The Money You’re Leaving on the Road: Business Mileage Tips for House Cleaners
- Nov 7, 2025
- 9 min read
Welcome, My Bonafide Peeps!
“💰 Track Your Money Like a Boss – Part 2 of 5” ~ Click here for Part 1
“If you’re driving from job to job every day — cleaning houses, buying supplies, giving estimates — you could be losing hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars without even realizing it. Let’s fix that.”
Today we’re diving into something quick but super important — tracking your business mileage.
This is one of those things that a lot of small business owners overlook… but trust me, it can save you a ton of money when tax season rolls around.
If you run a service-based business like:
🧹 House cleaning
🪟 Carpet or window cleaning
🔧 Plumbing
🔥 Chimney sweeping
🌿 Gardening or landscaping
🧺 Appliance repair
…then you need to track your mileage every single day you drive for work.
And with gas prices (especially here in California! 😅), this little habit makes a big difference when it’s time to file your taxes.
🚗 Why Tracking Your Mileage Matters
💸 Tax Savings – When you track your business miles, you may deduct each eligible mile at the official rate. For 2025, the standard mileage rate is $0.70 per mile.
📉 Lower Your Tax Bill – Mileage deductions reduce your taxable income, which means you’ll owe less in both income tax and self-employment tax.
🛡️ Be Audit-Ready – The IRS requires solid records. A good mileage log is your proof and your protection.
💰 Stop Leaving Money on the Table – Mileage is a real expense. If you’re not tracking it, you’re literally throwing money away.
🧭 Know Your Driving Habits –Tracking also shows you how much you drive for work, which can help with route planning, fuel efficiency, and even knowing when it’s time for a new vehicle.
📝 Tracking Mileage = Money Saved!
You can use a mileage-tracking app (super convenient).
But if you prefer pen & paper, I’ve got you covered too.
👉 For example: in my “Profit Tracker Pro: Daily Business Planner”, I built in a simple space to record mileage every day — easy, organized, and tax-ready.
Two solid ways to track it:
📱 Use your phone’s GPS (Apple Maps or Google Maps) to measure distance.
🚘 Use your car’s odometer reading (my personal favorite for accuracy).
🚗 What Counts as Business Mileage (With Real-Life Example for Cleaners)
Let’s talk about what really counts as business mileage — because this is where most small business owners miss out on easy tax savings!
If you’re a house cleaner, service provider, or small business owner, any driving that’s directly related to running your business can be logged as business mileage.
That includes:
🚙 Driving to and from client homes or job sites
💬 Traveling to give estimates or consultations
🏦 Going to the bank for business deposits
🧽 Picking up supplies from stores or warehouses
🤝 Attending meetings, networking events, or training sessions
If the purpose of your trip is 100% business-related, those miles count — and they can add up fast!
🛻 Example: If You Use the Same Car for Both Personal and Business Use
If you use one vehicle for both personal and business driving, tracking your mileage daily is key. This simple habit keeps you organized and helps you stay tax-ready all year.
Here’s how I do it:
Let’s say on January 20th, 2025, my workday looks like this:
💡 Side note: I like to schedule my estimates after my cleaning jobs. That way, my workday flows smoothly, and I spend less time driving between locations.
🧾 Tracking the Day’s Mileage
Here’s what that day looks like using odometer readings:
I leave Yoli’s house to go clean Andrew’s.
Starting odometer: 142,111 miles
I arrive at Andrew’s house.
Odometer: 142,121 miles (10 miles away from Yoli — not bad!)
After finishing Andrew’s job and heading to give Bob an estimate, my odometer reads: 142,136 miles
Now let’s calculate my total business mileage for the day: 142,136 (end of day) − 142,111 (starting at Yoli’s) = 25 miles
✅ That’s 25 business miles I can record for the day in my planner.
🧠 Why This Matters
Notice how I recorded the odometer reading at each major stop? Even though the reading at Andrew’s house wasn’t necessary for the total calculation, it still helps me:
See how far apart my clients are
Plan more efficient cleaning routes
Avoid driving over 30 minutes between jobs
Save both time and money every week
Remember: time is money, and money is time!
Now that I know my total mileage between Yoli, Andrew, and Bob is 25 miles, I can create a repeatable Monday routine. Every other Monday, I clean those same homes, drive the same route, and confidently log 25 business miles in my planner for that day.
🗓️ Building Smart Routines = Easier Recordkeeping
Once you start creating consistent cleaning schedules and tracking your daily mileage, it becomes second nature.
Keeping accurate mileage records not only helps you save money on taxes but also makes you think like a business owner — organized, strategic, and ready to grow.
💭 So, what do you think? Could you see yourself running your own cleaning business or becoming self-employed? You absolutely can — and it starts with simple habits like this one.
🚙 When the Car Is Used Only for Business
If your vehicle is dedicated 100% to your service business, you can treat all driving as business mileage — because there’s no personal use involved.
That means: If your car is used only for your cleaning business — good news! Every mile counts — even from home to your first job.
🚗 Driving from home to your first job does count
🧴 Going to pick up supplies, do estimates, or visit clients all count
📅 You can track all miles driven during the year as business use
However, it’s important to prove that the car is used solely for business. The IRS may ask for evidence such as:
A clear log showing that the car isn’t used for personal errands
Having a separate vehicle for personal use
Keeping the business car branded, insured, or titled under your business name
If you occasionally use it for personal errands, even short ones, you’ll need to separate those personal miles from your business log.
🚘 So, if You Use a Car Only for Your Cleaning Business:
On the first day you start using the car strictly for business, record the odometer reading.
Example:
January 20th – your odometer reads 142,111 miles
Since the car is only for work, you don’t need to track daily mileage
Instead, just record the final odometer reading on December 31st
Here’s how to calculate your total yearly mileage:
December 31st odometer reading: 171,204
January 20th odometer reading: 142,111 ➡️ Total business mileage: 171,204 − 142,111 = 29,093 miles driven for business in the year
🛒 How I Make Mileage & Receipt Tracking Super Easy
To keep things simple and organized, I schedule all my cleaning supply shopping for the first Saturday of every month. Doing it this way helps me in two big ways:
Mileage Proof – Every trip to the store is clearly for business use, which means I can safely record those miles in my log or planner. Every single mile adds up — and every mile counts at tax time!
Receipt Organization – I keep all my product receipts from those trips together and stored safely. Those receipts are just as valuable as your mileage records because they help you prove your business expenses and claim your tax deductions.
💡 Pro Tip: Pick one consistent shopping day each month and stick to it. It makes your recordkeeping easy, your planner neat, and your tax prep stress-free.
⚖️ Choosing How to Deduct
You generally have two methods approved by the IRS:
Standard Mileage Rate – Multiply your business miles by the IRS rate (for 2025 it’s $0.70 per business mile).
Actual Expense Method – Deduct the percentage of total vehicle costs (gas, maintenance, insurance, depreciation, etc.) based on how much you use the vehicle for business.
If your car is used only for business, then 100% of those expenses may be deductible under the actual expense method — which can be especially beneficial if you have high costs.
🏠 What Doesn’t Count as Business Mileage
Commuting from home to your first job of the day — and from your last job back home — doesn’t count as business mileage. The IRS considers that personal commuting.
You also can’t count personal errands, even if they happen on the same trip as a business stop. If you combine business and personal errands, only the business portion of the trip should be logged.
📝 Tips for Accurate Mileage Tracking
Keep a mileage log or use an app to record each trip. Include:
📅 The date
📍 The starting and ending location
🎯 The purpose of the trip
🚘 The total miles driven
Final Though
Consistent, detailed records help you stay compliant and maximize your deductions at tax time.
👉This simple, small habit helps me stay organized, makes tax time so much easier—and keeps more money in your pocket.
🎯 So remember: Tracking your mileage = saving money!
👉 Don’t forget — staying organized and being intentional with your business finances is how you grow smart, not stressed. If you want to keep more money in your pocket and feel confident running your cleaning business, these are the habits that make it happen.
👉 And if you want a simple way to track everything — your mileage, your receipts, your income, and your schedule — grab your Profit Tracker Pro Planner. It was designed to help service providers like you stay organized, profitable, and in control.
We’re building this business life together — one smart habit at a time.
Alright Bonafide Fam, this space is all about learning and growing together. At the end of my videos and blogs, I always love to wrap things up with a quick Q&A section — because sometimes seeing the answers laid out makes everything click even more. My goal is to help you understand clearly, relate it to your business, and take confident action as you build and grow your service business.
If something in this topic sparked a question, drop it in the comments — I do read them! And who knows… your question might be the exact one someone else needed, too. We grow better together. 💛✨
❓ FAQ
1️⃣ How do I track business mileage for taxes?
A. Use a mileage app, your phone’s GPS, or write down your car’s odometer readings in a log every business day. Accuracy and consistency matter.
2️⃣ How much can I deduct per mile in 2025?
A. For 2025, the standard mileage rate is $0.70 per business mile.
3️⃣ Do I still need to track mileage if I use my car only for business?
A. Yes—but tracking is simpler. Record the odometer reading at the start of business use and again at year-end (or when you stop using the car for business).
4️⃣ What counts as business mileage?
A. Any driving directly related to your business: to jobs, estimates, the bank, supply stores, or client meetings. Commuting from home to your first job usually doesn’t count unless the car is business-only.
5️⃣ Can I track mileage on paper instead of using an app?
A. Yes! A written log is completely valid for tax purposes. Many small business owners use planners or notebooks.
6️⃣ Why is mileage tracking important for small business owners?
A. Because mileage is a deductible expense that reduces taxable income — without tracking, you risk losing hundreds or even thousands of dollars in tax savings.
7️⃣ How can I stay consistent with mileage and receipt tracking?
A. Consistency comes from creating simple routines you can stick to. Try setting a “record and review” time each evening or weekend to jot down your miles and total receipts. If you use a planner like the Profit Tracker Pro, just fill in your mileage box daily — it takes under a minute and saves you hours at tax time.
8️⃣ What’s the best way to organize receipts for a cleaning business?
A. Keep it simple and intentional:
Use monthly envelopes or folders labeled by month (“January Receipts,” “February Receipts,” etc.)
Store them digitally — snap a photo and save it to a “Business Receipts” folder on Google Drive or Dropbox
Always note the purpose on the receipt (e.g., “cleaning supplies,” “marketing,” “uniforms”) This helps you stay audit-ready and stress-free during tax season.
9️⃣ Should I track business mileage even if I’m not making much money yet?
A. Yes, absolutely. Even if your business is just starting out, tracking your mileage helps you understand your true costs and profits. Those early miles count for tax deductions, and you’ll build good habits that scale as your income grows.
🔟 How can a daily business planner help me stay tax-ready all year?
A. A daily business planner keeps everything — mileage, receipts, appointments, and income — in one
easy place. Instead of scrambling at tax time, you’ll already have every number you need. Planners like Profit Tracker Pro are designed specifically for house cleaners and service businesses, so you can track real-life details like odometer readings, client jobs, and supply runs all in one spot.
Comments