[NBwcs]

Worst winter in my 21 yrs shining... It doesn't help that the forecasts are so unreliable, if you could trust that it was going to pee it down all day you could  mentally relax and make the most of the time off but instead your looking out of the window every 10 mins thinking "it's stopped, I ought to be out there". Cleaning in the rain round here is a surefire way to lose customers, I'm in the driest (usually) part of the counrty and  theres  little sympathy for turning up  when it's raining. I will ask sometimes if they mind in light rain before starting but  you can tell in their voice that even those that do  say yes aren't overjoyed. I totally get wc on the west side of the country having to be bit  more hard faced about it, you have to earn a  living, but round here there's usually plenty of dry days to catch up on. But not so far this year, wettest I've ever known it.

[dazmond]

Worst winter in my 21 yrs shining... It doesn't help that the forecasts are so unreliable, if you could trust that it was going to pee it down all day you could  mentally relax and make the most of the time off but instead your looking out of the window every 10 mins thinking "it's stopped, I ought to be out there". Cleaning in the rain round here is a surefire way to lose customers, I'm in the driest (usually) part of the counrty and  theres  little sympathy for turning up  when it's raining. I will ask sometimes if they mind in light rain before starting but  you can tell in their voice that even those that do  say yes aren't overjoyed. I totally get wc on the west side of the country having to be bit  more hard faced about it, you have to earn a  living, but round here there's usually plenty of dry days to catch up on. But not so far this year, wettest I've ever known it.

This is not the way to run a window cleaning business IMO.

Just go out and get it done whatever the weather and only have days off in the very worst of weather.

You ve got to be firm but polite with your customers. The weather is changing all the time.

You shouldn't be asking them either just crack on.

[deeege]

Has it really been that bad? I won’t work in sideways rain but get on with it in all other weather. I’ve lost less than 2 days to the weather this winter so far, 2 half days due to morning temperatures and a couple of afternoons due to storms.

If you’re packing up and heading home every single time it rains then this probably isn’t the right line of work for you imo.

[Stoots]

Worst winter in my 21 yrs shining... It doesn't help that the forecasts are so unreliable, if you could trust that it was going to pee it down all day you could  mentally relax and make the most of the time off but instead your looking out of the window every 10 mins thinking "it's stopped, I ought to be out there". Cleaning in the rain round here is a surefire way to lose customers, I'm in the driest (usually) part of the counrty and  theres  little sympathy for turning up  when it's raining. I will ask sometimes if they mind in light rain before starting but  you can tell in their voice that even those that do  say yes aren't overjoyed. I totally get wc on the west side of the country having to be bit  more hard faced about it, you have to earn a  living, but round here there's usually plenty of dry days to catch up on. But not so far this year, wettest I've ever known it.

The issue isnt that no one will have them done in the rain its that youve had 3 or 4 people moan and you see that as no one wants them doing. Youve taken the opinion of a few customers and got it in your head that you will lose all your work.  So now you dont work in the rain and this makes it worse with customers thinking you wont be out if its raining. 

You asking for their permission compunds this even more, you arent sure so they arent sure. You dont ask customers if you can clean their windows you tell them you will be round tomorrow to clean them . If they question the weather you explain why it wont affect them and they can leave the round if they arent happy. Youve basically created your own problem.

If you only clean 90% of your round this month and the rest skipped or you dumped them isnt that better than cleaning only 50% of it because you were too scared to work in the rain, explain to people, offer a rain guarantee and ultimately start replacing the ones who moan.

You cant run a reliable, regular window cleaning round in the UK like that, it rains something like 160 days a year on average!

[Slacky]

Asking?

You’re setting yourself up to lose work.

Show up, crack on, earn. If they turn you away you will have been turned away from one but cleaned 9.

[NBwcs]

160 days a year? I lost just 2 complete days and 2 half days through the whole of 2025,there really isn't any excuse for me to be cleaning in the rain (without customers blessing) and trust me, it's not about 3 or 4 customers moaning and me running my business around it. You simply wouldn't get away with running your business cleaning in the rain round here. Windys have an understanding amongst ourselves locally, you can finish a job in the rain but don't start one in it, unless customer doesn't mind. None of the local lads clean residential in the rain, there's usually no need to. As I said, tolerance levels are understandablly different in wetter areas and I get why wc clean in the rain in other areas but  I certainly wouldn't want to pay for a windy who cleans in the rain. Alot on here have  convinced themselves cleaning in the rain makes no difference to the result and alot /most of the time it won't but it's undeniable that rain has the potential to bring down bits off the roof, drop dirty water off dirty facias, and likewise bounce dirt off the ground onto the bottoms of French doors, let alone the risk of dust in the atmosphere after drier weather. And given a choice, who the hell wants to clean in the pouring rain, I used to do facias in the  rain and got to loathe the thought of doing them.

[Stoots]

I messaged a new ish customer last night only cleaned it twice .

She said its forecast rain tomorrow 

Well duh its been raining for  a month what do you think ive been doing......

The reason I dont tell them i clean in rain when I take them on is because that puts the question  in their head. If I said oh please let us clean in rain it will be fine, it breeds doubt. I just say of course I clean in rain it makes no difference. That's the confidence you need, you also need the attitude of im too busy to play games if you dont appreciate the reliable service i will find some who does. And oddly there are people out there that appreciate your effort.

The only choice she has is to have them cleaned or find someone else.

Stop letting people dictate your business.

[james peters]

I live in one of the wetest parts of the uk. south wales.     I dont even discuss the rain with my customers. its my business , I will run it how  I want to. If a customer cancels or makes a fuss , its their problem.  but it rarely happens .

That being said, I dont work if its heavy rain. I dont like getting drenched .
 I think I have had 2 days off due to the weather, and cut a dozen  or so short..
This is one reason I dont like using a round planner.  if I know I am up against the weather I will organise a route that  is full of easy quick houses

[NBwcs]

Good to see you posting James, hope your bearing up OK.

[AuRavelling79]

I've trained my customers from the outset to let me clean in the rain if I want to. (I'm part time and generally don't want to but will work in showers and light drizzle when it suits ME.)

Yesterday on a showery day one of my customers said that it's hardly worth doing with all this rain.

I said lightly (my prepared response) 'My view is that I am removing 8 weeks worth of dirt and that unless the rain is up from the Sahara or from an Icelandic volcano it's pretty clean anyway'.

Carry on he replied.

[AuRavelling79]

I don't go out if its heavy rain. I have told my customers that I may miss a month due to black ice or adverse weather. They are all happy when I told them, there's always tomorrow. Hard with DD customers but I have decided to pay them back in cash when I return the next month. Its a tough call if you are relying on the money.

You should easily have time to get round your work that month with 100 customers....

I manage it with 300+ customers only working 20 hours a week with plenty of spare time!

Exactly, that's what I like about this job. If I spend a full day then I would be finished by Wednesday but once I have made a few ton I slow down and want to go home.

Been in my mates garage Friday and Saturday getting all the warning lights out. One was about the hub so we fitted a new one and sensor. The light only needed the plug pushed in as the clip was broke and lastly the brake needed a new sensor. Only have to fit a new exhaust tomorrow before the Mot. Its so easy with a ramp and my tank was half full.

Once you get to 60 up here we get a bus pass and know its time to slow down.

I thought you were always fully booked for work with all your home maintenance jobs.

I have a good few jobs to do but I need to be motivated to do it. Money used to motivate me but with the pension and mortgage ending i don't see the rush. I have a tree to cut down and many trees to prune, a few gutters to do with the vac, a gutter to move, a hip tile and gutter to repair for my mate and my mum has volunteered me to paint my cousin's bedroom.

I have lost 4 days getting my van Mot and servicing my system. Its all go now and back out for my afternoon shift. Thursday I will have the money for another reel and new 25 foot pole so at least I have something to focus on.

You don't seem to focus on anything, Scottish.

 

[windowswashed]

I've trained my customers from the outset to let me clean in the rain if I want to. (I'm part time and generally don't want to but will work in showers and light drizzle when it suits ME.)

Yesterday on a showery day one of my customers said that it's hardly worth doing with all this rain.

I said lightly (my prepared response) 'My view is that I am removing 8 weeks worth of dirt and that unless the rain is up from the Sahara or from an Icelandic volcano it's pretty clean anyway'.

Carry on he replied.

I work similar to yourself.

Sometimes you need to work in light rain, bills won't pay themselves so work must be done in reasonable light rain when needed.
I wouldn't bother wasting time and petrol going out working in heavy rain or light rain going sideways as that's a sure fire way to lose decent customers, common sense really.

[dazmond]

160 days a year? I lost just 2 complete days and 2 half days through the whole of 2025,there really isn't any excuse for me to be cleaning in the rain (without customers blessing) and trust me, it's not about 3 or 4 customers moaning and me running my business around it. You simply wouldn't get away with running your business cleaning in the rain round here. Windys have an understanding amongst ourselves locally, you can finish a job in the rain but don't start one in it, unless customer doesn't mind. None of the local lads clean residential in the rain, there's usually no need to. As I said, tolerance levels are understandablly different in wetter areas and I get why wc clean in the rain in other areas but  I certainly wouldn't want to pay for a windy who cleans in the rain. Alot on here have  convinced themselves cleaning in the rain makes no difference to the result and alot /most of the time it won't but it's undeniable that rain has the potential to bring down bits off the roof, drop dirty water off dirty facias, and likewise bounce dirt off the ground onto the bottoms of French doors, let alone the risk of dust in the atmosphere after drier weather. And given a choice, who the hell wants to clean in the pouring rain, I used to do facias in the  rain and got to loathe the thought of doing them.

So why are you moaning then if you ve only lost a couple of days and a couple of half days?

Clean/don't clean it's entirely up to you but I just crack on in all but the worst of weather no problem..

What happens if your normally 'dry' part of the country turns very wet for months on end which is entirely possible with climate change? Sit at home staring at the rain?

Often it's not as bad as forecast or it's very localised. That's why you should just go out as normal in the morning even if it's bouncing down as it often clears up by the time you get to your first job.

[NBwcs]

"So why are you moaning then if you ve only lost a couple of days and a couple of half days?"

We're talking about this year Daz, not last year.

What happens if your normally 'dry' part of the country turns very wet for months on end which is entirely possible with climate change?

This is the wettest winter in 21 yrs, it hasnt been a problem before, you cant seriously think someone should alter their working habits to cover for hyperthetical senarios when its never happened before   

[windowswashed]

Parts of Devon have rained every day, 40 days so far. I'm averaging three days a week, that's all I need now but locally we have had three and a half times our normal rainfall amount so far this year.

[Splash and dash]

Parts of Devon have rained every day, 40 days so far. I'm averaging three days a week, that's all I need now but locally we have had three and a half times our normal rainfall amount so far this year.

Cornwall has had the wettest December / January since records began over 100 years ago ,in 27 years of window cleaning I have never seen so much water in gardens and on roads flooding everywhere ,and after the storms there are still thousands of trees down everywhere it’s been on the local news but nothing national if what we have had was in London you would hear of nothing else on the news

[Tam1872]

I don't go out if its heavy rain. I have told my customers that I may miss a month due to black ice or adverse weather. They are all happy when I told them, there's always tomorrow. Hard with DD customers but I have decided to pay them back in cash when I return the next month. Its a tough call if you are relying on the money.

You should easily have time to get round your work that month with 100 customers....

I manage it with 300+ customers only working 20 hours a week with plenty of spare time!

Exactly, that's what I like about this job. If I spend a full day then I would be finished by Wednesday but once I have made a few ton I slow down and want to go home.

Been in my mates garage Friday and Saturday getting all the warning lights out. One was about the hub so we fitted a new one and sensor. The light only needed the plug pushed in as the clip was broke and lastly the brake needed a new sensor. Only have to fit a new exhaust tomorrow before the Mot. Its so easy with a ramp and my tank was half full.

Once you get to 60 up here we get a bus pass and know its time to slow down.

You talk more pooe than the bible.