Whether you’re a professional window cleaner or simply someone who likes to make sure that their windows are as clean as they can possibly be, there are several essential accessories that you are going to need to carry out window cleaning effectively.
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.