Making Summer Work for Your Cleaning Business: 8 Smart Strategies to Stay Profitable
Turn the Summer Slowdown into a Strategic Advantage
Summer often brings a shift in momentum for cleaning businesses. With clients traveling, outdoor activities increasing, and regular service schedules adjusting, it’s not uncommon to see a dip in demand. But a slower season doesn’t have to mean a setback.
With the right strategies, summer can become a valuable window for growth, brand-building, and diversifying your service offerings.
This article will explore eight effective ways to keep your business profitable, productive, and positioned for long-term success during the summer months.
1. Promote Deep Cleanings and Specialty Services
While routine cleanings might slow down in the summer, the season opens the door for high-value, one-off services that clients would seek out. It’s the perfect opportunity to expand your service menu, spotlight specialty offerings, and keep your schedule full with in-demand, seasonal work.
What you can offer:
“Summer Refresh” deep cleans
Many clients put off spring cleaning until summer when schedules open up. Promote a “Summer Refresh” deep cleaning service.
Post-renovation cleanups
Summer is a peak renovation season. Capture this demand by promoting post-renovation cleaning services that are ideal for contractors and homeowners needing a fast, polished finish.
Carpet and upholstery cleaning
With more time spent at home and kids and pets coming in and going out, carpets and furniture tend to show more wear during the summer. Offering carpet and upholstery cleaning is a great way to help clients refresh their space while adding a profitable boost to your service mix. It also fits perfectly as a value-add in your deep cleaning packages.
Move-in/Move-out cleaning
Summer is a prime time for movers; offer your clients more streamlined move-in and move-out cleaning services. These can be marketed to real estate partners, landlords, and property management companies.
Pro tip: Bundle these as premium packages to increase average job value and highlight the difference between regular and specialty services.
2. Offer Summer-Only Promotions & Loyalty Perks
One of the easiest ways to keep things rolling during the slow season is by offering special deals and packages to your existing clients. If your clients know they can rely on you to offer them value during a typically slow time, they’ll be more likely to book your services.
How to create irresistible offers:
Seasonal cleaning packages
Create a bundle for outdoor-focused services like window cleaning,exterior power washing, and patio or deck cleaning into one discounted offer. Packages like these make life simpler for your clients, and they’ll love saving money on services they actually need.
Turn referrals into rewards
Word-of-mouth is still gold. Encourage your clients to refer others by offering them a discount or free service for every successful referral they bring in. This can help you expand your customer base while keeping your current clients engaged.
Loyalty programs
If you don’t already have a loyalty program, now’s the perfect time to create one. It could include discounts, freebies, or exclusive services to repeat customers after a certain number of cleanings. This drives retention and reduces churn, especially during slower months.
Pro tip: Use scarcity. Highlight that these offers are “summer only” to drive urgency.
3. Target Vacation Rentals and Airbnb Properties
In the summer months, short-term rentals and vacation properties are at their busiest. Cleaning businesses can benefit greatly from the growing number of Airbnb listings and vacation rental properties that need frequent turnover cleanings.
How to tap into this market:
Connect with property owners
Reach out to vacation rental owners who are looking for a dependable cleaning team between guest stays. Emphasize consistency, reliability, and attention to detail, factors that set you apart.
Build vacation rental package
Create a package that covers everything rental owners care about, like clean kitchens, bathrooms, tidy living spaces, and laundry services for linens and towels. Make it easy for them to say yes.
Be ready with quick turnarounds
Guests often check out in the morning and new ones arrive that afternoon. A flexible schedule and fast, thorough cleaning with quick turnaround can set you apart in this competitive space.
Pro-Tip: Short-term rentals can offer a steady flow of summer income. Show up as the go-to pro for this niche, and you could land repeat work that lasts well beyond the season.
4. Focus on Marketing and Building Your Brand
When business is slow, it’s an excellent opportunity to focus on long-term strategies that will pay off when things pick up. Spend time working on your marketing and branding to ensure you stand out in the busy months ahead.
Strategies to consider:
Social media marketing
Use platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to spotlight your expertise. Share before-and-after photos, client testimonials, and cleaning tips that educate and inspire.
New to social media? This HubSpot guide covers everything from planning to posting with confidence.
Online reviews
Summer is a great time to ask satisfied clients for reviews, which you can feature across your website or social media. Testimonials are powerful at creating trust and can influence potential clients who are researching your services before making a decision.
Create helpful content
Start a blog or create short videos that address common cleaning questions, showcase your process, or offer seasonal advice. This not only boosts SEO but also positions your business as a trusted industry leader.
Email marketing
Use this downtime to set up an email marketing campaign. Share summer promos, and helpful reminders about booking services. If you’re not already collecting emails, now’s the time to start, every address is a direct line to a potential repeat client. Not sure where to start? Mailchimp makes it easy to set up your first campaign with drag-and-drop templates.
Pro Tip: Block out just one hour a week to focus on marketing tasks—batch social posts, write a quick tip, or request a review. Small, consistent steps lead to long-term growth.
5. Network and Collaborate with Other Businesses
Summer can be a time to build meaningful relationships with local businesses that could benefit from your services. Networking is a powerful way to increase your client base, and the slower season is the perfect opportunity to establish those connections.
How to network creatively:
Partner with moving companies
Partner with local moving companies and offer your services to clients who are moving in or out of their homes. Consider offering a referral discount that benefits both businesses, it’s a win-win that helps everyone grow.
Collaborate with realtors
Realtors may need your cleaning services for homes they’re showing or closing. Provide special deals for these partners, and you could become their go-to cleaning expert, gaining steady referrals along the way.
Team up with home organizers or landscapers
Working with home organizers, landscapers, or even painters lets you offer clients a full-service experience. The more you collaborate, the more you expand your reach and potential business opportunities.
Pro Tip: Don’t wait for connections to come to you! Start the conversation. A quick DM, email, or coffee meeting can turn into a year-round referral source.
6. Invest in Training and Certification
Use the downtime to improve your or your team’s skills and knowledge. Whether it’s learning new cleaning techniques, earning certifications, or exploring new equipment, investing in training can make a big difference in your service offerings and business reputation.
Ideas to consider:
Green cleaning certifications
More clients are increasingly concerned about eco-friendly cleaning practices. Consider getting certified in green cleaning methods through programs like Green Seal that sets you apart from the competition.
Advanced cleaning techniques
Attend workshops or online classes on specialized cleaning methods for commercial spaces, windows, or carpets.
Customer service training
Providing excellent customer service is one of the best ways to retain clients and earn referrals. Training your team on communication, problem-solving, and service skills can make a significant impact.
Pro Tip: Make training part of your brand. Showcasing your team’s certifications and development on your website or social media builds trust and highlights your commitment to quality.
7. Upsell Seasonal Services
Spotlight services that clients may not normally think about during other seasons. Here are some ways to add extra value:
Window cleaning
Offer exterior window washing to remove pollen, dust, or grime that accumulates in the summer months.
Deck and patio cleaning
Outdoor spaces see more use in the summer. Offer cleanups for decks, patios, and outdoor furniture to help clients enjoy their space without the mess.
Pressure washing
Pressure washing can remove buildup from driveways, walkways, and house exteriors. It’s a highly requested service in the summer and can be added to your regular offerings.
Pro Tip: Position these as “warm weather refresh” services to make them feel timely and essential.
8. Take Time for Self-Care and Team Building
While you’re focused on staying busy, don’t forget to use the slower months as an opportunity for self-care and team development. Burnout is a real concern for cleaning business owners, and the summer season gives you the chance to recharge and refocus.
Ways to make the most of the downtime:
Team training and team-building
Use this time to onboard new hires, strengthen your team dynamic, and enhance customer service skills.
Take vacations or breaks
Schedule some time off for yourself and your employees. A rested, recharged team is more focused, productive, and motivated.
Pro Tip: Celebrate small wins together—even if it's just a great review or a tough job done well. Recognition goes a long way.
Final Thoughts
Surviving the summer slow season is all about adapting to changing circumstances and being creative with how you approach business. Whether you're tapping into high-demand services like vacation rental cleanings, marketing your brand effectively, or expanding your network, there are countless ways to stay ahead.
Use this time to build client relationships, fine-tune your operations, and lay the groundwork for a stronger, more busy season ahead. Slow doesn’t mean still, it means strategic!
