Our Process for Washing
Windows
Brad Forrest, Owner
Exterior Windows
Washing windows is fairly simple but our method has been improved
throughout the years so that we can clean them in the most efficient
and effective way possible.
Materials:
-
A foam squeegee
-
Rubber squeegees of various sizes
-
White vinegar
-
Dawn dish soap
-
A bucket
-
Microfiber cloths (2+)
-
Rags (2+)
-
Spray bottle
-
Ladders
-
Window cleaning belt & squeegee holster
-
Squeegee-Off
-
Very fine steel wool
-
Razor blade
-
toothbrush
​
​
​
​​
​
​
​
​
​
​​
​
​
​
1. Getting Equipment Ready
First, we fill the spray bottle with vinegar and add a few drops of dish soap. Next, we add a few drops of Squeegee-Off to help prevent streaks. Then, we shake the bottle up to make sure everything is mixed. The bucket is filled with water and we put rags and microfiber cloths in our window washing belts.
​
2. Cleaning the Tracks and Sills
We start by wiping around the sills with the rags. These aren’t usually too dirty, but sometimes spray is necessary. Next, we clean the tracks of the windows. To do this, we open up the window a crack and spray them and then we wipe the tracks down with one of our rags. If there is a small spot in a corner that is hard to reach, we may use a toothbrush to get into every nook & cranny.
3. Prewashing the Window
We start by wetting the foam squeegee by dipping it in the bucket and then spraying the window down with the vinegar & dish soap. Using the wet foam squeegee, we wipe down the entire window. If the windows are particularly dirty, we may scrub the window with very fine steel wool (steel wool, as long as it is very fine, actually doesn't scratch the window).
4. Washing the Window
We use a dry microfiber cloth to wipe down the top of the window and one of the sides so that the edges of the window are now dry. This will give the squeegee something to grip onto when we swipe. Now, we put the squeegee on one of the dry edges and wipe across to the other side. We push the squeegee against the edge of the window before taking it off and then use one of our rags to dry it off before starting on the next swipe. We will likely have to do this a few more times until we're done with the entire window.
5. Touching it up
It is inevitable that we will leave some streaks on the windows or that some spots will be missed, so we make sure to check for these. Crouching down and looking up at the window from multiple angles allows us to see the spots most clearly. If we see any spots, we take a dry microfiber cloth and wipe away any spots. If there is a really tough spot, we may use a razor blade. Despite what one's intuition may say, scratching the issue isn’t really an issue with the razor blade as long because we put the blade flat against the window.
6. Repeat
We then repeat steps 2-5 with every outside window until the job is complete. For higher windows, we will use ladders to reach them.
Interior Windows
Washing the interior windows is similar to the outside but there are a
few differences. Because there are typically no ladders involved and we
don’t have to clean the tracks and sills, it is generally much quicker to
do the insides. We almost always do the interior windows after we do the
exterior ones.
1. Getting Equipment Ready
In order to get the equipment ready for the insides, all we have to do is
wet the foam squeegee and spray it down with the spray bottle. Unlike the
exterior, we'll only need to rewet the squeegee a few times at most to do
the interior windows, and we may not need to rewet it at all.
2. Prewashing the Window
This is similar to step 3 of washing exterior windows except we don’t spray the window directly (this is because it wouldn’t dry as fast inside and to avoid dripping anything insdie of the customer's house). We use the foam squeegee to wet the whole window and then use the microfiber cloth to wipe off two of the edges of the window.
3. Washing the Window
Washing the inside of the window is the same as step 4 of washing exterior windows except this time we’ll have to be more careful about dripping water or cleaner. To do this, we will put one of the rags right under our squeegee as we wipe it across.
4. Touching it up
Similar to exterior windows, it is inevitable that we’ll miss a few spots here and there. We make sure to check from multiple different angles to find any imperfection and wipe it off with a dry microfiber cloth.
5. Repeat Until Finished
We then repeat steps 2-4 until the job is completed. We generally won’t need a ladder when doing the inside windows, but we have a telescoping ladder in case we do need to get up high on the insides.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)