You’ve got the window cleaning game nailed down, so now it’s time to expand a little. Listen, you might say: Expanding? Ugh, I don’t want more tools… and all that time training? Forget about it. But hear me out - most of these services need little to no extra gear. They’re designed to bump up your ticket at each stop: More value, less driving.

I say, stick to exterior cleaning, and don’t try to be a jack of all trades. When you start to diverge too much and suddenly you’re a window cleaner, painter, landscaper, koi pond installer, etc, people won’t think you’re much of an expert for any of those services. The goal is to keep it all in the same realm so it makes sense for you, your customers, and potential clients.

What are the Different Add-On Services that Work for Window Cleaners?

Window cleaning poles, ladders, and brushes are perfect to use in some various applications. The easiest services to add to your roster are Solar Panel Cleaning, Gutter Cleaning, Screen Cleaning, and hanging Holiday Lights.

The premise is that you can upsell your customers to include one or more of these additional services. You can spend less time driving between jobs, while making more. Most homeowners want to hand these jobs off to someone else, so it makes complete sense for residential window cleaners to take advantage of the opportunity of already being there. Let’s break down each service so you can pick the right ones for your business.

Solar Panel Cleaning

This is the most straightforward transition for your gear. Your water fed pole, plus your water fed purification system, equals solar panel cleaning equipment. Now, you may have to consider upgrading your system or adding a booster pump to make sure you have enough flow, but for getting started, your current system will do. 

There are specific solar panel cleaning brushes and poles, but as long as you have your InsuPole sections and proper PPE, you can start off with your standard equipment. The main thing to take into consideration is learning the proper safety procedures for working with solar panels. Also be sure to inspect them for cracks or damage prior to beginning your work. 

Solar panels need to be well-maintained to last and work at their greatest potential. Pure water helps remove any dirt and grime that builds up so that they can produce the maximum amount of energy storage. Solar panel specific brushes are usually bigger and heavier than standard window cleaning brushes. They also usually have more flow since you have such a large area to rinse. You can slowly add tools as you find you need them. As far as your equipment doing double duty, this is an awesome addition for window cleaners.

Gutter Cleaning

This is a phenomenal addition to Spring and Fall cleanings. Let’s face it, gutter cleaning is gross. The gutters always smell like sewage, they’re mucky, icky, and no one wants to deal with the hassle. The worse something is for someone, the more likely they are to want to pay someone else to deal with it. When you come in, and offer to take care of the gutters for your clients, for a minimum, of course, they will be jumping at the bit. Let them know how you scoop, bag, and remove the debris. They’d be crazy to say no.

Gutter cleaning is an easy upsell once you explain to the homeowner the potential damage that can happen when debris clogs up the gutters. When water builds up and runs over in the cold, icicles can form. All that extra weight on gutters can cause them to sag, detach, or fall off completely. Then they’ll be stuck with a big bill to fix it. In the Spring, having clean gutters ensures water all runs through the downspouts and doesn’t cause any damage to the roof or overflow in inconvenient spots, like right over the doorway. If they don’t pre-book the service when making an appointment, you can perform the upsell when you arrive at the job, or when you’re halfway through. If you happen to be up on a ladder and can see what’s happening in the gutters, take a quick picture to show them and offer to clean it up for a small additional charge. Be sure to have a set minimum so you don’t waste your time on a small job. Something like $199 to $299, depending on your area and how valuable your time is, would be a great starting point.

If you have a ladder handy already, that’s the majority of your cost to get started. There are fancy tools like the Gutter Vac if you don’t want to get on a ladder, but they are a bit of an investment and not necessary. You can start off with a Trad Pole and Gutter Gizmo or Gutter Cleaner, and you’re all set. 

Most homeowners don’t want to climb a ladder or deal with the moist mess, so this is an awesome opportunity for you to make an upsell. You’re already there, you already have the tools, just a little bit longer and you’ll both walk away happy. 

Screen Cleaning

Up next is Screen Cleaning, which is probably the most practical addition. The screens are already off so you can clean the windows, now give them a little scrubbing too. XERO offers the Screen Cleaner to make this job go a lot faster. 

Just set up the Screen Cleaner, attach a hose, and voila. Hold a screen at the corners and use a circular motion to run it through the Screen Cleaner. Rotate the screen as you work to get every corner. The brushes do most of the work for you. When you’re done, let the screens air dry and replace them in the window. Charge a few extra bucks per window and you’ll see a nice increase in that ticket. 

Pro Tip: The Screen Cleaner usually garners a lot of attention from passersby. Be sure to set it up where foot traffic and passing cars can notice it. You might just get a few leads for future jobs.

Holiday Lights

Hanging Holiday Lights can be as big or small of an undertaking as you want. Maybe you start small with simple displays and work your way up. Your waterfed pole can double as an extension pole to reach up high for hanging lights and using a handy hook on it makes it easy to maneuver the string lights. If you already have ladders, bonus!

This is a great addition to keep you busy a little past the normal window cleaning season. This add-on is less about adding to tickets you already have and more about extending your working season. Selling Holiday Lighting is easy, in my opinion, all you’re doing is selling happiness. Let clients know that you can create beautiful, custom displays so their house will look spectacular for the whole season, and all they have to do is write a check. Be sure to set yourself a minimum, like $1,000 or more, depending on your location, so you aren’t just stringing up a bush and wasting your time.

You might be wondering, how can I make this profitable if I have to buy all these lights? Here’s the thing, you don’t give the lights away with the service; you just rent them. So the first year you have a client, you might charge $1,000 for example. That’ll be the roof line, windows, and maybe a couple bushes. That first year it’s going to take some time to map out what you’re going to do, custom cut the strands, and get it all fitted. When you return to take them down, be sure to label where each strand goes, and pack that whole house’s display together. The following year, you reach out to that client, remind them how beautiful their house was last year, and sign them up again. You already have the lights, you already know where everything goes, and you still get that $1,000 again. You might even be able to talk them into adding something a little more. “Hey Mrs. Jones, if you wanted to make this year’s display even better, that front tree could really set it off”. Boom, another $250 added to the ticket.

The main thing with this is that you have to buy professional lights and equipment. Don’t think you can get away with hopping over to Walmart and getting some cheap strands. If you plan ahead, you can make your purchases in March from the pro companies and save up to 50%. Yes, you have to store these lights somewhere, but if you have a little extra space in your shop, it’s extremely worth it. If you’re looking for phenomenal profits, look into Holiday Lighting.

Choose One or Choose Them All

It’s up to you whether you want to add one or more of these services to your business. Just remember, don’t steer too far away from your core of window cleaning. Just because you can make money doesn’t mean it’s a good addition to your business. 

Each of the ones I mentioned have their place in bringing extra value to your clients. Continue to build up your offerings so you become more valuable to your customers. Now, are you ready to boost your income without re-inventing the wheel? Check out our Add-On Services Collection and see what fits your budget today. Start small, keep it smart, and stay awesome!

Meet the Author: Jersey has been an active and knowledgeable figure in the window cleaning community for almost two decades. He loves to share all his tips to help the next generation of window cleaners take their businesses to the next level.