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This week, let’s talk about a side hustle that’s quite underrated but has some serious earning potential—window washing. I know it doesn’t sound glamorous, but hear me out. This is one of those side hustles that checks all the boxes you look for:

• Low start-up costs

• Stable demand

• Flexible schedule

• Real money-making opportunities

Whether you’re looking to build some cash, pay off debt, or level up your financial game, window washing might just be your golden ticket to get started. Let’s break it down.

The Opportunity

1. Low barrier of entry: You don’t need years of experience, a huge team of employees, or a boatload of money to get started. This is a side hustle you can start by yourself with some simple tools and scale up as you go.

2. Stable Demand: Everybody wants clean windows. What use is a window if you can’t see through the grime to enjoy the view? Homeowners want their houses to sparkle, and businesses can’t afford to look dirty if they want to keep customers coming through the door. The best part? Most people hate doing it themselves, which means they’re more than happy to pay someone like you to handle it. On top of that, it’s a recurring service with plenty of opportunities to earn repeat customers if you do a good job.

3. Flexibility: The beauty of this side hustle is that it works around your schedule. Got weekends free? Cool, go for it then. Want to knock out a few evenings a week? No problem. This is one of those side gigs that fits your lifestyle, not the other way around.

4. Money-making potential: I’m talking about serious bang for your buck here. The costs to start are super low, and most of what you earn goes straight into your pocket. A typical residential job can bring in $100 to $300, depending on the size of the house and number of windows. Land a commercial contract, and you’re looking at even bigger paydays. Plus, repeat clients mean steady cash flow.

The Starting Line

Pick up your squeegee and bucket, here’s how to get started:

Step 1: Research Your Market

First things first, do your homework. Scope out your local area to see where the opportunities are. Are there neighborhoods with lots of homeowners? Business districts with storefronts? Check out the competition, too. What are they charging? What kind of services are they offering? Starting from scratch, this intel will help you carve out your own lane.

Step 2: Gather Your Tools

You don’t need to go crazy buying expensive gear right away. Start with the basics:

• Squeegees: Get a couple of good-quality ones in different sizes.

• Buckets: A solid bucket for your cleaning solution is a must.

• Scrubbers: These will help you break up all the dirt and grime.

• Extension Poles: Perfect for those hard-to-reach spots.

• Cleaning Solution: You can either buy a commercial-grade product or DIY it with ingredients like vinegar and dish soap.

• Microfiber Cloths: These are clutch for polishing without streaks.

• Ladders (Optional): If you’re tackling taller buildings or multi-story homes.

Once you start making money, you can reinvest in better gear, like water-fed poles or even a pressure washer.

Step 3: Develop Your Skills

Let’s be honest: Nobody wants streaky windows and they especially don’t want to pay for a half-baked job. Take some time to practice your technique. Start with your own windows or offer to clean a few for friends and family. Watch YouTube tutorials, soak up tips, and get confident in your skills before you start charging clients. Once you get the hang of it, be sure to take before and after pictures for your future marketing efforts.

Step 4: Register Your Business

Check your local laws to see if you need to register your business or get a license. Also, do yourself a favor and get liability insurance since you’re dealing other people’s most expensive possession, their homes! I’ve used nextinsurance.com to quickly and easily get a policy online. It’s not expensive, and it’ll protect you if anything goes sideways. Don’t skip this step—it’s about hustling smart.

Step 5: Market Your Services

Here’s where you’ll make or break your plan. The good news is that you don’t need a big budget to get the word out, but it’s going to take work. Start with these:

• Word of Mouth: Let friends, family, and neighbors know what you’re up to. Referrals are gold for a brand-new business.

• Social Media: Post before-and-after photos on Facebook and Instagram. Better yet, make videos showing off your work and the process itself. It’s free advertising!

• Flyers, Door Hangers, and Business Cards: Old-school but effective. Spend some time walking a target area and putting door hangers out. Drop flyers off at local businesses or post them on community boards.

• Online Listings: Get on Facebook Marketplace, Google My Business, Yelp, or TaskRabbit. People can’t hire you if they can’t find you.

• Go Door Knocking: Look, I know this one is scary and not for everyone, but for the real go-getter out there, it’s your best shot at picking up a new client right away. Put together a pitch, practice so you’re comfortable, and get ready to fail over and over again. It may hurt at first, but you’re no quitter, eventually, you’ll get better, you’ll figure out what works, and you’ll start picking up new customers left and right.

Step 6: Build Relationships

Happy customers are loyal customers. Show up on time, be professional, and do a killer job. Follow up to make sure they’re happy, and don’t be shy about asking for reviews or referrals. Treat every customer like they’re your best customer, and you’ll build a rock-solid reputation. As time goes on, many will become repeat customers and that business flywheel will start spinning!

Step 7: Scale Your Business

Once you’ve got a good thing going, think about how you can take things to the next level. Maybe you hire an extra set of hands or invest in more advanced tools to handle bigger jobs. You can even expand your services to include things like gutter cleaning or pressure washing, perhaps earning more revenue per client going forward. Scaling means more income without burning yourself out.

KISS: Keep it simple, stupid

If there were ever one side hustle that follows the KISS principle, I think window washing might be the one. Water, soap, cash…that’s it!

Ok, maybe there’s a bit more to it than that, but it can’t be that hard, right?

Off the bat, there’s a lot to love about this idea. If you’re a beginner, I’m always a fan of low-barrier of entry side hustles. It allows you to get your feet wet and build up from there, all while keeping it low risk. Pair that low startup cost with high flexibility and I think you have a recipe to start something great with lots of potential.

If I were to try window washing, I’d buy all my starting tools off Facebook Marketplace. I’m confident you can pick up what you need for next to nothing. From there, I’d order door hangers and door hangers only if I’m on a tight budget, maybe even a branded t-shirt and hat if I’m feeling crazy! Then it’s time to hit the streets.

I think the best combo for something like this would be door-knocking to give your pitch, followed by a door hanger if they don’t answer. Window washing is a service that people are genuinely willing to pay for. That said, I also think it’s a service of convenience and not necessity. It’s not front of mind like an uncut yard would be after a few months (or weeks even). People likely aren’t planning their quarterly window washing for their homes, maybe I’m wrong, but I certainly don’t. You have to be the catalyst to make the sale when starting.

If you catch someone at the right time on a door knock, or they find your door hanger after just gazing through their smudgy living room window, you just might land a customer on the spot. If you do a good job and you’re skilled at selling, you can probably set up a future cleaning before departing the first! This changes the convenient service to a scheduled service.

Window washing offers high-profit potential, low start-up costs, and all done on a flexible timeline. However, it comes at the cost of being time-consuming, physically demanding, and the discomfort of “selling” if that's something you’re not accustomed to. I think your ability to sell while door-knocking is the most critical part of the process, but also the most difficult.

Taking everything into consideration, this one is worth trying if you’re interested and I give my stamp of approval! I’d even enjoy trying this on Mission Side Hustle. I mean, who wouldn’t love to see me experience the pain of door-to-door sales for a couple of days?

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What side hustle should I try or research next? Let me know.