My husband and I have a window cleaning company in the Detroit Metro area. For 17 years we have just done windows. We are now expanding our business and our services to include Chandelier Cleaning, Gutter Cleaning, and Glass Restoration.
I am looking for advice on the bast way to clean a chandelier, the equipment and or supplies we will need, and suggestions on how to price a job? Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thank you
Lynne Fiscelli
For chandeliers you probably have most of the tools you’ll need. I use sprayway or 50/50 pure water and isopropyl. You will need some tall step ladders. I usually charge by the time I think it will take I like around 50 an hour plus equipment. For gutters you’ll need a screen and scoop I like the kind that attach to the pole. We charge a dollar a foot first story and go up a dollar per story. This is are best add on for us so far.
Chandeliers can be difficult to clean. The main thing to keep in mind is that they are very fragile, and expensive. In the past I’ve used a chandelier cleaner purchased at home depot. Its pretty simple, just spray on and wipe off. Then buff with a dry lint free towel or microfiber. A towel dampened with your window cleaning solution can also be used to clean them, wipe on, then wipe off. Buff. Repeat. Charge lots of $ because it is a lot of work. It might take a while to get the pricing down…you can charge by the section, usually they are divided by sections. Or you could just estimate how long it might take you, and charge accordingly. Like I say you might lose on a few but it won’t take long to figure it out to where you are making a profit. Good luck!
we did one today 95bucks and took 2.5 hours it was under bid, but they bitched at that price so…keep thick blankets in case something falls cause i broke a crystal earlier this year…this chandelier was about 3ft diameter and 3 ft tall…we try to get 75 to 100 p/hr
I found that after I calculated my time, I should double it. Bought 3-4 painters tarps to use underneath for dropped crystals. Big-er projects I used a scaffolding., I got it for free, but factor in a rental if necessary. I use RO/alcohol mix on glass and the all surface wipes on metal.
Thanks for your help eveyone! We apprecaite you time!
Winters around here pretty much shut us down for the worst of it. We are hoping that the Chandelier cleaning will get us enough work to get us through Michigan winters. Brrr, the snow is already starting to fly here.
i use brass cleaner and a bucket of dawn dishsoap and water. i get up on the ladder and take off a section of crystal and place it in the bucket. wipe down the brass in that area then dry each crystal and replace it. i also keep a bunch of light bulbs and offer to replace them (just a small charge). only done a few of them but were very profitable upsells. i estimate my time and charge by how long i think it will take. i over charge though because i really dont like to do it, so when i do get the job i dont mind so much 
If you read Kevin Dubrosky’s “$600/hr.” you know the right price is a unicorn (which doesn’t exist), so there is also no such thing as Overcharging, aye?
