Window Washing

[joenorm]

I do most everything myself in regards to my house but lately I have been tempted to hire window washers to least establish a baseline.

Is this crazy? I am able bodied and comfortable on ladders but I just hate washing windows. Not to mention I am not very good at it.

Where is everyone else on this one?

[SunnyDays]

I wash the interior myself but hire out the exterior because I don’t have the balance for ladders.  I don’t find it hard to get a decent cleaning job done - just wipe them down with water first to get rid of any dirt, then pure vinegar, then dry them.  Just don’t do it when the sun is coming in or it dries too fast and you get streaks.  Do one side vertically and the other side horizontally so if you do get streaks you know what side they’re on.  But there’s nothing wrong with hiring either if it’s just something you hate.  There’s also a product on the market called Windex Outdoor Sprayer that needs no wiping.  I hired someone who used this once and it did a great job.

[sonofsven]

I do my outsides from the ground with a good squegee but my high windows are not that high and not that many.
I do them inside and out twice a year, I love clean windows!

[draco44]

Do one side vertically and the other side horizontally so if you do get streaks you know what side they’re on.

This is a great tip. I haven't heard that one before.

[Morning Glory]

I always had the kind of windows that fold in for cleaning.
 At my last house they didn't have the latches but I could still fold them in with a little muscle.

https://pella.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/29/~/operating-wood-double-hung-windows-with-flexible-jambliners

[joenorm]

thanks for all the replies, I think I will work on my technique.

[lthenderson]

I use a telescoping pole with a good quality napped scrubber and interchangeable squeegee tip. I use that for the back side of my house with a walk out basement and the windows are essentially second story windows. It works really well when you get the hang of drawing the squeegee down in one smooth motion. It takes a few attempts to get it down but not a hard learning curve.

[geekette]

And here, the spider webs come back the next day.

[ender]

A good squeegee and is like $15 on Amazon and makes this so much easier, too.

Not all are created equal. I find that what I do is:

• Prepare soapy water mix in bucket
• Wash with nap/scrubber
• Use towel to wipe top of window/jam (to avoid dripping streaks)
• squeegee down the window

It goes crazy fast once you get the hang of it.

I need to get a ladder because I've not found a way to fold our double hung windows in yet.

Our problem is a previous owner here obviously sprayed a bunch of windows with hard water... so water spots are all over the windows.

[WSUCoug1994]

I hate washing windows (and we have a lot of them) but not as much as I hate wasting money.  I bought the legit pole, scrubber, squeegee and used this formula for the solution.  Gets done every spring inside and out.

2 cups water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dish detergent.

[Louisville]

Squeegy: Get one with a rubber (black) blade, not some kind of vinyl (white or clear). Wears out a bit more quickly, but so much cleaner.

[lutorm]

I love washing windows, it's by far the kind of cleaning with the most visible reward for the effort!

I don't have any tips though, all our windows are accessible from the inside.

[ender]

I need to get a ladder because I've not found a way to fold our double hung windows in yet.

I guess I can fold the bottom part in, awesome. I can then clean the second story ones from the inside I think!

[Morning Glory]

I need to get a ladder because I've not found a way to fold our double hung windows in yet.

I guess I can fold the bottom part in, awesome. I can then clean the second story ones from the inside I think!

Mine had wooden sashes so they required a wrestling match during hot and humid weather (i.e. any time it was warm enough to open the windows) so I often just folded in the lower one then pushed the top one halfway down and stood on a chair to reach. That house had 24 windows, most of which had screens and storms too. I tried to do a couple every week during spring/summer so they would each get washed once a year.

The vinyl ones with the latches are easier but they don't last as long or insulate as well. The only drafts I had in that house were from a sliding glass door, an original stained glass window, and a converted porch that had casement windows and probably no insulation in the walls. We actually had soda freeze in our shoe closet once.

I did a double cleaning method. First vacuum out as much as you can. Rag with soap and water to get rid of the dirt, then Windex and paper towels to get rid of streaks. I would take the screens and storms out and hose them off in the shower, then go over the storms with Windex before reinstalling. Took forever but I counted it as exercise. Nobody ever helped either.

  I'm really enjoying taking a break from being a homeowner.

[beekayworld]

I wash the outsides from inside my house using this cool magnetic gizmo.

You open the window, place one part on the outside and hold it while you place the other part on the inside lined up with it so they hold each other in place with strong magnets.  Then you close the window and slowly move the inside part across the window in rows or however you want.

I like to put a wet soapy cloth of my own onto the outside part and attach it with a rubber band or fabric hair tie. Then I replace it with a clean one wet with vinegar, and then finally a dry one.

Be sure to tie the string around your finger because sometimes if you move the inside part too quickly, the outside part can drop. With the string you just pull it back, rather than going outside to pick it up off the ground.
I can't find the one I got on Amazon, but it was something like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Tyroler-Bright-Tools-S-1-Window/dp/B00F8FEGMK?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1