Considering DIY Window Cleaning? Here's What You Need To Know
Clean windows can make your home brighter and is one of the easiest and most efficient ways to increase your home's curb appeal.
A professional window cleaning can also provide an early warning of potentially dangerous problems, and a professional window cleaner has a keen eye for anything that may be a current or future issue for your home.
DIY window cleaning can be done, but most people find it becomes more expensive than they expected, and not nearly as easy to accomplish as they had thought. These are some reasons you should consider hiring a professional window cleaning service to keep your windows sparkling and functional.
1. Save time
Cleaning your windows can be a time-consuming project, according to Tyler Lewis, owner of Bee Line Window Services in Omaha, NE.
Lewis says that he can finish a project that would take a homeowner four hours in less than half the time.
2. Spotting general problems
A professional window washer can identify problems like sashes that are painted shut, ill-fitting window screens, wood rot on windowsills, or damaged or non-functional windows.
Spotting the problems early can often save you a whole lot of money later, Lewis says — and it could even save your life in some extreme cases.
Something like a sash painted closed can mean the difference between getting stuck, or getting out during an emergency like a home fire.
3. Removing insect infestations
Bees and hornets sometimes build nests behind window shutters, and wasps can even build paper nests between three-piece storm windows. Ladybugs can also build nests in channels/tracks, making the windows hard to operate.
4. Extending the life of a window
Older aluminum screens left in place for years will slowly etch a pattern of deposits on the glass, much like lime deposits in the shower. The etched glass is not only an eyesore, but it is also more prone to cracks and chips.
A professional window washer can restore the glass and extend your window’s life with a treatment of muriatic acid or, in less severe cases, Bar Keepers Friend and grade 0000 steel wool. Bee Line Window Services in Omaha uses 0000 steel wool and a similar product on every home to ensure that you’re getting the most life out of your windows.
5. Providing the right window cleaning supplies and tools
Professional window cleaners can ensure that the right products are used to clean glass without damaging it.
If you have leaded glass or stained glass, you may be unintentionally damaging it by using an ammonia-based window cleaner. With repeated use, ammonia-based cleaner can cloud leaded and stained glass windows, and the damage can’t be repaired. Another example of how a DIY effort can end up costing you much more than you would ever imagine.
True professional window washers will have the correct equipment, such as ladders and telescoping window-washing tools, soft wash materials, and specialized squeegees for each type of window to ensure the best clean.
6. Finding the cause of spots on your windows
Puzzled about what’s causing the spots on your glass? Your landscaping mulch may even be to blame.
Some mulch contains fungus, and you’ll be stuck scratching your head as to why the mysterious spots are showing up on your home’s windows.
A professional window-cleaning service can pinpoint the cause of the problem, and give you pointers as to how you effectively keep your windows in tip-top shape.
Before you hire a window cleaner
How much window cleaning costs vary, but Lewis says that you will usually get what you pay for. Anyone with a bucket, squeegee and window mop can call himself or herself a window cleaner.
Be sure to ask questions before you hire just anyone. A true professional will make sure your windows are not only clean but that they are functional and they will advise you on ways to protect the biggest investment most people ever make — their home.
Lewis, who recommends getting your windows cleaned at least once per year, says that it’s important to ask questions before hiring a window cleaner.
“Ask them what kind of solutions they’re using to clean the windows,” he says.
Lewis also recommends asking companies whether they clean windows with a hose or a power washer and what types of products they use to wash windows. You will know right away if you should hire a company with questions like there.
Do you need Professional Window Cleaning in Omaha, NE? Get in touch with Bee Line Window Services before getting started.