The most common question that is first posed when considering window cleaning is whether to carry out the chore yourself or hire a professional to complete the window cleaning. Each option has many of its own benefits, with no real option standing out as the primary winner. For example, one of the main benefits to hiring a professional window cleaner is to save time. As a professional will carry out window cleaning all day long, they become experts in both speed and effectiveness, allowing them to clean a whole house of windows in approximately half the time it would take the average homeowner. Furthermore, professional window cleaners will often clean windows throughout the day and during a normal working week, allowing for the homeowner to not have to take a percentage out of their cherished weekend to clean their home’s windows.

The second point that has to be noted is that whilst hiring a professional window cleaner may be more time efficient, it can be quite costly. For a normal sized semi-detached house with three bedrooms, a window cleaner will charge in the region of $30 to $80 or more. It may not seem a considerable amount at once, but if they came every two weeks, over the year it would amount to between a considerable $780 and $2080. When considering water is effectively free and cleaning solutions can have a minimal price tag, you could, in theory, save yourself hundreds of pounds by deciding to clean your windows yourself.

A professional window cleaner will generally have their own favorite type of cleaning products and accessories. Although professional cleaning products are considered to be better than normal household products, it is very easy, with a little research, to match if not better these products. Some of the best window cleaning solutions are of the homemade variety, which can have a very inexpensive price tag. Each home window cleaner will have their own personal window cleaning solution, although one of the most popular ones has been passed down over several generations. Mixing together a tablespoon of vinegar and a tablespoon of cornstarch, add a few drops of lemon juice and approximately half a tablespoon of white wine vinegar. Add this to a bucket of warm water and it will ensure that your windows are not only clean, but sparkling and glimmering in the daylight.

It has to be noted that whilst many people opt to clean their own windows rather than hiring a professional, in some cases it is far more beneficial to hire a professional window cleaner, particularly if the house has many windows, or, for example, a conservatory. The time, effort and money needed to clean a large amount of windows effectively are not generally worth it and a professional window cleaner should be hired.

Water – without water, cleaning windows is almost impossible. Fresh, clean, warm water provides the basis for almost all cleaning solutions. Whether homemade or professional, the majority of window cleaning solutions will involve, to some degree, a large amount of warm water.

However, it must be noted that in recent years there have been several window cleaning solutions created that require no diluting with water whatsoever. Still in their infancy, these products are designed to not only allow for remarkably clean windows, but to reduce the amount of water needed to clean windows – which can be considerable, particularly for professional window cleaners.

Bucket – Whilst water may be the primary component to any window cleaning solution, having something to put that water in is obviously another major requirement. Although many people simply opt to use their bowl from their kitchen sink, a strong bucket is highly recommended. The tough, sturdy handle will allow for the bucket to be moved between places safely, whilst the added depth (when compared to a kitchen bowl), will mean that more water can be transported around the building, resulting in a reduction in time when cleaning windows.

Sponge / chamois – Having a high quality sponge, chamois or other cloth will aid with the window cleaning process tremendously. With many dedicated window cleaning cloths on the market, a lot of window cleaners simply recommended a quality cleaning cloth. Personal preference is usually the only way to distinguish between a sponge and a chamois in regards to window cleaning, although many believe that the sponge’s texture is a better attribute for cleaning windows.

Squeegee – in essence, a squeegee is simply a windscreen wiper with a handle on it. The idea behind the squeegee is to move it over the window once it has been cleaned using a sponge. Moved from left to right, top to bottom, the squeegee will reduce the amount of streaks or smudges that appear on many windows after cleaning and in most cases will ensure there are no marks left at all.

Ladder – like the squeegee, a ladder is not a mandatory accessory for cleaning windows. However, a ladder can be extremely helpful, not only when cleaning second floor and above windows, but simply for the extra height they provide when cleaning ground floor windows. It may be easy to effectively clean the majority of a ground floor window, but it is difficult to reach and clean properly in the top corners, which is where a ladder provides that extra assistance, ensuring no marks are left on the window once the window cleaning process has been completed.

Will and intention – Without good will or the intention of carrying out a good job, window cleaning will become a chore that is only half-heartedly completed. Thinking about the task in hand and not rushing window cleaning will ensure that all windows cleaned are as clean as they can possibly be.