Window washing

Merlin5

Merlin5

Merlin5

Soldato
Joined
17 Aug 2009
Posts
18,395
Location
Finchley, London
I'm going to wash the outside of my three front bay windows, now that my new blinds are up. How do you wash your windows and do you do it the same for the inside as the outside? I was going to use soapy water and sponge, then clean water and cloths, and then dry them. That would take some time. And apparently rags leave smears. The squeegee seems to be the way people do it now though and it looks really fast. I've never used one.

Videos show applicator cloth scrubbers like these

http://www.screwfix.com/p/unger-scr...tracking url&gclid=CKaknfSw4bkCFfMdtAodqxIAFg

applying soapy water and then a squeegee taking it off, with apparently no clean rinsing water used after, or any drying. So, no drying needed at all then?

There also seems to be various advanced techniques to using the squeegee. So do any of you use these and in any particular way to avoid streaks? Such as this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edWbys20Cdw


And can anyone recommend me a decent squeegee (as I know the rubber quality varies) and a decent applicator scrubber?


So in a nutshell, do I do outside and inside with squeegee, no drying needed and no windowlene, and is it ok just to pull squeegee left to right without any fancy moves?
 
Soapy water with bucket and sponge. Use any basic squeegee from Wilkinsons, online, B&M, etc to get the water off and dry the rim with any kind of cotton towel/t-shirt/cloth. Job done.

Inside I wouldn't really bother doing that unless they were really dirty. Any kind of window wipe will do fine to get fingerprints removed.

Seriously though, that's pretty basic stuff :p
 
Kemik said:
Soapy water with bucket and sponge. Use any basic squeegee from Wilkinsons, online, B&M, etc to get the water off and dry the rim with any kind of cotton towel/t-shirt/cloth. Job done.

Inside I wouldn't really bother doing that unless they were really dirty. Any kind of window wipe will do fine to get fingerprints removed.

Seriously though, that's pretty basic stuff :p
Click to expand...

Appreciate the tips.

I know it's basic stuff, but then, better quality rubber (Unger brand is good apparently) should leave less streaks, no? I could buy this for £5 but don't know if the rubber is decent or replaceable.
http://www.diy.com/nav/rooms/indoor...dow_cleaning/Squeegee-11697679?skuId=12208385

Or this where it's replaceable http://www.screwfix.com/p/unger-pro...racking url&gclid=COnihNnT4bkCFSXLtAodCwIA2w#
 
When you squeegee, work left to right drying the blade with each pass.
This takes the water to the edge of the frame, take a dry rag down the edge of the frame to remove this. If they haven't been done for a while I would use some apc and a toothbrush around the seals to get the grot out first.
Handy to have a garden pressure sprayer if you have one to rinse everything off before making your glass all shiny!
(Keep in mind this is OCD window cleaning :) )
 
mjd said:
When you squeegee, work left to right drying the blade with each pass.
This takes the water to the edge of the frame, take a dry rag down the edge of the frame to remove this. If they haven't been done for a while I would use some apc and a toothbrush around the seals to get the grot out first.
Handy to have a garden pressure sprayer if you have one to rinse everything off before making your glass all shiny!
(Keep in mind this is OCD window cleaning :) )
Click to expand...

Thanks. :) As it happens, I've still got my brother's karcher jetwasher I can use, but the windows aren't too bad, but dirtier near the top (not really visible in the pic).



What's APC by the way?
Actually I was watching this video which is similar to what you said, though he starts with making an edge straight down the left side, then he describes turning the squeegee slightly in the direction I'm going (from left to right).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGKdmKX1z64
 
Get a pile of microfibre cloths designed for window cleaning and a bottle of alcohol based window cleaning solution. Just spray the window and allow it to work for a few mins and then wipe it clean with the microfibre cloth.

Works for inside and out.
 
3 clothes

1 wet
1 damp
1 dry

Wash with wet, then go over with damp, then go over with dry. 100% crystal clear windows
 
a1ex2001 said:
So do we, one of the best things we have ever signed up to it's so nice to have clean windows all the time and costs peanuts!
Click to expand...

£182 a year is about what it would cost us to have them cleaned.

I just give them a quick clean once a month as they really don't get that dirty. Takes me 20 mins to do them with the microfibre cloths. Although I sometimes give the PVC frames a good clean with solvent cleaner etc as well, something the window cleaner wouldn't do.
 
I started cleaning them then realised there's lots of tiny specs of paint or other residue stuck to the glass from installation of the windows, building works and some painting done last year. So now I'm painstakingly getting that off before continuing washing them. I'm wetting sections of the glass at a time with soapy water then using a ceramic hob scraper which seems to be the same tool as a window scraper. I'm only doing forward scrapes to avoid scratching. So far it seems ok. Bloody tedious though. :rolleyes:
 
Merlin5 said:
I started cleaning them then realised there's lots of tiny specs of paint or other residue stuck to the glass from installation of the windows, building works and some painting done last year. So now I'm painstakingly getting that off before continuing washing them. I'm wetting sections of the glass at a time with soapy water then using a ceramic hob scraper which seems to be the same tool as a window scraper. I'm only doing forward scrapes to avoid scratching. So far it seems ok. Bloody tedious though. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I had the same problem. The answer -get yourself a clay bar, bilt hamber is my preference as you can use straight water as lubricant. Removes all the paint and building grot with ease :) APC = All purpose cleaner btw.
 
mjd said:
I had the same problem. The answer -get yourself a clay bar, bilt hamber is my preference as you can use straight water as lubricant. Removes all the paint and building grot with ease :) APC = All purpose cleaner btw.
Click to expand...

Just had a look for some of that, never heard of it before. Not particularly cheap but does it wear away or have to be thrown after it's picked up all the residue?
Can't imagine what's in the clay that makes it remove stuck on paint and possibly bits of cement from the glass, but I'll take your word for it. :)
 
Mark A said:
£182 a year is about what it would cost us to have them cleaned.

I just give them a quick clean once a month as they really don't get that dirty. Takes me 20 mins to do them with the microfibre cloths. Although I sometimes give the PVC frames a good clean with solvent cleaner etc as well, something the window cleaner wouldn't do.
Click to expand...

Ouch expensive window cleaner! Ours comes in at about 86 quid a year and it would take me a lot longer than 20 minutes to clean all the windows I'd loose half of that getting the ladder down and filling a bucket!

I used to be adamant about doing my own and not wasting the money but it is so nice knowing they will always be clean and I can spend my time doing those millions of other little jobs a victorian house throws up every day.
 
I have a windowcleaner once every two months give or take, £10 quid a pop. Cant complain really apart from the one time I did not shut my curtains and i was having a lazy Saturday
 
Regy53 said:
I have a windowcleaner once every two months give or take, £10 quid a pop. Cant complain really apart from the one time I did not shut my curtains and i was having a lazy Saturday
Click to expand...

Is that what the kids are calling it these days?
 
Merlin5 said:
Just had a look for some of that, never heard of it before. Not particularly cheap but does it wear away or have to be thrown after it's picked up all the residue?
Can't imagine what's in the clay that makes it remove stuck on paint and possibly bits of cement from the glass, but I'll take your word for it. :)
Click to expand...

You cant reuse as such, it all depends on level of crud it removes, but to put it into context - I cut the clay bar into 5 and 1/5th was enough to do all my windows. The benefit of glass (rather than painted surfaces) is your unlikely to scratch the glass with anything the clay has picked up, so 1/5th reshaped periodically was enough for 8 windows and one door for me.
You can achieve a similar effect, albeit not as effective, with blue tack. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom