Window Washing Tips

Over the years I've held several interesting jobs. One of those was working in window cleaning. I was a bartender while I attended college and I tended bar during my summer breaks as well. The bartending job left my days free, which I liked, but I wanted to make a little extra money fast without getting a traditional job that would interfere with my bartending schedule. I chose window cleaning.

I visited some of the shops in the small town I was living in at the time and I was surprised that three businesses took to the idea of my washing windows for them right away. I set a loose schedule that worked around my bartending hours but still left a lot of free time for me as well.

The beautiful thing about window washing is that it is quick; it is easy and window washing supplies are very cheap. I quickly discovered that the most valuable of the window washing supplies is the squeegee. This tool is wonderful for window cleaning because it leaves virtually no streaks and it leaves no dust or residue. I did use a paper towel, but only for touch-ups.

The other window cleaning supplies included water, soap and a very cheap glass cleaner. I found that I rarely needed to use the glass cleaner if I was doing the window washing properly. The window cleaning supplies cost about ten dollars and the investment paid off in about ten minutes.

Most of the stores that I did window washing for had only two or three relatively large windows and a door. The glass on the doors was a little more challenging because people frequently touched the glass. When I started my window washing adventure, I started with washing the door first, but I quickly learned that this was simply a bad idea. By the time I was finished with my window washing, the door had prints and some marks. I made sure to complete each window washing job by shining the glass on the door.

Back when I was in college, fifteen dollars went much further than it does today and each window washing job averaged about fifteen dollars. I charged five dollars per window and five dollars for each door as well. I also shined the hardware on the doors and windows too when I washed windows. The store owners liked the little extra touch and it was almost effortless for me to do.

Sometimes I actually miss window washing. There is a great feeling of accomplishment in seeing the perfectly clear glass. One of the store owners said that I made the glass disappear after one of my window washing treatments. Now all of my window washing is done in my home. Occasionally, I step back and admire my efforts and think back on the distant window washing days.