Mouprise.com

Learn to be a top notch window cleaner

Many people have their windows cleaned by a professional window cleaner because the results are always great. Beautiful shiny windows without swirl marks or streaks just don’t happen compared to when you clean them yourself. But with the right knowledge, materials, and practice, you too can become a pro.

The right equipment and supplies

There are only two basic items you may need to buy at a cleaning supply house because your department store may not have them; a T-bar covered with a soft sheepskin cloth for wetting the glass and a 14″ squeegee. Squeegees come in different sizes, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 , but a professional window cleaner generally finds the 14″ works for most windows and is easy to handle. You may want a 6″ for small glass if you have a lot. Next, a microfiber cloth or t-shirt material, a bucket, dish soap, and plenty of dry cloths will complete your cleaning supplies.

First steps with window cleaning

You don’t need a special soap or glass cleaner unless the weather is extremely cold and you find water freezing on your windows. In this case, add some alcohol to your dishwasher. A good window cleaner always starts with the upper windows because the water will run down and wet the lower windows. Wet your panel with your T-bar submerged in your bucket of water. Starting with a good dry squeegee, place it in the top corner of the window and pull down. Wipe the squeegee clean with a dry cloth and go to the wet area next to your dry area. When you’re done, wipe the sill clean with a cloth, and then use your microfiber cloth or a T-shirt to go around the edges.

Problems found with window cleaning

If you have a window that is marked with hard specks of dirt, you can take a glass scraper with you. One end is blunt to push dirt away and the other end has a razor sharp edge. A good window cleaner always makes sure the window is wet before using so as not to scratch the glass. Cleaning your windows will be much easier once you’ve removed any clumps of dirt from the pane. A window cleaner who is expected to wash a skylight or a window that is too high for a standard ladder should use a stick with the squeegee on the end. These windows may not be perfect since you can’t even see the squeegee.

different types of windows

Not all types of windows are that simple for a window cleaner. There are lead/lattice, French/Georgian, sculpted or tiny pane windows that can be a big hindrance. You can’t use a squeegee on these because of the surface, shape, and size. The best thing to do is to dampen with your T-bar, wipe off most of the excess water with a cloth, and shine with your microfiber cloth or t-shirt material.

The main thing to remember about window cleaning is to keep it simple. All the chemical-based products in the world won’t give you a better job or make you a better window cleaner than soap and water. The rest is practice.