You are reading: Outsourcing vs Owning: Cleaning Equipment Cost Breakdown (5-Year View)

20 August 2025

9min read time

Brooke Payne

Outsourcing vs Owning: Cleaning Equipment Cost Breakdown (5-Year View)

Key Insights

Outsourcing floor cleaning costs around $55–60k over 5 years for a 400 m² space cleaned five times per week.
Owning an i-mop XL costs about $23k over 5 years, including the machine, labour, chemicals, and maintenance.
The biggest difference is labour time — with the i-mop XL, each clean takes 15 minutes instead of an hour, cutting labour costs by around 75%.

Keeping floors clean is a non-negotiable in any commercial space. But when it comes to how you do it, there are two main paths: outsourcing floor cleaning to a contractor, or buying your own floor scrubber and handling it in-house.

Both approaches can deliver spotless floors, but the costs and responsibilities look very different over time. Let’s take a 5-year view, focusing only on floor cleaning, to see which model may suit your business best.

Outsourcing Floor Cleaning

Outsourcing means hiring a commercial cleaning company. They provide the labour, equipment, and chemicals. You simply pay their fee.

For floor cleaning, contractors usually charge either by the square metre or by the hour.

Based on industry averages:

A 400 m² space typically costs around $55 per clean.
At 5 cleans per week, that’s about $11–12k per year.
Over 5 years, the total sits between $55–60k.

That figure covers everything: labour, equipment, chemicals, and the convenience of not having to manage cleaning staff. The trade-off? You’re paying higher ongoing costs, and at the end of the contract, you don’t own any equipment.

Owning the i-mop XL (Starter Pack $9,128)

Owning your own equipment flips the model: you pay more upfront but much less each year afterwards.

Here’s how it works for the i-mop XL when used only for floor cleaning in the same 400 m² space:

- Year 1:

i-mop XL Starter Pack: $9,128 (one-off)
Labour: Because the i-mop cleans 400 m² in approx. 15 minutes instead of an hour, labour drops to about $1,950 per year
Chemicals: Efficient use cuts this to about $600 per year.
Year 1 total: $11.7k* Approximate

- Years 2–5:

Ongoing labour: $1,950/year
Chemicals: $600/year
Maintenance allowance: $300/year
Annual cost: ~$2.8k

👉 5-year total for owning i-mop XL: around $23k.

At the end of 5 years, you still own the machine — a usable asset with life left in it.

Side-by-Side Comparison (Floor Cleaning Only)


Option	Year 1 Cost	Years 2–5 (annual)	5-Year Total
Outsourcing	$11–12k	$11–12k	$55–60k
Owning i-mop XL	$11.7k (includes machine)	$2.8k	$23k

A Simple Way to Think About It

Outsourcing: Like leasing a car. You pay more every year, but you don’t own anything at the end.

Owning an i-mop XL: Like buying a car. Higher upfront, but your ongoing costs are far lower, and you keep the asset.

The key difference? Labour hours.

Outsourcing includes paying for a cleaner’s full hour each time. With the i-mop, that same job takes just 15 minutes — slashing labour costs by around 75%. Over years of regular floor cleaning, this saving adds up fast.

Which Model Is Right for You?

Outsourcing makes sense if: you want convenience, minimal management, and are comfortable with higher ongoing costs. It’s hands-off — no staff, no equipment to maintain.

Owning an i-mop XL makes sense if: you have regular floor cleaning needs and want to reduce costs long term. The upfront purchase pays for itself within the first 1–2 years, and by year 5 you’ll have spent less than half of the outsourcing cost.

Case in Point: Coupland’s Bakeries (NZ)

When Coupland’s rolled out i-mops across 25 bakeries, they saw a step-change:

Before: Three staff needed 30 minutes to mop.

After: One staff member, same time, using an i-mop.

That’s a 200% labour efficiency gain, plus safer, instantly dry floors. Their decision wasn’t just financial — it delivered consistency and happier staff too.

Final Word

If you clean large floor areas regularly, owning an i-mop XL is usually the more cost-effective option over five years. Outsourcing can still be right for those who value simplicity above all else, but the numbers show just how powerful labour savings are when you invest in efficient floor cleaning equipment.

In the end, both paths keep your floors spotless — it’s about choosing whether you want to pay more for convenience, or invest once and save for years to come.