Steve Hanson

Have you ever watched a professional window washer do his or her job, and wonder how s/he does such a perfect job so quickly, and only with the simplest of tools?  When it comes to window washing, there are some important tricks of the trade that you need to learn, before you can be confident in the fact that you wash windows like a pro.  Believe it or not, when you know what you're doing, you may actually find that you enjoy window washing.

The first trick is to arm yourself with the right window washing tools.  This includes a good quality squeegee. applicator, scraper, window bucket, and microfiber cloths. The squeegee should be a 10" to 16" professional quality brass or stainless steel squeegee, depending on the size of window you'll be cleaning.  To compliment the work your squeegee will do, you'll also want a quality window scrubber and possibly an extension pole if you'll be working on high windows.  You don't want to leave lint on the window from your cloths, so we suggest using microfiber cloths, which are lint-free. You might also consider purchasing a tool belt especially designed to hold your window washing tools. This will allow you to complete the job faster - you'll need to do less bending by setting one tool down and picking another up.   

Though window washing can be done at any time, the best conditions for washing windows are when it is a cool, cloudy (but not rainy) day. You never want to wash windows in direct sunlight because they'll dry out too fast and leave streaks.

Your technique should be as follows:  fill your window washing bucket with cool or lukewarm water (never hot) and add a small amount of dishwashing soap.  Wipe away any cobwebs or debris on or around the window. Dip the applicator into the bucket and run your hand across the applicator to get rid of excess liquid. Wet the window with the applicator and scrub. The window will begin to feel clean when it is done, as it will no longer have any rough patches.  If you need to use a scraper to get rid of stubborn spots, be sure that the window is wet - never scrape a dry window.

Now for the streak-free window.  When window washing, you can ensure that you won't leave any streaks by using a dry rubber blade.  Place this blade against the top of the window, and pull down smoothly, using a rag to dry your blade between each stroke.  Repeat this process until the window is complete, being sure to overlap the dry edge of the squeegee with the dry portion of the window in order to prevent drips and streaks. To complete the window, you need to do one final stroke from left to right at the very bottom of the window.  Use a dry microfiber cloth and run it around the edges of the window to soak up any remaining drips. 

As you improve your basic window washing technique, you may want to learn other techniques such as the swirl, which can make the job go even quicker. When using the more advanced techniques you'll be able to wash a window in one step without having to stop and wipe your squeegee between strokes.

Congratulations, you now have a sparkling clean window!

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Steve Hanson helps owners of small cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through his online community at TheJanitorialStore.com. Read inspirational cleaning success stories at http://www.cleaning-success.com, and sign up for weekly cleaning tips at http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com.

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