I’ve been cleaning windows in Hendon for longer than I care to admit. I’ve worked on shopfronts along Brent Street, restaurants near Hendon Central, estate agents by The Burroughs, and offices in the industrial pockets up near West Hendon. I’ve seen business owners try to guess the right time to arrange a clean. Some go too often and feel they are spending money they don’t need to. Others leave it too long and end up with dull glass that gives the wrong message before a customer even walks in.
Clean windows aren’t just about appearance. They say something about how you run your place. Clear glass suggests you take care. I’ve met shop owners who didn’t realise how much difference it made until they saw both sides: spotless one week, streaky the next. A window cleaning schedule needs to work for you, not the other way round. Hendon is busy, dusty, full of traffic movement, and it has its share of building works. A good schedule responds to all of that.
Below, I’ll go through the main points that help you decide what works best for your own business. You’ll recognise yourself somewhere in here.
Understanding Your Building and Location
Your building’s position plays a bigger role than most people expect. The glass on a quiet, tucked-away office stays cleaner longer than a café window facing bus stops and car flow.
Street Front vs. Upper Floors
A street-level shopfront takes the brunt of everything: fingerprints, bike spray, traffic dust, people leaning on the glass to look inside, and general grime drifting from the road. A display window on Hendon Way can go dull in days. A solicitor’s office on a third floor near The Quadrant may only need a gentle clean every couple of weeks.
If you rely on passers-by stopping to look at your products, clean glass makes a big difference. They notice clarity without knowing they notice it. If your business sits upstairs, you still benefit from clean windows for staff comfort and daylight, though you can usually space visits further apart.
Proximity to Traffic and Construction
Hendon always seems to have at least one development going on. Any business close to a site will see extra dust. Units near major roads, like Watford Way or the A41 flyover, collect road film more often. If buses stop right outside your door, you will get regular misting from diesel and tyres.
If your frontage sits beside steady traffic, you’ll be looking at weekly or bi-weekly cleans to maintain a bright look. If you’re further from the street, monthly could work.
Weather Patterns and Seasonal Changes
Spring brings pollen. Summer can leave a dusty film on south-facing glass. Winter rain can dry in streaks. I adjust many schedules as seasons change. Some shops move from weekly in summer to fortnightly in winter. Some offices go from monthly to every three weeks during the traffic-heavy Christmas shopping period. You don’t need to commit to one set frequency all year. A flexible approach works best.
Matching The Schedule To Your Business Type
Not every business shows itself to the public in the same way. The needs of a clothes boutique differ from a physiotherapy clinic.
Retail Shops and Storefront Displays
A shop window is basically part of your advertising. If you change displays often or rely on eye-catching product placement, your glass needs to be spotless. Most Hendon shopfronts do well with a weekly clean. Some do twice weekly in busy months. I’ve cleaned certain windows on Monday and Friday to keep them sharp through the whole week.
Restaurants, Cafés and Food Establishments
Customers notice smears when they’re sat at a table taking their time. Condensation from cooking can leave a hazy effect. Fingerprints build up around the doors. Many cafés prefer early morning cleans so the glass is clear before the breakfast crowd arrives. Some go for a mid-week touch-up if weekends get messy. Once a week often works, with an occasional second light polish near the entrance as needed.
Offices and Professional Services
Offices don’t need to impress walk-ins in the same way. The aim is a comfortable, tidy environment. Monthly works for many Hendon offices. Some go bi-weekly if they have large glass fronts that catch glare. If your staff complain that the outside looks dull, that’s your sign.
Gyms, Studios and Clinics
Gyms get fingerprints on every surface. Studio mirrors also matter, but glass doors and frontages often show sweat smudges and condensation. A clinic or therapist office might only need a monthly visit, but a gym does best with weekly.
Timing Your Cleaning Visits
You should never have to work around your cleaner. The schedule should slot into your quieter periods.
Matching to Footfall
Think about your quiet hours. A bakery might be packed in the morning but calm mid-afternoon. A gym might be dead mid-morning and then full from late afternoon. Tell your cleaner your quietest periods and they will work with that.
Early Morning and Late Evening Options
Some Hendon cleaners, myself included, are happy to start before opening or finish after closing. Early morning cleans work for cafés and shops. Evening cleans suit offices. It keeps everything smooth with no customers weaving around ladders or water-fed poles.
Frequency Options Explained
The most common arrangements are:
- Weekly: best for busy shopfronts, cafés, gyms.
- Bi-weekly: good for businesses near main roads but not relying heavily on displays.
- Monthly: suits many offices and clinics.
- Seasonal shifts: adjust every few months to suit weather and trade.
A conversation with your cleaner is usually enough to work this out.
The Difference Between Regular Cleaning and Deep Cleaning
Not all cleaning visits are the same.
Routine Wipe and Polish
This is your regular visit: remove marks, maintain clarity, keep everything sharp. This keeps things looking fresh day to day.
Water-Fed Pole and Pure Water Systems
Hendon cleaners often use pure water poles for upper floors. They avoid soap streaks and are great for larger panes. They also keep costs steady because they are efficient.
Deep Cleaning for Staining and Hard Water Marks
If your glass sits near sprinklers, leaking gutters, or has been left too long between cleans, you may see cloudy patches or mineral marks. A deeper treatment sorts this. You don’t need this often, but when you do, you’ll notice the difference straight away. Many businesses do one deep clean every three to six months, then maintain with routine visits.
Budgeting For Window Cleaning
You want value, not just the lowest price.
Why Longer Gaps Can Cost More Later
Leaving big gaps between cleans can lead to thicker dirt, more labour time, and sometimes the need for deep treatment. Routine cleaning keeps each visit short and cost-effective. You save in the long run.
Shared Building Costs
If you share a frontage or sit in a shared building, you can often divide the cost. Speak to your neighbours. Many groups on a parade coordinate schedules so one cleaner handles the whole stretch in one go, which keeps everyone’s bill down.
Signs Your Current Schedule Isn’t Working
Some signs are obvious. Some creep up slowly:
- Staff or Customer Complaints – if people mention smears or dullness, your schedule is too light.
- Photos and reflections looking dull – take a quick photo from outside. If the glass lacks brightness, the timing needs changing.
- Having to wipe glass yourself between visits – if you or staff are wiping doors, your intervals are too wide.
How To Talk To Your Cleaner About Schedule Adjustments
Cleaning schedules shouldn’t be fixed forever. Your cleaner will expect changes over time.
Sharing Your Busy Times and Staff Routines
Tell your cleaner when deliveries arrive, when you get rushes, and when the place is quiet. They will plan around your flow.
Seasonal Review Twice a Year
A quick review is enough. You don’t need to overhaul everything, just tweak as needed.
Trial Periods
Try a new schedule for a month. If it works, keep it. If not, adjust again. No drama.
I’ve worked with Hendon businesses long enough to know that each one runs to its own rhythm. A good schedule fits that rhythm, rather than forcing everyone to work around the cleaning. If your windows look bright and clear without you having to think about them, that’s when you’ve got it right.
