Every home or business should plan for a deep window cleanse twice a year. It can be a daunting task and is definitely something that shouldn’t be attempted on a DIY basis if you reside in a multi-story property. Most non-pro cleaners will tackle it with a spray cleaner, rags or newspaper that has been rolled up. Armed with these, they will then attempt to clean the surface using elbow grease.
However, a lot of rubbing isn’t always effective. What you’re doing is moving the dirt on the surface form one place to another. The rubbing also places a static charge on the glass. This then attracts dirt and dust to the glass. As soon as you’re done, the window very quickly ends up looking dirty again.
Instead, practice the same strategies that professional window cleaning service providers offer. All you need is a squeegee and small tools that are available at hardware stores. You’ll be surprised about how truly different your home looks with sparkling windows that are free of streaks.
Ben from Off Your Wall, a professional high rise window cleaning company in Melbourne shares with us a few key pointers to take into account when cleaning your windows.
First, use a strip applicator to wash the windows. The cloth head has an advantage in that it soaks up a lot of water. The soapy water will remove dirt without causing scratches to form on the glass. A squirt of dishwashing liquid, placed into a bucket filled with warm water, is ideal. You want to minimise suds forming in the water so it’s a case of less is more.
Next, wipe the surface clean using a squeegee:
- Begin on the top left of the window.
- Pull the squeegee over the pane covered in the soapy water in a reverse-S pattern.
- With each stroke, you should wipe the blade of the squeegee clean. A lint-free rag is the best thing to use. You don’t want to leave any cloth residue.
- Ensure you dry any drips that appear and get rid of water that collects on the edge of the glass. You can use a damp chamois that you have wrung out, so it is damp, but not wet. You want it to be able to soak up any moisture without leaving streaks.
- Next, dry the windowsill using the rag.
This works effectively for a picture window, but what do you do if you have a divided-light window? You could cut a squeegee to a size that fits the panes. Or, use a handheld sponge. Natural sponges are preferable as they are firmer and tend to absorb more moisture than synthetic sponges. Again, using a small amount of soap in warm water, wet the sponge. Then rub each pane. You want to start left to right and then top to bottom. Take care to work the edges of the sponge into the corners, so you loosen any dirt that has collected there. Then wipe clean with a squeegee.
- Pull the squeegee down each pane.
- Use a single stroke from top to bottom.
- Clean the blade with a rag to prevent streaking.
- Remove streaks with a chamois, as above.
These methods are effective for most windows, but what happens when stubborn spots form on your windows? These can form when runoff from masonry or window screens leaves mineral stains on the surfaces of your windows. You can tackle these using very fine steel wool. A product that contains oxalic acid will allow you to take on this cleaning process without scratching the glass. The stains, if you can remove them, can reoccur. If you are concerned you may scratch the windows, call in a pro to remove the stains. They will also be able to apply a surface protectant to prevent the windows from being affected by staining in the future. This product is a clear polymer coating which only needs to be reapplied after each regular clean.
Window cleaning services will offer to clean your window on the inside as well as the outside because they have special equipment to clean both sides of your window. Their equipment can also tackle stubborn stains and marks on your window, such as high-pressure washing. The high-pressure water pumps can remove all mould, grime, dirt and dust, along with the surface areas around your windows.
Dirty window tracking can also be cleaned professionally. The tracks can get clogged, which can make it hard for the windows to move along the tracks. A pro cleaning service will use equipment to remove the grime and dirt that builds upon the track. They will also grease the gears if they need to.
Now consider this: using a professional window cleaning service could be the more affordable option over a DIY job. That’s because you’ll save on ladders, cleaning solutions, cloths and cleaning equipment. What else do you need to be cleaned while they’re there? Since you have them on-site to clean your windows, enquire about gutter cleaning, jet washing, and roof cleaning.
