Professional Window Washing Company

UV-ray film is becoming a rarity these days in the Seattle area, but we still find it on some older panes. It can only be cleaned with soap and squeegees. No abrasive should ever be used on it no matter how dirty it is. While we are pretty good at spotting it, we really appreciate being notified of its existence before beginning a job.

Steel wool (#0000) or brass wool is used by all premier residential window cleaning companies to remove all those bits of organic material missed by every other scrubbing device. As the #0000 steel wool is softer than glass, it cannot scratch it, and has the huge advantage over razor blades in that it rolls over any microscopic fabricating debris (see the next FAQ for more on this). Sand, dirt, and concrete particles can scratch glass when trapped on anything dragged across the glass (whether a squeegee, steel wool, or a rag). This is why we use fresh steel wool, squeegees, and rags on each job.

Please be advised: while steel wool and brass wool will not scratch glass, other cleaning abrasives, such as S.O.S. pads, will absolutely scratch it and must never be used to clean it.

When we clean windows, we use razor blades sparingly and never on tempered glass, which tends to be mottled with microscopic fabricating debris. These tiny bits of glass debris come from the rollers used in the manufacturing process and are easily nicked off by razors, leaving scratch marks behind that are especially visible in sunlight. Tempered glass is usually marked as such in a corner and are installed (per construction code) in places where the glass could easily be broken. It is found in and near doors, over bathtubs, in showers, on staircases, in skylights, on any pane near to the ground, among other places.

Yes. We will remove a few stickers free of charge, but will need to add an additional charge for more than that.

If the objects or furniture are easily movable and present no risk of breakage we are happy to move them for you and replace them. If there are many small objects in front of the windows, it really helps us do our job more efficiently if they are moved beforehand.

We no longer take on new construction window cleaning, though we can make some exceptions for existing customers.

If having and keeping clean windows is your goal, then we recommend cleaning your windows four times per year. A common request is to have both inside and out cleaned once or twice per year and the exteriors cleaned quarterly.

Fog is a common problem in double-paned thermal windows. When they are made, the air (or gas) between the panes is sealed in. If the seal breaks, the gas leaks out and moisture leaks in. This causes fogging in the window. Unfortunately, the best remedy for fixing this problem is to replace the window. However, before you go throwing good money away, you should first check with the installing contractor or manufacturer to see what warranties exist on your windows. The big national brands often come with excellent warranties, as do one or two local brands.

While each homeowner will need to tailor any purchase to their budgeting and taste requirements, we do have some general recommendations from a maintenance standpoint:

Because of the all-too-common problem of leaky seals and foggy windows, make sure you get a lifetime warranty from a company with the staying power to back it up.

Acrylic, vinyl, or plastic skylights (or windows) should always be avoided. Sometimes, particularly in skylights, they are installed for safety to protect against falling limbs. However, be advised that sap (and other dirty stuff) is impossible to remove without doing damage to the skylight. In our estimation, acrylic skylights are installed without any thought to future maintenance and are almost always a disappointment to the homeowner within a few years.
For cleaning access, screens should be removable from the outside. Most are, but a few odd brands allow inside-only removal. These add time (and cost) to cleaning.

If you want more energy efficiency, pay the extra for argon (krypton, xenon, etc.) thermal windows with a low-emissivity coating between the panes. Don’t buy regular panes with a view to applying UV ray film after. Even the best film doesn’t clean well after a year or two. And if you do happen to buy the film, never have it applied to the window exterior.