Window cleaning round management: cycles, rain days and getting paid

A window cleaning round is a calendar puzzle. Most customers are on a four-weekly cycle, some on six or eight, a few monthly. Then it rains, someone's away, a new customer wants to start this week, and the neat cycle you planned in January is a mess by March. This guide covers how to keep a round organised, and how to make sure you're paid for every clean.

Choosing cycles

The cycle is how often each customer is cleaned. The common options:

Cycle	Typical customers	Notes
Every 4 weeks	Most domestic customers	13 cleans a year, the most common cycle for domestic rounds
Every 6 weeks	Price-conscious customers	Fewer cleans, so consider a slightly higher price per clean
Every 8 weeks	Occasional customers, larger homes	Windows get dirtier, so each clean takes longer
Weekly / fortnightly	Shops and commercial fronts	Often ground floor only

Note the difference between "every 4 weeks" and "monthly". Four-weekly is 13 cleans a year and stays on the same weekday. Monthly is 12 and drifts across weekdays. Most round owners use weeks because it keeps streets together on the same day.

Build the round by area, then by week

The efficient way to build a four-weekly round is to split your patch into four (or however many weeks your cycle has) and each of those into working days. Week 1 Monday is one estate, Week 1 Tuesday the next, and so on. Customers on the same street end up on the same day, so you're walking, not driving, between most cleans.

When a new customer signs up, put them on the day you're already in their street, even if that means their first clean is a week or two away. It's tempting to squeeze them in tomorrow, but every out-of-area clean adds driving to your round forever.

Eight-weekly customers fit on the same day as the four-weekly ones in their street, just every other visit.

Rain days and moving cleans

Every round loses days to weather. How you move cleans decides whether your round stays tidy:

1. Move the whole day, not individual cleans. If Tuesday is rained off, do Tuesday's round on Wednesday and push Wednesday on. It keeps streets together.
2. Count the next clean from when you actually cleaned. If Tuesday's customers are done on Wednesday, their next clean is four weeks after that Wednesday. Otherwise customers get cleaned three weeks apart, then five.
3. Build in slack. Many round owners leave one day a week lighter, or Friday as a catch-up day, to absorb the weather.
4. Tell customers when it matters. Most don't mind a clean a day or two late. Anyone who leaves a gate unlocked or pays on the day will want to know.

Planning the day

For each working day, you want a list of who's due, in a sensible order, with notes: gate codes, dogs, "back only", "don't do the conservatory". Order it so you finish near where you started, or near the next day's area. On a tight estate you'll know the order by heart. On a rural or spread-out round, a route tool helps. Try the free route planner, and see our route planning guide.

Recording each clean

For every customer on every visit, record one of:

• Done, with anything taken in cash.
• Skipped, with a reason: away, gate locked, asked to skip.
• Couldn't do: access, weather, ladder couldn't reach.

It sounds like admin, but it's what lets you answer "when were you last here?" and "did I pay for that one?" in seconds. A quick photo after a clean, particularly on the back or upper windows, also settles "you didn't do the back" before it becomes an argument.

Getting paid after each clean

The traditional "knock on the door the evening after" collection round is time you're not paid for. Options for getting paid with less chasing:

• A bill after each clean, by email, with a card payment link. Most people pay the same day if it's one tap.
• Direct Debit per clean. Customers authorise it once and you collect after each clean. Very low effort for both of you once it's set up.
• Bank transfer with a clear reference. Works, but expect to chase more.
• Cash on the day, if the customer's in or leaves it out. Record it immediately.

Whatever you choose, keep an up-to-date list of who owes what. Chasing three cleans at once is much harder than chasing one. Our getting paid on time guide compares the payment methods in more detail.

Pricing the round

Price per clean depends on the property, the access and your area. Rather than guessing, work out your hourly target and how many cleans you do in a typical day, then sanity-check prices against it. The round pricing calculator helps you see what a round is worth per day and per year, and our pricing guide covers minimum charges and price rises.

Adding new customers

When a new customer signs up, record everything you'll need on every future visit, not just the address:

• What's included: front only, front and back, conservatory, frames and sills, skylights.
• The agreed price per clean and the cycle.
• Access: side gate, code, dogs, where the hose tap is if you use one.
• How they'll pay, and their email or phone number for bills.

The first clean of a long-neglected property usually takes longer than a maintenance clean. Many cleaners charge more for the first visit, which is fair and worth saying up front. Then put the customer on the day you're already in their street.

When you win a whole street from a leaflet drop or a neighbour's recommendation, that's the best kind of growth: more cleans with almost no extra travel.

Keeping customers

A round is valuable because customers stay. The things that keep them are boring and reliable: turning up on the expected day, doing the job properly, telling them when you can't come, and making paying easy. Customers mostly leave because of unreliability, not price.

RoundSorted handles 4, 6 or 8 weekly cycles that count from the actual clean, the day's round in driving order, records of each clean with photos and cash, and a bill after each clean that customers can pay by card online (Solo and Team) or by bank transfer. See RoundSorted for window cleaners.