Shoe Cleaning Shop Workflow: From Drop-Off to Pickup (With Example Screens)

Most of the chaos in a shoe cleaning business isn’t about cleaning. It’s about everything around it: intake that’s rushed, shoes “somewhere in the back,” staff all using their own “system,” and customers calling three times asking if their pair is ready.

A clear, standardized workflow—backed by your shoe cleaning POS—solves most of this. Here’s a practical, step-by-step workflow you can copy, with example screens you’d see in a system like CleaningPOS.

1. Check-In: Greeting and Assessment

Customer walks in with one or more pairs. Your goals:

• Capture their details.
• Log the shoes.
• Decide on services and pricing.
• Set expectations.

In the POS: Create a new order for the customer (phone/email/name). Add pairs (e.g., “White Air Force 1,” “Brown leather boots”). For each pair, select services (“Deep Clean,” “Midsole Repaint”). Record promised pickup time.

Example screen: A clean “New Order” view with customer info at the top, a list of pairs underneath, and a real-time total on the right.

2. Intake + Tagging

Once the order is created, you tag the shoes so they can’t be separated from the ticket.

Workflow:

• POS generates a ticket ID (and optionally QR code).
• Print a small tag or label that can be attached to the pair or its bag.
• Attach tags in a consistent place (e.g., on laces or shoe bag handle).

In CleaningPOS: “Print Tags” button from the order screen. Each tag includes: ticket ID, pair number (1 of 3, 2 of 3…), and a scannable code.

3. Pre-Clean Station

This is where you brush off loose dirt, do quick inspections, and pre-treat stains.

In the POS: Cleaner scans the tag at the pre-clean station. Status updates from “Waiting” to “Pre-Clean.” Timer starts recording how long the pair stays in this stage.

Example screen: “Pre-Clean Queue” view showing all pairs currently at this station, with time-in-stage and due time.

4. Deep Clean Station

For most sneaker cleaning shops, this is where the magic happens.

Steps: Full upper clean, midsole scrubbing, insole cleaning (if included), and detailing around logos/stitches.

In the POS: Cleaner scans the shoes when they start deep clean. Status changes to “In Deep Clean.” Optional checklist in the ticket: “Uppers,” “Midsoles,” “Laces,” “Insoles,” etc.

Example screen: Detailed job view with checkboxes for each deep-clean task and a notes field (“Yellowing on midsole; use X product”).

5. Drying / Curing

This is where time gets lost if no one is watching. Shoes go to a rack, drying room, or machine and may need several hours. Staff often forget to move them on when ready.

In the POS: Scan to move status to “Drying.” Timer continues. Dashboard shows how many jobs are “stuck” in drying and past a threshold (e.g., 10 hours).

Example screen: “Drying Rack” dashboard card summarizing: “12 pairs drying / 3 overdue.”

6. Finishing: Laces, Protection, and Presentation

This is how you justify premium pricing: Re-lace shoes, apply protector or conditioner, touch up details, and pack in branded bags/boxes.

In the POS: Scan: status → “Finishing.” Optional checklist: “Laces reinstalled,” “Protector applied,” “Packaging complete.” Add “after” photos directly from a phone or tablet.

7. QA and Shelving

Before you mark the job complete:

• Quick inspection by a lead or manager.
• Confirm services match what was promised.
• Check for obvious misses (missed stain, unclean midsole, etc.).

In the POS: QA user role with permission to mark jobs as “Ready for Pickup.” When approved, system logs “Ready” timestamp and shelf location (“Shelf B3”).

8. Pickup and Payment

This is where customers decide whether to return or not.

Workflow: Customer gives name, phone, or ticket ID. You instantly pull up their order and status. Take payment (or mark prepaid jobs as complete). Optionally, ask for review or next-booking.

In the POS: Search by phone/name/ID. Confirm items. Collect payment (card, tap, wallet, cash). Print or email receipt. Trigger automated “Thank you” message or review request.

9. Why This Workflow Works Better With CleaningPOS

You can run a version of this with paper tickets, but you won’t know where bottlenecks are, you’ll constantly lose time hunting for shoes, and you won’t have reliable data on turnaround time.

A shoe cleaning POS like CleaningPOS turns each workflow stage into:

• A queue (what’s waiting).
• A timer (how long it’s taking).
• A visible bottleneck (where jobs get stuck).

That’s how you scale from “organized chaos” to a predictable, profitable operation.