Money Making Idea #16- Professional Window Washer

Anytime you need to make extra money quickly, there are literally hundreds of ways you can do it.  I’ve written about quite a few of those ways over the years.  You can find a complete list of those here.

Making extra money doesn’t necessarily have to entail applying for a second job with an established company and working the hours they want you to work in a traditional job.

Why Side Gigs are Awesome

I believe the best money making idea is one where you start a side gig on your own.  Those are the kinds of jobs I like to focus on when writing this series of articles.  I believe starting your own side gig is best because:

• It’s Flexible- You can set your own hours and work when you want.
• You Have Freedom- as a freelancer working in your own side gig, you don’t have a boss breathing down your neck telling you what to do.
• Your Success is Up to You- You don’t have to rely on the performance of others.
• You Can Do What You Like- You can find a side gig that interests you and plays to your strengths.

Anyway, today’s money making idea is one that takes very little investment.  Best of all, you can start making money today if you like!

Make Money Washing Windows

Becoming a professional window washer is probably the easiest money making idea I’ve come across yet.  Once you decide this is how you want to make extra money, you can literally buy what you need and be making money within a couple of hours!

All you need are just a few basic items to get started:

• A Bucket
• Dishwashing Detergent
• Ammonia or Window Cleaning Solution
• A Large Squeegee
• A Small Squegee
• Clean Rags, Towels and Sponges
• Razor Blades to scrape off any difficult residue

Once you get your supplies together, it’s as easy as walking into businesses in your local area and asking the person in charge if they need their windows washed.

How Much Should You Charge?

The best way to approach each job is to charge by the window or by the job.  If you charge by the hour, you will generally end up making less money.

For the average gas station or strip mall store, you could charge $18-20 per window, each window taking 10-12 minutes to clean.  You can charge less for smaller windows and more for larger or more difficult to reach windows.

Where to Start Washing Windows

Washing windows generally works best in a large strip mall with lots of stores.  The reasoning behind this is that when you land one client, others are more likely to follow.  Once you wash the windows for one business in a strip mall, others will see you doing it.  The social proof of seeing you clean the windows of one business will make it easier for you to approach the businesses nearby and convince them to hire you as well.

Make Money on a Recurring Basis

Of course, washing windows doesn’t have to be a one time thing.  You can set up an agreement with each business to wash their windows monthly, biweekly, or whatever time span they will agree to.

You could also focus on residential window cleaning, but in my opinion that would probably be a tougher market to crack

The Story Behind This Money Making Idea

I got this money making idea from Dan Miller of the 48 Days to the Work You Love website and podcast.  He occasionally tells the story of one of his clients who needed to make money quickly.  Her husband had suddenly walked out on her and their 4 children, leaving the family in a serious financial lurch.

She didn’t have a lot of marketable skills, so they had to get creative to find a way to start making money as soon as possible.  They decided that window washing was her best bet to generate extra income in a short amount of time.

She Got Hired On the Spot!

She took her oldest child with her and began canvassing businesses on one of the main streets here in Nashville.  This woman would bid the job in advance, and found that many businesses were willing to hire her services on the spot.

Dan’s client ended up making upwards of $50-$60 per hour simply by bidding on a per window or per job basis.  She was able to feed her kids and keep the bills paid while she adjusted to her new life and searched for a more steady, professional type of job.

Make Extra Money for Whatever You Need

Of course, you can use this money making idea to pay off debt, invest, overcome a short term financial hurdle, for a vacation, or anything else where making extra money with a side hustle might come in handy.  Another good point is that this money making idea is scalable.  You can do window washing as a full time business and have your own crews of window washers working all over town!   There is even a professional window washer’s association you can join if you decide to make it into a full time business.

Got a money making idea you’d like to see on CFF?  Leave a comment and tell me about it.  I’m always looking for good money making ideas to write about!

Find all my Money Making Ideas Here!