Top 10 Steps to Getting Your Windows Sparkling

It’s a sad fact of reality that dirty windows limit natural sunlight and directly affect the atmosphere and mood of both your business and employees. Keeping your windows clean is critical to maintaining a positive and welcoming environment for every visitor and staff member, and it’s a lot easier than you might think. 

Are you ready to make a small but powerful change to your business or commercial location? 

Here are the top ten steps for getting your windows sparkling again:

• Vacuum & Brush
  Begin your window cleaning by using a shop vac to brush and vacuum the ingrained, built-up dirt and grime from any window tracks or frames. You don’t want to drag any particulate matter or debris across the glass, as over time this will cause tiny abrasions that will permanently dull the glass. This may seem a minor concern, but it serves a long term purpose and helps extend the lifespan of your windows.
  

• Spray Detergent On Tracks & Screens
  After you get the loose dirt off of the tracks and frames, it’s time to get the hardened crud out of there. Spray heavily soiled tracks and screens with an eco-friendly detergent and allow it to sit for at least ten minutes. While you wait, the detergent will penetrate the ingrained crud and loosen it up enough to brush or scrub it away.
  

• Give Fly Screens A Thorough Cleaning
  If you have fly screens over any windows, remove them, spray them with detergent, and pressure washes them if possible. You can spray them down with a hose, but pressure washing ensures that all grit and debris are thoroughly removed. Allow them to air dry while you finish cleaning the remaining windows of the premises.
  

• Remove Security Screened Windows For Cleaning
  Depending on their configuration, remove any windows with security screening and clean them thoroughly on both sides. Use a gentle detergent, sponge and squeegee to preserve the film of the security screening, and allow windows to dry thoroughly before replacing them. Take care not to scratch or damage the security screen during removal and replacement
  

• Clean Internal Windows
  It may come as a surprise to some, but the internal windows of commercial property are often overlooked. Clean the tracks, frames and sills with an eco-friendly detergent with just as much care and attention as you would storefront or street-level windows.
  It may seem like a small detail, but clients and staff will notice the difference even if they aren’t consciously aware of it at first. Always putting your best foot forward and showing you care about your premises means your internal windows are every bit as clean as windows on the exterior.
  

• Clean Exterior Windows
  After you have removed and cleaned any screens and allowed the sills, tracks and frames to soak in detergent, you are ready to clean your exterior windows. Professionals use pole-fed deionized water for the best results. You can use standard tap water, but due to pH levels and mineral content it doesn’t deliver nearly the same results
  

• Clean Difficult To Reach Windows
  They may not need cleaning as often as other windows, but any difficult to reach windows should still be cleaned at least twice a year. The key to cleaning these windows is accessing them without risking damage to windows or rain gutters. It’s not a problem for newer facilities; however, if your shop or office was built in an older architectural style or historical building, it can be a significant concern.
  

• Spot Check Windows Internally & Externally
  After all internal and external windows have been cleaned, perform a walk-through to ensure that there are no missed areas or spots on the windows. The devil is always in the details, and what you miss on the first pass may be the first impression of a potential customer. Additionally, while employees may not comment on minor misses, it is still potentially the first impression that starts off their workday.
  

• Check all Windows To Ensure They Are Reinstalled Correctly
  Once you’ve checked the windows to ensure they are sparkling and spotless, verify all windows remove have been reinstalled properly. If anything has been reinstalled improperly, it is a serious health and safety hazard. It pays to be detail-oriented, especially when it comes to everyone’s safety.

•  Perform A Walkthrough To Verify All Windows Are Clean

Finally, give the whole facility a complete walk-through to make sure everything meets the highest possible standard of cleanliness. When it comes to sparkling windows, you can never check everything too many times.

Are you unhappy with the state of the windows at your commercial property? Want to give your clients the best first impression and start every staff member’s day off right? Allied Facility Care provides professional window cleaning services for all types of commercial properties. Let us make your windows sparkle like new and never lift a finger. Contact us today for more details and a free consultation.