Mercury, Brex, Relay: Best Bank Accounts for Cleaning Businesses (Residential & Commercial)

The Quick Answer

For most cleaning business owners, Mercury is the go-to choice. It offers a clean, easy-to-use account with no fees, perfect for tracking client payments and basic expenses like cleaning supplies or gas for your work vehicle. Relay is a strong contender if you manage multiple cleaning crews, handle separate finances for residential versus commercial contracts, or need detailed controls for staff buying supplies. Brex Cash works best if you already use a Brex corporate card for larger purchases, like a new commercial-grade vacuum or bulk janitorial supplies, and want all your spending in one place.

Side-by-Side Breakdown

**Mercury:** This account comes with no monthly fees and no minimum balance, which is a huge plus for cleaning businesses, especially when cash flow can fluctuate. Your money is FDIC insured up to $5M through partner banks, keeping your earnings safe. Mercury supports common transactions like ACH transfers for paying staff or vendors, wire transfers for large equipment purchases, and checks for traditional suppliers. It's a straightforward option for managing daily operations, like receiving payments from clients for residential cleans or paying your team for a big commercial job.

**Relay:** Relay also offers no monthly fees (Relay Pro adds features for $30/month). The big draw here is the ability to create up to 20 checking accounts and 50 debit cards for your business. Imagine setting up separate accounts for 'Payroll,' 'Cleaning Supplies,' 'Vehicle Maintenance,' or even 'Residential Client Payments' versus 'Commercial Contracts.' This makes it easy to see exactly where your money is going and coming from. You can also give different cleaning crew managers their own debit cards with specific spending limits, useful for buying last-minute supplies for a job without giving them access to your main funds.

**Brex Cash:** This account is free, but you must also use a Brex corporate credit card. It offers FDIC insurance up to $6M and can provide a decent yield on your operating cash. The main benefit is having your bank account and corporate card spending all in one dashboard. This is useful if you use the Brex card for all your cleaning business expenses—like large recurring orders of cleaning chemicals, gas for a fleet of vans, or paying for software subscriptions—and want a single platform to track everything. It's not available as a separate bank account if you don't use their card.

When to Choose Mercury

Choose Mercury if you're a new cleaning business, a solo residential cleaner, or an LLC with a small team. It's perfect if you need a simple, no-fee bank account that works from day one. This makes it easy to track direct deposits from clients, pay for your weekly cleaning supplies (like floor cleaner, rags, or vacuum bags), and manage basic payroll for your few employees or contractors. Its straightforward setup means you can often get approved and start banking within 24-48 hours, letting you focus on booking your next deep clean or commercial contract without fuss.

When to Choose Relay

Choose Relay if your cleaning business has multiple crews, handles a mix of residential and commercial jobs, or offers specialized services like Airbnb turnovers. Its strength is in letting you create separate checking accounts for different purposes. You can have one account for 'Staff Payroll,' another for 'Cleaning Chemicals & Supplies,' and even separate ones for 'Residential Client Income' versus 'Commercial Client Income.' This helps you clearly see the profitability of each part of your business. If you have team leads who need to buy specific supplies for a job or pay for gas, Relay's permission controls and multiple debit cards let you manage their spending carefully, without giving full access to your main funds.

When to Choose Brex Cash

Choose Brex Cash if your cleaning company is already using a Brex corporate card. This often applies to larger commercial cleaning operations that have significant recurring expenses, like large bulk orders of cleaning solutions, uniforms for many employees, or fuel for a fleet of company vehicles. If you use the Brex card for these types of purchases, the Brex Cash account lets you manage all your spending, reimbursements, and cash balances from a single dashboard. It offers a yield on your operating balance, meaning your cash grows a bit while it sits there, which can be a nice perk if you maintain a large operational fund.

The Verdict

For most cleaning business owners, especially those just starting or with small teams, begin with Mercury. It's simple, has no hidden fees, and makes basic financial management easy for client payments and supply costs. If your cleaning business grows to multiple crews, offers different services (like residential, Airbnb, and commercial), or you need better ways to track specific expenses per job or team, then consider upgrading to Relay for its multiple account and team control features. Only add Brex Cash if you are already using a Brex corporate card for your significant cleaning business expenses and want a unified platform.

How to Get Started

**Mercury:** To get started, apply at mercury.com. You'll need your cleaning business's EIN (Employer Identification Number), your business formation documents (like LLC articles of organization), and a personal ID. The approval process is usually quick, from the same day up to 48 hours, so you can start managing your cleaning business finances fast.

**Relay:** Apply directly at relayfi.com. Before you open your account, take some time to plan out your cleaning business's finances. Think about how many separate accounts you might want—for example, one for residential cleaning income, one for commercial, one for payroll, and another for cleaning supplies. Deciding this upfront will save you time later and help you stay organized from the start.

**Brex Cash:** You can't open a Brex Cash account by itself. You'll need to apply for the Brex corporate credit card first. The bank account option will be part of that application process. Keep in mind that this is usually for cleaning businesses with more established credit and larger operational needs for a corporate card.

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