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Tips On How To Clean Windows - A Professional Guide To Window Cleaning

Updated on March 15, 2011

 

If you are wondering how to clean windows, then you have come to the right place. In this article we will get some professional window cleaning tips to help ensure that when you are cleaning windows you get them nice and clean. In this guide we will look at window cleaning for actual window cleaners. If you want a more basic guide on cleaning windows without any special equipment, you can find that information here.

If you are looking to start your own window cleaning business you may be wondering how exactly you go about getting windows clean. With the new pole system that is available for window cleaners there are now two ways to clean windows. You can either use the ladderless pole system or you can use the more traditional method of using ladders and cleaning the windows by hand. In this article we will look at the more traditional method and look at some handy tips for window cleaners.

How To Clean A Window

How To Clean Windows

 

We will assume that you already have the basic window cleaning equipment which would include ladders, bucket, cloths (scrims), squeegee, t-bar applicator and a scraper. This is all you really need. So now you need to think about how exactly you are going to be cleaning a window. First of all let’s talk about a larger window. To clean large windows you will be using your squeegee. First of all you need to soap the window up using your t-bar applicator. To do this you obviously need to get it wet and you also need some soap on it. You can buy special window cleaning mixes but I just use standard washing up liquid which works just as well and is far cheaper. Wet your t-bar and squirt a small amount of washing up liquid onto it, you only need to do this when the mix on the windows is looking less bubbly.

Spread the soapy water all around the window. A good little tip is to leave a small gap of around 2cm at the top of the window. This is because if you go right up to the top, when you take the water off, you will get drips of water running down the window. When you have finished soaping the window you can squeegee it off. To do this start in one of the corners and first of all move across, then sweep round and down. Keep your squeegee in contact with the glass at all times and angle it so that it is facing downwards. This will prevent any streaks from occurring and when you get good at this practice you will be able to remove all the water in one go. Some people make the mistake of simply moving the squeegee from top to bottom, then moving along and repeating. This will take the water off but it will leave lines down the glass that you will then have to wipe off.

When you have squeegeed all the water off you need to check for any bits you may have missed. Check the glass from different angles and if there are any smears or bits of dirt remaining then you can wipe these off with your cloth. Next you need to wipe the top of the window, the top 2cm will still be a little dirty so you need to run your cloth along that strip of glass. Now you need to wipe down the sides of the window, there will still be some soapy water here and you need to remove that or it will dry and mark the window. Finally wipe along the bottom of the glass to remove the drips that remain there. Now you should have a nice clean window.

I have put to together a short video of how to clean a window. This will give you a basic idea of how it is done. You can view the video over on the right of the page.

Cleaning Windows Without A Squeegee

Smaller Windows & Stubborn Stains

 

If you are cleaning smaller windows it may not be possible to use your squeegee. In this case you can simply use your cloths to clean them. To do this you want one damp cloth and one dry one. Use the damp cloth to remove the dirt then use the dry one to polish up the window and remove the film of water you have left. For a more detailed write up of how to do this you can read this article on how to clean windows. There is also a simple video guide over on the right of the screen.

Sometimes when you are cleaning windows you will come across stubborn stains. The most frequent of these is bird muck. Sometimes this will come off easily when you apply the soapy water, sometimes however you need to take a different approach. You should have a scraper with you, this is a small device with a sharp blade. Wet the area with the bird muck on and carefully scrape it off the window. Occasionally you get some bird muck that is baked onto a window and very hard to remove, here it can be a good idea to soak the bird muck with soapy water, leave it for ten minutes then come back to it to get it off.

Sometimes there are other stains on windows that are tricky to get off. One can be cement, if someone has had some building work done there can be little balls of cement stuck to the window. Don’t try to rub these off with a cloth, there is a danger of scratching the window if you do this. Instead you should once again use your scraper and gently scrape them off. Another thing that is very awkward is grease. If there is grease on a window you will find that you usual method simply moves the grease around the window. In these circumstances you need a strong cleaner. You can pick up something like kitchen cleaner which should do the job, just carry a bottle of this in your vehicle so you can use it whenever you need it, always use a separate cloth when using your strong cleaning liquid though.

Although window cleaning looks easy it can sometimes be a little bit more tricky than you would expect. Following this simple guide though should give you all the information you need to be a successful window cleaner. You may find that it is not easy using your squeegee at first, but practice for a while and you will soon master the technique. Window cleaning is a great job and it can pay very well, if you do a good job and clean windows well I am sure you be a very successful window cleaner.

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