Cleaning Your Own Windows

[Bazil Bush]

Bit of advice / experience of please.

Our window cleaner has just raised his prices by 20% and on top of all the other recent price hikes we’re looking to cut back on a few things.

Looking to start doing them myself as I’m recently retired so time isn’t an issue.

Standard two storey detached house but won’t be wanting to go up ladders for upstairs windows.

Happy to invest in a bit of kit to do them myself but appreciate the whole “won’t be as good without de-ionised water” piece that I’ve picked up on other threads

Thanks

[Arrivalist]

Me - bucket with a splash of white vinegar, a couple of drops of washing up liquid and water.

Soap it on with a sponge, clear off with a scraper and then dry with a micro fibre towel.

Jobs a good ‘in.

[Chris Type R]

Bazil Bush said:

Standard two storey detached house but won’t be wanting to go up ladders for upstairs windows.

Some UPVC windows have hinge releases which allow for cleaning of the external faces from inside the house.

[Bazil Bush]

Arrivalist said:

Me - bucket with a splash of white vinegar, a couple of drops of washing up liquid and water.

Soap it on with a sponge, clear off with a scraper and then dry with a micro fibre towel.

Jobs a good ‘in.

Spot on, thanks, that’s the bottom ones sorted

[Bazil Bush]

Chris Type R said:

Some UPVC windows have hinge releases which allow for cleaning of the external faces from inside the house.

Unfortunately ours are just the standard jobbies

[ChocolateFrog]

Bazil Bush said:

Chris Type R said:

Some UPVC windows have hinge releases which allow for cleaning of the external faces from inside the house.

Unfortunately ours are just the standard jobbies

I must have long arms or small windows. I just reach out.

[otherman]

Karcher window vac is a good tool for this.

[Aerate]

Aah – one of my favourite bugbears – those 'reach and wash' numptys. I know that we are not allowed to climb ladders anymore but those long broom and hose merchants are taking everyone for a ride. They can't see what they're doing. Point in case, I was sitting in my second floor office and the widow cleaner smashed around the paintwork on the top sash and then went and did the next window. I opened the window I was sitting less than a metre away from and pointed out that he had only done the top sash and not the bottom – 'yes I did' came the reply. Hmm, I'm a metre away from it and he's waving a broom on a pole 8m away. If you're cleaning a window, you need to see it. Get a ladder. Or get a man with a ladder.

[NRG1976]

Clean with car shampoo mixed with water, sponge the window and dry with karcher window vac. Takes seconds for each window and leaves them virtually perfect!

[PhilboSE]

The only thing the ionised water does is avoid streaks when they just use the long handled brush from ground level, and fail to use a sponge / squeegee / chamois like a proper job really demands. If you’re going to get up there then a splash of vinegar & washing up liquid, coupled with the right tools, will leave a far better finish.

It’s getting up there that’s the trick. If you’re not prepared to do ladders (even stabilised ones) then I think a platform of some kind is the only option.

[8-P]

I refused to have a window cleaner after moving house 10 years ago. I just don’t want someone on my property messing my garden up or scratching my Ferraris. So I bought a load of gear made by Unger including a proper bucket, long reach pole with blade and mop type head. I also use their fluid too. All works well, I often finish off downstairs with car drying towels for a better finish.

https://windowcleaningwarehouse.co.uk/collections/...

[Zio Di Roma]

ChocolateFrog said:

Bazil Bush said:

Chris Type R said:

Some UPVC windows have hinge releases which allow for cleaning of the external faces from inside the house.

Unfortunately ours are just the standard jobbies

I must have long arms or small windows. I just reach out.

Ah, the Four Tops technique.

[ecotec]

I had a similar issue and now just do ours, I got the proper kit and it does make a difference. We have UPVC windows that have a catch to enable extended opening, so upstairs can be easily done from the inside.

Kit I got >

12 litre Unger bucket
Applicators - 3 or 4 differing sizes, I've got Ettore and Unger, both fine, although Unger is harsher MF
Squeege - 3 sizes (prob just need 2 really - Ettore is the better than Unger I find
Fairy Platinum - just a bit onto the applicator works great
Window microfibre to remove any excess water (or scrim cloth)
Car wash mit - window sills

It just take a bit of a knack to squeege the windows in one sweep to elimate any drips, just watch a couple of youtbe videos and you will be away. I rather like doing it, doesn't take long.

[Panamax]

Zio Di Roma said:

I must have long arms or small windows. I just reach out.

Ah, the Four Tops technique.

Wonderful! Made my evening...

[Zio Di Roma]

Zio Di Roma said:

ChocolateFrog said:

Bazil Bush said:

Chris Type R said:

Some UPVC windows have hinge releases which allow for cleaning of the external faces from inside the house.

Unfortunately ours are just the standard jobbies

I must have long arms or small windows. I just reach out.

Ah, the Four Tops technique.

You don't need to reach out for the four bottoms, they can be reached from the ground.

[acer12]

A useful tip is to be conscious of what water you use. I find tap water leaves more visible streaks than my water butt. If you don’t have a water butt get one, very handy to have for lots of reasons

[Gas1883]

Ours charges £11.50 & comes every 6 weeks , has charged the £11.50 for as long as I can remember, windows , frames , even goes round the back of the garage & does that window, can’t fault him , lovely chap & does a great job .
I always treat him to a bottle of whisky at Xmas
Only thing I do is once a year get ladders out , clean out all the gutters & clean the facias .

[tegwin]

Controversial perhaps but how about just not bothering?

Apart from the occasional removal of a large bird poo I don’t think I’ve cleaned the outside of my windows in the 15 years I’ve owned a house. Not once have I thought that my view of the world has been reduced enough by a bit of dirt to warrant a monthly wash.

[dickymint]

otherman said:

Karcher window vac is a good tool for this.

Extremely good and surprised nobody else has mentioned it. Luckily I can use it indoors for the upstairs windows.

[Sticks.]

This might help for upstairs windows although it won't leave it drip-free https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0046Z391C?ref_=ppx_hz...