You can start a domestic window cleaning business in South Africa for under R3,000 in equipment — a squeegee, a washer, a bucket and a 4 metre pole is enough to clean single-storey houses to a standard people will pay for. The step that changes the economics is purified water, which roughly doubles the houses one person can do in a day and opens up double-storey work. Most cleaners make that jump once they are turning work away, not before.
What to buy first
| 35cm squeegee | R390 |
| 35cm washer sleeve | R150 |
| 15 litre bucket | R460 |
| 4 metre telepole | R1,090 |
| Scraper fitting | R270 |
| Total | R2,360 |
Or buy it assembled: a basic window cleaning kit is R1,160 and a single storey kit is R2,250.
The second purchase, and when
Pure water. A 75 GPD reverse osmosis system at R4,360 plus a waterfed pole from R5,170 is a real step up in outlay, and it changes three things at once: you can reach double and triple storey from the ground, you stop needing to dry the glass, and one person can do the work that previously needed two. Complete pole-and-water packages start at R14,560.
The trigger is usually demand rather than ambition. If you are declining double-storey work or running out of daylight, the equipment pays back quickly. If you are still filling the diary, it does not.
Practicalities
- Water access. Domestic customers will let you use a tap. Commercial sites often will not, which is what makes a water trolley necessary rather than optional for contract work.
- Consumables. Rubber is the running cost and it is small — but a worn blade loses you the customer, so budget for replacing it often.
- Repeat work beats one-offs. The money in this trade is in scheduled cleans, not once-off jobs. Quote accordingly.
Solar panel cleaning as a second line
The same pole and pure water setup cleans photovoltaic panels with a softer rotating brush — see what you need to start a solar panel cleaning business. Many window cleaners add it because the equipment overlaps almost entirely.
See the full window cleaning equipment range.