Window and frame washing with steam

You have washed the inside. The outside you have left, because it involves a ladder, a bucket and a balancing act you would rather do without. So you look through a clean inner pane and an outer pane covered in a layer of road dust, pollen, salt-laden air from the fjord and small brown specks from flies and resin. In winter it is worse, because the light comes in at an angle and lights up all of it.

And down in the frame — where you rarely look — there is moss, dead insects and dust in the track.

What we actually do

Exterior window washing is the glass plus everything around the glass, and it is the "everything around" that is the real job.

1. Scrub first. Soapy water and a wash mitt with a bit of pressure loosen the dirt from the glass. Go straight to the squeegee and you drag the dirt along, leaving streaks.
2. Steam on what has set. Resin from trees, fly dirt, baked-on road dust and paint splatter are loosened with steam rather than a scraper or strong chemicals.
3. Squeegee with a sharp rubber edge, in overlapping strokes, with the edge wiped between each pass. Then a dry pass along the edges with microfibre.
4. Frames, glazing bars and sills are washed. Not rinsed — washed. The sill below the window is where road dust and salt-laden air collect first, and where streaks begin to run down the façade.
5. Tracks and rails in sliding doors and windows are cleaned out. Grit in a sliding-door track is what makes the door start to run heavily.
6. Drainage holes are opened. At the bottom of each frame there are small holes meant to let out condensation and rainwater. We check that they are open and that the water runs freely.
7. Hinges, fittings and gaskets are cleaned, and cobwebs and insect nests are removed from corners and under sills.
8. A check against the light, from several angles. A window can look clean straight on and show everything from the side.

Why it pays off

The immediate benefit is light. An exterior layer of road dust and pollen takes a noticeable share of the daylight, and in Vestfold from November to February you do not have much to give away.

The important part is the frame. Blocked drainage holes mean standing water in the frame, and standing water in a timber frame means rot — first as discolouration, later as a frame that must be replaced. On windows with a gasket it causes gasket damage and therefore condensation between the panes. Both are expensive, and both begin with something that takes five seconds to prevent.

Then there is salt and pollen. Salt-laden air from the fjord settles on glass and fittings and corrodes over time. Pollen in spring binds to the glass in the rain and hardens as it dries. Both are easily removed if dealt with each season, and require steam and time if left for several years.

How often should you have it done?

Twice a year — April/May and September/October. If you live near a busy road, near the sea or under birch trees, the spring round is the most important.

How long does it take?

Around 3.5 hours for a normal detached house, depending on the number of windows and how many have glazing bars. We do not wash in freezing conditions.

Book an inspection for exterior window and frame washing — you will receive a fixed price in writing within one working day.