What Is The Best Window Cleaning Method?

What is the best method to treat your windows? Professional window cleaners tend to avoid the question and prefer to change the topic by referring to special features – what type of windows are we talking about, what is their location, what is the nature of the hygienic problem, etc. While these concerns are legit, evading the answer is not.

So let’s put our two leading contenders – the regular squeegee polishing and the water-fed pole washing (a.k.a Reach & Wash) – on an equal footing. Obviously, you cannot use squeegee polishing for upper-floor or hard to reach windows – the Reach & Wash equipment is a clear winner in this area. But what about ground-floor windows within manual reach?

I would say both methods have their pros and cons. Squeegee polishing allows you to pay much more concentrated attention to a smaller area or a specific problematic spot. It is also superior when it comes to dust removal closer to the window frames, or if you have to treat oval or circular windows. The disadvantage is that working with squeegees does require more time and exerts more energy.

Reach & Wash is by definition more effective and quicker, especially when you have to treat large-scale windows (such as commercial window displays or building facades). Its efficiency on smaller windows, however, is questionable. An interesting paradox I have observed with some of my cleaners is that they overtrust the water-fed poles and may not notice residual minute blemishes on the glass surface. Such imperfections are much harder to miss when you work with a towel and a squeegee.

Let’s sum it up – if you have to treat a smaller window with more specific problems, I would still choose the good old squeegee. If, however, you need to clean a larger glass surface, the Reach & Wash poles would be my clear choice!