chlorine bleach products. If a crew leaves anything on site, the agreement should name the storage location and say who has access to it.
Sort the supply question before the first visit, not during it. Every home is different, so the real number depends on size, condition, and what you want covered. Get a quote and we will walk you through it.