Anyone can clean a window. The trouble is the streaks, the smears, and the bit by the upstairs bedroom that you’ve been avoiding for a year.
We clean windows for homeowners across Harrow, Pinner, Stanmore and North West London every week. This guide covers what professional cleaners actually do differently, and where a DIY clean is perfectly fine.
What Professional Window Cleaners Do That You Probably Can’t
1. Use Purified Water
Tap water contains minerals. When it dries on the glass, the minerals stay behind and leave spots. A purification system removes them, so the water dries clear.
Window Cleaning Warehouse explains how this works, and notes that harder water, including in London, costs more to purify:
2. Reach Without Ladders
A water fed pole lets us clean most windows from the ground. No ladder leaning on your gutters, frames or render, and no one climbing for the sake of a smear.
The HSE has guidance on working at height:Â
3. Clean the Frames and Sills Too
Dirty frames drip back onto clean glass. Frames and sills are cleaned as standard on every visit.
4. Keep Going in Light Rain
Pure water cleaning works in light rain, so a bit of drizzle doesn’t mean a missed appointment.
5. Come Back on a Schedule
Windows get dirty again. Regular plans keep them clear without you having to think about it.
See our window cleaning service in Harrow.
6. Carry the Right Insurance
Public liability insurance covers accidental damage to your property during the clean. That’s worth checking with anyone who works at your home.
Where DIY Is Fine
- Ground floor windows you can reach easily
- A quick wipe between professional cleans
- Small panes in a downstairs room
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Where It’s Worth Calling a Professional
- Upstairs windows
- Windows over conservatories or extensions
- Windows you can’t reach safely
- Streaks that keep coming back
- Frames and sills that need cleaning too
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What to Ask Before You Book
- What method do you use?
- Do you need a ladder?
- Are frames and sills included?
- Is the price fixed?
- Are you insured?
- What happens if there are streaks?
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The Bottom Line
A professional clean isn’t about the wipe. It’s the purified water, the reach, the frames and the insurance. If your windows are the ones you can reach, DIY is fine. If they’re not, don’t risk it.
Elite Spotless Solutions offers professional window cleaning in Harrow and across North West London. Call 07751 890709 for a free quote. We also clean gutters.
Frequently asked questions
Streaks usually come from tap water minerals, soap residue or a dirty cloth. When tap water dries, the minerals stay behind and leave spots and marks. Professional cleaners use purified water, which has the minerals removed, so it dries clear.
It’s a method that uses purified water, with the natural minerals filtered out, fed through a pole with a soft brush. The brush loosens the dirt, and the glass is then rinsed with the pure water so it dries without spots. It also means no soap residue is left on the glass.
Not always. We use a pure water fed pole system that lets us reach most windows from the ground, so no ladders are needed for most properties. That avoids leaning anything on your gutters, frames or render.
Many homeowners choose a regular clean every 6 to 8 weeks, and some prefer one off cleans. How often depends on how much dirt, pollen and rain you get, and how clear you like them. We offer discounted regular plans and one off deep cleans.
Yes. Frames and sills are cleaned as standard on every visit, as well as the glass. Dirty frames drip back onto clean glass, so cleaning them properly is part of getting a good finish.
We guarantee our windows will be streak free. If you spot anything you’re not happy with, we’ll come back and put it right.