Window cleaning

I don’t think that sound unreasonable when I think about how long it takes me to clean my internal windows and I’m pretty fit and agile. They get a wash with soapy water and then a squirt of window cleaner and a good polish.

I pay my outdoor window cleaner £20 for a house that has a similar number of windows to yours when I include a large garden room. He uses a pole-driven, filtered-water system. It takes him about 20 minutes to do the outside. He cleans two neighbours' similar houses so he’s charging say £60 an hour.

Cleaning indoor windows is a different kind of task. You don’t want to be slopping water over floors and carpets for a start. Plus there is wallpaper, window dressings and furniture to take into account and negotiate.

When I clean my indoor windows I tend to do two rooms at a time e.g. two bedrooms at a time, sitting room and hallway, kitchen and utility room. dining room which has large french windows and garden room off; two bathrooms. Say an hour for each pair, taking into account removing and replacing window dressings.

It can take me a good two hours to clean the inside windows of my garden room including moving all the plants around. It’s south facing so it can take a lot of effort to get them smear free in the sunlight. Paintwork gets a wash down too. It can get humid in there so I have to keep an eye out for mould forming in the gap between glass and frame which adds to the cleaning task if I have to give it a scrub with an old toothbrush.

If you allow an hour for two rooms at only £20 an hour, the cost soon mounts up.

Sadgrandma, if you do decide to do it yourself, ease invest in a cleaner head on a long pole ( sometimes sold to clean the car) and accept lower standards. A tumble from a chair could have unpleasant consequences.

I use ungers equipment and liquid to do my downstairs outside windows. It involves sloshing liquid onto the windows and it runs down, messy. Upstairs have never been cleaned, they clean themselves when it rains

I also do my indoors windows, it is more difficult and takes longer. I use a method spray and 2 microfibre cloths, needs to be done on a dull day or lots of streaks appear in the sun

If I needed someone else to do inside, I would ask a cleaner or would just use a spray with diluted ungers and a karcher. I do my insides in stages and I do need to use steps. A small set is all I need. The karcher has a bit of height and makes it easier to do the top or ungers squeegee on a short pole for the top and catch the drips with a karcher or cloth

I could see up to £100 for inside, a fair price. I have similar number of windows, 16 windows and 2 double french doors. That is equivalent to 20 windows at a fiver each on average

Join your local NextDoor website. There’s always someone on there willing to do all sorts of jobs.

I can manage most of my windows, but have a couple that require me to climb steps and do a balancing act on the draining board.
I decided this was no longer a sensible way to carry on, so tried using my speed mop instead.
I used a microfiber cloth attached to the head of the mop and plain water, then buffed it up using a dry cloth.

It worked so well that I tried the same method on all my windows.

Would you believe it, after all that, my current window cleaner has just rung to say he can do my inside windows after all and at the same price as the external ones, £23!! It’s a biggish company and he’s the boss man, he’s going to come and do them himself. I have been using them for years and so have my neighbours so I know they are good and reliable. Needless to say I am pleased but won’t put the flags out yet as he’s not coming until 8th May , but I have every confidence.
Thank you for all your advice and suggestions.

That sounds like an amazing result sadgrandma. You must have been a good customer over the years to deserve it!
Tea and biscuits all round!

I have 7 windows in my flat which I clean inside and outside in jig time with a Karcher window vacuum, easy easy 👌

It sounds like he’s doing the job as a one-off favour because you are a valued customer. If he does a thorough job, it’s going to take him a good part of the day. Even at half a day, he’s working for little more than £5 an hour. I’d keep the offer quiet if I were you in case others expect the same generosity.

Silverbrooks

It sounds like he’s doing the job as a one-off favour because you are a valued customer. If he does a thorough job, it’s going to take him a good part of the day. Even at half a day, he’s working for little more than £5 an hour. I’d keep the offer quiet if I were you in case others expect the same generosity.

I thought the same so won’t be telling my neighbours!

Result - that’s a win/win!!

We bought a Karcher Window Vac and it is brilliant on the inside windows as well as the shower screens.

If you physically can’t do the job then my suggestion would be to approach friends who have general cleaners and get them to do it for you. Or, is there any competent teenagers living locally that might want to earn a few quid?

Sadgrandma

Would you believe it, after all that, my current window cleaner has just rung to say he can do my inside windows after all and at the same price as the external ones, £23!! It’s a biggish company and he’s the boss man, he’s going to come and do them himself. I have been using them for years and so have my neighbours so I know they are good and reliable. Needless to say I am pleased but won’t put the flags out yet as he’s not coming until 8th May , but I have every confidence.
Thank you for all your advice and suggestions.

Excellent!!

I don’t clean until they are visibly filthy. No one here does. I noticed that when we first came here - must be a European cleanliness thing.

Sadgrandma - Happygrandma today! 💃🏿💃🏿💃🏿

I do them. 2 at a time over a week. They dont need doing every week. Maybe 3 or 4 times a year

Just a few times a year is still exhausting- and if you have small windows panes it can be 1000s of corners. 🙁

My dad once worked out how many corners he'd cleaned and though i can't remember what it was, I do think about this every time I find myself sighing when cleaning mine.

Our house was the sort with small window lites held together by wooden muntins - think cottage-style Tudor. It took forever and was a truly horrible job.

spring clean, autumn clean, that is probably enough. Most of my windows have pale coloured plantation shutters so I might only notice the french doors anyway. I don`t look for work in the house but certainly in spring, after the winter fire lighting. They never get really filthy

That is a great offer Sadgrandma, he sounds like a man with a heart

Very happy Grandma today
Just a quick update, the window cleaner came today and did an excellent job on my inside windows. Everything looks so much brighter! I told him to add an extra £10 to the bill as he was here over an hour. He said he wouldn’t dream of it but I insisted so will see what he does when he sends it. Very happy Grandma today.