A step by step guide on how to clean your windows like a professional

Window cleaning can be a long and tedious process, perhaps this is the reason many people leave it to the professionals and by right, if you can do so, hire professionals like the guys at B1 Windows, they were kind enough to supply some content on how to do it and what you will need, however, unfortunately, this isn’t a luxury all of us can afford. A small 4/2 house can cost anywhere from $150 - $200 dependant on window size, granted this can take a professional up to 4-5 hours. Additionally, they already know how to do so, therefore it could take you or me a lot.. lot longer. Alas, fear not, with the right now-how you too could have windows sparkling like the professionals. The start-up fee for equipment is the biggest investment you’ll tackle, the only ongoing fees from there are cleaning supplies such as sprays and glass cleaning detergent and perhaps (after a lot of use) a new rubber squeegee blade. So, what equipment do you need? Professional window cleaners such as B1 Windows have equipment such as pure water system window cleaning technology that filters out contaminants in the water and can cost thousands of dollars to buy and upkeep, however, all we need is the basics. Firstly a good squeegee is a window-cleaners best friend, this is perhaps the only piece of equipment you don’t want to just get the cheapest, you can pick up squeegees from and hardware store for as little as $10, I wouldn’t recommend this. Spend the money and thank yourself later, Glidex is a great brand, stocking extension poles and squeegee’s available in 12 lengths from 150mm–910mm (6” –36”) and might set you back $100. Again you don’t have to worry about spending this much all at once, cleaning your own windows instead of hiring people can save you money in the long run, never-the-less let’s continue. Buy a bucket slightly larger than your window cleaning washer, a bucket is as little as $10 and a window cleaning washer can be between $20 - $40. So far you may have spent around $150 depending on the equipment you choose, trust me this is the most you will spend on equipment. Once you have it, you have it, from there you can choose your preferred cleaning products, however, bare in mind even a small amount of dishwashing liquid does the job surprisingly well. Finally, a good glass polishing cloth is as little as $5, and this is a crucial piece for cleaning windows, they are super absorbent and nylon free, so they don’t leave a fibrous residue if you do need to touch up watermarks left behind after squeegeeing. Now its time to get to work, I suggest first going around your home and carefully removing flyscreens and giving them a thorough rub with an old brush and putting them aside. Doing this first prevents you from brushing dust from your flyscreens straight onto your clean windows, thank me later. Grab your chosen cleaning product and use it sparingly, it goes further than you think. Pour your desired amount into the bucket then half fill it with warm water, you only need enough to soak your washer and remove any debris from it, this is another reason you want to use your cleaning product sparingly, you may find yourself refilling your bucket many times through-out the process as you don’t want to clean with too dirty water. However, don’t be stress too much about it, in general, each side of a house you might want to change your water. Use your washer however you want, as long as you’re thoroughly scrubbing away the dirt from the entire surface of the window you’re likely doing it properly. Take your squeegee and unless you’re trained to do the entire surface of the window in one clean movement, wipe the windows in clean separate motions top to bottom and take your time, good results depend on this, lastly wipe away and remaining water from the edges. Stand back from the window being so close you tend to miss tiny little marks you may have missed but the polishing cloths are great at removing greasy marks that may remain after a scrub. After some time of cleaning, you will find a nice rhythm and the time will fly by, before you know it you’ll find yourself enjoying free views of your home through shining windows.