It might seem like such a simple thing, yet getting office windows perfectly clean and streak-free is surprisingly challenging! It turns out there are a variety of reasons for this.

For starters, a lot of the glass cleaning products sold at the retail level aren’t formulated for large surface cleaning. They are meant more for small residential windows, bathroom mirrors, and other general surfaces. At the same time, there is a fair amount of art and science to cleaning professional windows that do take a practiced hand to get right.

This puts a lot of commercial property building managers in a quandary. Do you or your staff take the time to learn the tips and tricks to clean windows like a professional, or do you hire a professional window washing company to handle the nitty-gritty details?

To help you decide which option is best for your building, we decided to take a closer look at the process of getting windows impeccably clean as well as the costs of hiring out a third-party contractor to handle it for you. This starts with asking and answering some essential questions.

Right off the bat, let’s be clear that we are talking about cleaning the interior windows of a commercial property and low-level exterior windows. This is the sort of thing that is limited to what an 8-foot step ladder will let you safely access on your own.

Cleaning the exterior windows of a building that is more than two or three stories typically requires professional equipment like hydraulic lifts and specialized training. Not the least of which is overseen by OSHA and other institutions who do not take kindly to people improvising on their own.

How Often Do Commercial Windows Need To Be Cleaned?

Interior windows in a personal office space can benefit from weekly cleaning to provide a fresh appearance and also prevent residual buildup from dust, aerosols, pollen, or other airborne debris. When it comes to interior windows in high traffic areas, commons areas, and the lobby, cleaning should be part of the daily routine or cleaned at least every other day to present a professional appearance to guests and clients.

When it comes to exterior windows, the answer can vary. Some properties need the external windows cleaned more frequently. Especially during the summer when birds and pollen can compound to have a major influence on your building’s exterior. Though in general, having them cleaned each season or at least at the turn from summer to fall and winter to spring will go a long way toward maintaining a commercial property’s professional appearance.

How Much Does It Cost To Have Commercial Windows Professionally Cleaned?

In the case of a two to the three-story building, the cost to clean commercial windows is roughly $2 to $10 per pane of glass on the outside. Then an additional $2 to $10 per pane to have the interior window professionally cleaned.

Can You Wash A Building’s Exterior Windows In The Winter?

When it comes to exterior windows, they cannot, and should not be washed in below-freezing temperatures. Applying cold water and cleaning solutions to windows with a surface temperature below 32-degrees Fahrenheit will typically cause excessive streaking. In some cases, it can also damage windows and cause cracks. Not to mention the safety concerns that come with climbing a ladder or working outdoors in inclement icy, cold conditions.

Can You Wash Interior Windows In The Winter?

If the interior temperature of a windowpane is below 32-degrees Fahrenheit, you should not wash it. Though there are some double-paned windows and thermal windows that do an impressive job of staying very close to the ambient interior temperature of the building.

If the glass is above freezing, you can wash lobby windows and personal office windows. Though it’s wise to first check the temperature of the window with something like an infrared thermometer. If it reads below 32-degrees, then you definitely should wait to clean the window’s interior.

The Benefits Of Professional Window Cleaning

Several benefits come from hiring a third-party contractor to wash your commercial property’s windows. This includes things like:

  • Improve the properties overall appearance inside
  • Removing bird droppings, pollen, and other biological contaminants
  • Letting the sun help warm the building in cold months
  • Improving employee morale
  • Catching needed interior and exterior repair issues before they become a problem
  • Presenting a professional image to clients and guests

How To Remove Hard Water Stains From Windows?

Hard water is essentially groundwater that has high mineral content. It becomes a problem with misdirected sprinklers overspray the building. As time goes on, the water evaporates and leaves behind trace mineral content on both the windows as well as the surrounding exterior of the building.

Effectively removing hard water stains calls for using a professional strength acid-based cleaning solution, and commercial grade cleaning equipment. This might also involve other methods to remove hard water stains caused by calcium deposits and iron stains from the surrounding exterior to completely restore the building’s professional appearance.

Once this is done, the property’s irrigation system will also need to be addressed in order to prevent future hard water stains.

Can You Pressure Wash Exterior Windows?

While the high-pressure spray of water might help remove physical debris, pollen and reduce some hard water stains, it can also damage other exterior window components including the rubber window gasket seal.

How To Clean Windows Like A Professional

Most professional building cleaning companies have their own commercial-grade window cleaning solutions. Though you can create something that will be relatively effective by mixing a few drops of a high-quality dish detergent like Dawn dishwashing liquid into a gallon of distilled water. Then add in a small amount of ethanol or isopropyl alcohol which will help the windows dry faster. This is especially helpful on humid days or days when the local pollen count is high.

Once you have your cleaning solution ready, you can start preparing each window individually. This starts with physically removing spiderwebs and other noticeable debris. Wipe away any loose dirt or other physical material to prevent it from contaminating the squeegee or the sponge.

Make sure to use a professional squeegee to clean the windows. Just make sure to wipe the blade with a natural sponge after each stroke. Not only will this extend the overall life of the squeegee blade, but it will also reduce the amount of transfer from one swipe to the next.