There is no single right frequency for commercial window cleaning. It depends on how many people see your building, where it is, and what it is used for. This guide gives typical starting points by type of premises.
Typical frequencies by sector
| Premises | Typical frequency | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Shops and cafés | Weekly or fortnightly | Frontages are on show all day and pick up fingerprints and traffic film. |
| Hotels and guest houses | Fortnightly to monthly | Guests notice dirty glass in rooms and public areas. |
| Offices | Every 4 to 12 weeks | Entrances more often; upper floors less. |
| Schools and nurseries | Every 4 to 12 weeks | Often scheduled for holidays and half terms. |
| Care homes | Every 4 to 8 weeks | Residents spend a lot of time looking out of the windows. |
| Warehouses and industrial units | Quarterly to twice yearly | Office glazing more often than high-level panels. |
| Apartment blocks | Every 4 to 12 weeks | Communal areas and entrances more often. |
What pushes the frequency up
- Busy roads, motorways or industrial neighbours producing dust and traffic film.
- Coastal or estuary sites, where salt spray dulls glass quickly.
- Trees, birds and nearby farmland.
- High footfall and lots of hands on doors and low glazing.
- A premium brand or customer-facing role where appearance matters.
Setting up a schedule that works
Most businesses do best with a split schedule: entrances and ground-floor glazing cleaned often, upper floors and high-level glass less often, and gutters and cladding once or twice a year. That keeps the parts people see spotless without paying to clean everything every visit.
We agree a schedule on a free site visit and can adjust it for busy seasons. See ourcommercial window cleaning service.
Quick answers
- How often should shop windows be cleaned?
- Weekly or fortnightly for most shopfronts, because they are the first thing customers see and pick up fingerprints and traffic film quickly.
- How often should office windows be cleaned?
- Every 4 to 12 weeks for most offices, with ground-floor entrances often cleaned more frequently.
- Can the schedule change through the year?
- Yes. Many businesses add cleans in busy seasons, before events or after building work, and reduce them over quieter months.