I get this question all the time.

Everyone thinks us window cleaners have the secret formula, designed down to the molecule, for cleaning windows. And you know what? Some do. Some like to play chemist or whisper incantations into their solution to make it “perfect”. But I’d wager those cleaners are not the majority.

The majority of professionals use soap and water and a squeegee. This varies from business to business but it all boils down to that. Very few people I talk to even use that. They use that dreaded Windex (just say no) or some other “glass cleaner in a bottle”. Ease of use is thru the roof while results plummet into the ground.

For best results– use a rag, sponge, or other non scratch applicator to scrub window. Use a squeegee to remove water. Use a dry rag to clean up any excess. That’s the way window cleaners do it and you will keep your windows cleaner for longer this- there are no chemicals left on the windows for dirt to attach to!

However, what I recommend to most homeowners and business owners who are trying to maintain their windows is this: a microfiber rag and pure/distilled water. Both are found in many supermarkets and hardware stores. Spray the pure water onto the microfiber and rub it into the entire glass surface. You should have some leftover water that you can dry with the other side of the cloth. Why will this work better? Pure water, unlike other store bought glass cleaners, has nothing to leave behind on the glass. It is truly the only spray that “dries clear/streak free”. This is especially helpful on the inside of car windows because they often develop a film on the inside and the average squeegee is useless on concave surfaces.

TL/DR: Don’t use windex. If your windows aren’t terribly dirty you can use pure water and a microfiber cloth. If they are dirty, mix your favorite dish soap into water, apply it to the window firmly, and squeegee it off.

The Epilogue No One Asked For: This post was designed for the average homeowner and is greatly simplified from the point of view of a professional. If my colleagues saw this they would have a million “yeah, but”s. Some will use additives so the water doesn’t freeze, so it doesn’t evaporate too fast, so the solution will clean better in hard water, and so on and so forth. But if you’re reading this you probably don’t care THAT much. I didn’t want to get down to technique which is an important point as well but not really the subject of the real question being asked, “what supplies do you use that I can also use when I get home?”

The 2016 Spring season is upon us… but after a long dry year last year this unprecedented amount of precipitation is confounding the senses! In other words, people are going to put off their spring projects (especially window cleaning) until it stops raining.  But if you know anything about kids (El Nino= the boy) they can often be temperamental.  In February, it was dry, in March, it’s pretty wet.  April? Who knows.

What can a consumer do? Let the weather control their decisions forever? Of course not!

Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Fear the Rain

(At least for your windows.)

[WARNING: SCIENCE AHEAD!]

Most people understand that the water that comes from the spouts in their house is “hard” water (which means it has a lot of impurities in it), and it leaves stains when it dries.  Rain is not hard water… it’s pure water. When it dries, it leaves nothing! However… because there is really not much force or pressure behind it- it doesn’t help or hurt. Our California rain is strong enough to move the dirt around on your windows, but not enough to actually clean it.

On the other hand, what if it were to rain on your already clean windows? Remember- rain is pure water- it leaves nothing behind when it dries. In fact, some window cleaners even collect rain to use in pure water cleaning systems (more about that later.)

There are small variables like water runoff from dirty siding or from the window screen that could possibly dirty a window- but those are the exceptions, not the rule. I’m not speaking purely theoretical either- I just cleaned my windows last week, it rained all weekend, and today, they still look clean.

But all this information does nothing for you unless I put my money where my mouth is. That’s why I have the 1-week rain guarantee: If your windows get dirtied by the rain I will come out and re-clean any affected windows free of charge (but I must be notified within one week).

TL:DR– The rain won’t make your clean windows dirty, if they do, we’ll re-clean them.

Whenever I tell my friends what I do the majority of them are divided into two groups- those who have no idea what I do… and those who still don’t know what I do, but are humorous about it. The latter group is well known to retort with- “Do you work on the freeway?” (alluding to the less fortunate, homeless citizens of Modesto who will clean your car window unwarranted for spare change.) The life of a window cleaner in Modesto does not include work on cars… or for spare change. What it does include is a lot less freeway work and lot more legitimate business with homeowners and business owners.

Here’s a breakdown.

A home/business owner notices their unsightly windows and finds their local neighborhood window cleaner and calls them up. (Or gets an instant online quote *wink* *wink* [shameless plug])

The window cleaner comes out and cleans the windows. Very similar to the process of any other service industry- cleaning or otherwise. But what do we physically do to clean the windows? It’s very similar to cleaning a car, except instead of drying with just a towel, it is done with a squeegee. That’s the real secret to a clean window. Apply the solution, squeegee off, and wipe up any excess water with a towel. The concept is quite simple, but the application becomes much harder with hard to reach windows, specialty screens, and other variables. And in order to make it really profitable you need to do it quickly.

As with any service industry, the need exists because we offer a service that people do not want to do, or cannot do. However, unlike carpet cleaning, for instance, where you can go to Lowe’s and rent a Carpet Cleaning machine and solution, there is no machine for window cleaning (yet). You can buy similar tools to the professionals, such as a squeegee, but there is a measure of technique involved that often leaves lackluster results for the average DIY’er (there are window chemicals you can use that I WOULD NOT recommend. Why? That’s a topic for a different day). Also with second story houses, safety can become a concern using ladders and working from heights.

The Conclusion? (TL:DR) The Window Cleaning industry is just a specialty cleaning service that handles businesses and homes alike to provide exceptional results with the help of our trusted squeegee.

Thanks for the read.

-Aston
Owner of Super Squeegee Window Cleaning for the Salida/Modesto area.