Start a Window Blind Cleaning Service

1. 1

   Choose your cleaning method

   There are two ways in. Hand cleaning with tools, brushes, and solutions costs little and works for on-site jobs, but it is slow. An ultrasonic cleaning tank, where blinds are dipped and sound waves lift dirt from every slat and cord, cleans faster and more thoroughly and is the professional standard, but it is a larger upfront cost. Many operators start by hand and add a tank as demand grows, or buy a used tank to start on the ultrasonic model directly.

2. 2

   Learn to handle different blind types

   Blinds and shades vary: aluminum and faux-wood horizontals, real wood (which cannot soak like the others), vinyl, verticals, cellular and honeycomb shades, and delicate fabrics. Know which can be submerged, which must be cleaned dry or by hand, and how to take blinds down and rehang them without damage. Ruining a customer's expensive wood or fabric shades is the main risk, so learn the material rules before charging.

3. 3

   Set up for on-site or drop-off work

   You can clean on-site at homes and offices, or run a drop-off and pickup model where blinds are cleaned at your tank and returned same-day or next-day. On-site suits the hand method and small jobs; the tank model often uses a van so you can dip and dry blinds on location or take them back to your shop. Either way keep it simple: this trade's appeal is very low overhead.

4. 4

   Price per blind or per job

   Charge per blind or per linear foot, with the ultrasonic tank commanding a premium for the deeper clean, or price whole-home and whole-office jobs after a count. Material cost is nearly nothing, so the money is your time and the convenience you provide. Offer recurring service (annual or semiannual) because blinds re-dust, and bundle with window cleaning where it fits to raise the ticket.

5. 5

   Sell to people who hate doing it

   Your customers are homeowners who dread the chore, offices and medical and dental practices with lots of blinds, hotels, realtors and stagers prepping listings, and property managers turning units between tenants. Cleaning companies that do not offer blind cleaning are ideal partners, not competitors: take their overflow. Market the time saved and the results, and photograph a filthy-to-spotless blind, because that image sells the service instantly.

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