[april1979]

Hey fellow window cleaners. As most of would agree, "french" windows
(those pieces of glass divided by wood or plastic into small squares) are the most dreaded type of windows to clean. It is so tedious! I was just cleaning some the other day, and was thinking that I should pass some tips on to the other window cleaners out there and see what you guys and gals think about doing them.

Well, basically, my method is to spray them with sprayaway foaming glass cleaner. And then squeegee them. The foaming glass cleaner is mostly water and rubbing alcohol. This is good for not leaving streaks. You could make your own solution with distilled water and rubbing alcohol, but if the concentration of alcohol was too high it would quickly evaporate in your bucket. The foaming action keeps the solution on the glass nicely. I found a Mr. Sanchez Video where he explains how he also uses this method.

I have heard other people tell me that they use a lot of ammonia to prevent streaks.

p.s. one more tip: I bring a few spare channels with me at cut them to the size of the panes I will be cleaning. I use an angle grinder to quickly cut the channel to size. Cleaning french panes goes very quickly with the exact size squeegee!

Hope this helps someone

Silverdale Window Cleaning

 

[TripleC]

Zep Foaming Glass Cleaner is a great alternative as well!

I personally don't like the smell of SprayAway, but Zep is a little more bearable, and a few cents less too! (well, the unit cost is a few cents more, but the can is bigger lol)

 

[J S]

Use newspaper to wipe off the spray. Works great on windows as it doesn't have any lint to leave behind, and, its awesome on smudges!

 

[katty]

I was cleaning some french windows other day and was thinking that I should pass on a few tips to other people that may need to clean them. First of all for those who are unfamiliar with this term, "french" windows are panes of glass that have been divided into small squares by wood or plastic. They are more time consuming to clean and are many a window cleaner's least favorite glass to clean.

Because they are so small it is harder to clean them with a squeegee and they are harder to detail around the edges.

What I use is Sprayaway Foaming Glass Cleaner (that is the most common brand available - I am not promoting this product

)
You see, the foaming glass cleaner's main ingredients are distilled water and rubbing alcohol. This makes it much less likely to leave streaks.

I spray on the foaming glass cleaner then I use a small squeegee to clean the small panes. Alternately, you could wipe them with a microfiber cloth. I think the squeegee method does it more cleanly, but it can be hard to get the right size. I have a variety of squeegee channels pre-cut to the size I want, so I have exactly the right size whenever I need one.
Here is a video explaining the technique for all you visual types. I hope this helps

 

[katty]

I was cleaning some french windows other day and was thinking that I should pass on a few tips to other people that may need to clean them. First of all for those who are unfamiliar with this term, "french" windows are panes of glass that have been divided into small squares by wood or plastic. They are more time consuming to clean and are many a window cleaner's least favorite glass to clean.

Because they are so small it is harder to clean them with a squeegee and they are harder to detail around the edges.

What I use is Sprayaway Foaming Glass Cleaner (that is the most common brand available - I am not promoting this product

)
You see, the foaming glass cleaner's main ingredients are distilled water and rubbing alcohol. This makes it much less likely to leave streaks.

I spray on the foaming glass cleaner then I use a small squeegee to clean the small panes. Alternately, you could wipe them with a microfiber cloth. I think the squeegee method does it more cleanly, but it can be hard to get the right size. I have a variety of squeegee channels pre-cut to the size I want, so I have exactly the right size whenever I need one.
Here is a video explaining the technique for all you visual types. I hope this helps

 

[loveforcars]

JS, I use newspaper as well. That's all i grew up using! My mother didn't want me to waster paper towels! Are you kidding me!! LOL. But yes, they do work better.

 

[loveforcars]

waste*

 

[Window Cleaning]

I use use a product called invisa glass by stoners. The company is local and every store around here carries it. I believe a 20 oz can is around 3.50 locally.

 

[Marcus]

Great tip, Thanks!

I prefer using micro fiber towels to news paper. Just do not drop them...

 

[april1979]

I would recommend against using newspaper. That was a good tip during the great depression, but not today. Microfiber towels work well if you get the high quality ones. The cheap ones leave micro-lint everywhere (trust me I've done it). Most professional window cleaners use the blue surgical towels (available through window cleaning supply stores). A new towel is catching on and may soon surpass the surgical towels - scrim.

Scrim has been used by window cleaners in Europe and the UK for awhile now and is now catching on in the U.S. It is super absorbent and the most lint free of any cloth out there.

Bainbridge Island Window Cleaning
Poulsbo Window Cleaning

 

[Marcus]

I would recommend against using newspaper. That was a good tip during the great depression, but not today. Microfiber towels work well if you get the high quality ones. The cheap ones leave micro-lint everywhere (trust me I've done it). Most professional window cleaners use the blue surgical towels (available through window cleaning supply stores). A new towel is catching on and may soon surpass the surgical towels - scrim.

Scrim has been used by window cleaners in Europe and the UK for awhile now and is now catching on in the U.S. It is super absorbent and the most lint free of any cloth out there.

Bainbridge Island Window Cleaning
Poulsbo Window Cleaning

Great input April. Thanks! Where do you normally scrim from?

 

[Window Cleaning]

Great tip, Thanks!

I prefer using micro fiber towels to news paper. Just do not drop them...

Yes sir!!! I dropped my big boy micro in the mulch the other day and I'm still picking stuff out of it! weeks later!

 

[melijack]

Thanks for sharing such a knowledgeable post. Its true that its a tedious job but as your tips suggest it can be one of the most effective tips.

 

[NelsonJohn]

Using of newspaper with best cleaner product works properly.
____________
chandelier moving

 

[Evelyn1231]

We're not sure if this newspaper advice still applies in today's digital age or whether microfiber towels are a wise choice either, given that they can easily leave nasty micro-scratches when used on glass surfaces. If you think it's still better to use a newspaper towel, make sure you get one from the recycling bin of a good quality and that it is at least 4 to 6 sheets thick because these are usually much safer for glass cleaning purposes than thinner ones. If you want to give the microfiber towel an honest chance, do some more research about it first and then consider trying it out but be aware these can also leave scratches behind so we recommend giving surgical towels another try as we think these could still be one of the best options for wiping down your windowpanes. One towel currently under testing is called "scrim" - which claim to outperform both paper towels and medical grade wipers. Additionally, We mostly use french polishing.