How to clean windows and facades: problems for residents of the upper floors

Recommendation points

• What you need to clean windows
• Step by step: window cleaning technique
• Technical progress to help the housewife
• We attract specialists – professional and safe cleaning of windows and facades

It is recommended to wash windows at least twice a year. However, for the residents of the upper floors, this process becomes a real challenge. How to cope with this task on your own, whether it is worth attracting professionals and how much the services of industrial climbers cost, you will learn from our article.

Washing windows and glazing of loggias seems to be an easy task only to those who watched the process from the side. Many housewives are familiar with the situation when stripes and stains are revealed on the washed glass when the sun’s rays fall. Most often, glazed loggias and balconies, or rather, their outer part, become a problem. Leaning out of the window, trying to reach the farthest corners, can be very dangerous. How to make this complex procedure safe?

What you need to clean windows

Modern window cleaners and gadgets are designed to make this process easier, but you need to know how to use them..

It is best to prepare everything you need in advance:

1. Rubber scraper (preferably with telescopic handle).
2. A container of warm water.
3. Any dishwashing detergent.
4. Soft sponge (for glass).
5. Hard sponge (for frames and heavy dirt).
6. Fiber-fiber napkins (or a piece of cotton cloth).
7. Paper towels.
8. Stepladder (useful for cleaning the outside of windows).

Important! Remove all potentially dangerous objects from window sills and adjacent areas – electrical appliances, equipment, vases and flowers. Fill the bucket no more than halfway with water and add no more than a couple of drops of washing liquid to it – these formulations form copious foam.

Before starting work, it is worth checking the stepladder for stability – it should stand on a flat surface. The height of the ladder should allow you to freely reach any point on the window, both inside and outside the room. Ideally, the step-ladder should be equipped with a special upper platform – on it all the necessary items will be at hand.

Think, will it be convenient for you to work? Keep in mind that one hand should always be free – you can use it to lean against a wall or window sill in case of loss of balance. You can put on an apron with several pockets (or other similar clothing), spreading out all the rags and sprays.

Step by step: window cleaning technique

Important! Always start cleaning the windows from the inside. The transparency of the glass does not always make it clear which side the dirt is located on. When the interior is clean, stains on the outside will be easier to spot and remove..

For high-quality cleaning of windows, it is not necessary to use powerful sprays – most often a soap solution (water + dishwashing liquid) is sufficient. The process can be divided into several stages:

1. Install the ladder sideways to the window, check its reliability.
2. Remove stubborn dirt from frames and windowsills.
3. Soak a sponge in soapy water and squeeze it out slightly – the water should not drain. Treat the entire surface and leave for a couple of minutes to allow the dirt to dissolve.
4. Rinse the sponge and carefully wipe all the glass around the edge, pressing on the joints with the frame.
5. Scrape the dirty water down the glass using a rubber scraper. At this stage, you can ignore the resulting streaks or stains..
6. Re-sponge the glass.
7. Finish with a scraper.

Important! Do not run the scraper in different directions – this will only smear the dirt.

Window cleaning starts from the far top corner. Inside the room, the scraper is pulled from top to bottom; for the outside, movements are allowed from the edge of the window towards you. The optimal angle of inclination is 20-30 degrees, each passage should overlap the previous one by a couple of centimeters (to capture the already washed space). The scraper is wiped dry after each run.

8. Dry the glass with a paper towel, externally use a scraper or telescopic roller.

If the contamination of the inner surface is insignificant, you can get by with an abbreviated program using an aerosol agent:

1. Spray the spray in a zigzag pattern from a distance of 1-1.5 meters.
2. Wait for the droplets to settle.
3. Wipe the glass with microfiber cloths or paper towels. Use circular motions.

Important! Choose warm, but not hot days for cleaning windows. Under the scorching sun, the liquid will dry quickly, forming drips. At dusk and even more so at night, washing is contraindicated – not only will you not see dirt, there is also a great risk of stumbling and falling out of the window.

Observe safety measures – do not stand with bare feet on a damp windowsill, do not hang out of the window and do not try with all your might to reach the most extreme corners. Do not lean on the glass when washing – even the most reliable glass unit may not withstand the load and crack.

Technical progress to help the housewife

Japanese scientists have come up with another magic wand for home and professional use. The glass washer robot is attached to the glass using two magnetic blocks and rubs it to a shine with four microfiber brushes.

The robot is guided by the readings of the laser sensor, which determines the window boundaries. The work uses a special solution that does not leave streaks and streaks. Saturation is adjusted according to the intensity of pollution.

We attract specialists – professional and safe cleaning of windows and facades

Experts say that without special training, windows can be washed with high quality at the height of the second or third floor. It is better to entrust windows in high-rise buildings, stained-glass glazing and facades to cleaning companies with the necessary equipment and experience.

Industrial climbers can use several methods of work:

1. Manual washing involves removing dirt using a standard set – sponges, scrapers, cleaning solutions.
2. Cleaning with demineralized water requires additional devices – demineralization units, light rods and soft bristled brushes. This technology is distinguished by the absence of streaks and streaks..
3. The pressure washer is used for stubborn dirt. High pressure water jet perfectly flushes dirt out of hard-to-reach places (for example, in decorative elements and stucco molding).
4. Washing with light rods does not require climbing skills. A specialist on the ground cleans the facade with light rods (height reaches 20 meters).
5. Washing with the use of an aerial platform allows you to get free access to any wall and raise the equipment to a height of 50 meters.
6. Scaffolding cleaning usually takes place at the final stage of construction or renovation. Experts eliminate building pollution by washing facades and windows.

Experts determine the possibility of using this or that method on the spot, taking into account the height of the building, architectural features, the degree of pollution, finishing material, the presence of green spaces and buildings around the object.

The cost of services for industrial climbers is determined in each case individually and depends on many factors. We can give an approximate price list of one of the firms specializing in cleaning services:

Type of work	Volume, sq. m	Cost, rub / sq. m
Washing up to 3 meters	Up to 100	55-75
100-500	45-55
500-5000	35-45
More than 5000	20-35
Washing at a height of more than three meters (using a tour or aerial platform)	Up to 100	70-90
100-500	55-70
500-5000	45-55
More than 5000	35-45
Washing windows and facades (industrial mountaineering)	Up to 100	100-120
100-500	60-100
500-5000	50-60
More than 5000	40-50

In many companies there are restrictions on the minimum order amount, so it would be most profitable to hire industrial climbers “in teamwork” with neighbors.

Important! The price can be affected by temperature conditions, the distance of the object from the city, the degree of deterioration of the facade materials and the desired time of work.

You should not trust companies that instantly name the cost of services, having learned only the required volumes. Check with the manager what chemical compositions are used for washing, what equipment the company has, who carries out the work. Only a professional approach can guarantee the absence of scratches and permanent stains after cleaning..

Of course, with a low height and standard dimensions of windows, you can cope with planned washing on your own. Residents of high-rise buildings or residents of apartments with an individual layout (blank windows, stained-glass windows) should better seek help from specialists..