To Do Or Not To Do: Part 1

When it comes to jobs around the home, this is always the question, shall I do it or do I hire someone else to come in and do it for me? 👦 In this blog post I wanted to look at Window Cleaning, then we have three more blogs on Pressure Washing, Soft-Washing and Gutter Cleaning.

First of all, as with any job you have to look at:

1. How long is it going to take you?
2. What is your time worth?
3. What do you want the end result to be?
4. Do you have or will you need to buy the equipment?
5. How safe is it for me to do?

So let’s look at Window Cleaning in the first of these series of four posts. Let's start with “What is the end result I am looking for?” Streak free, clean glass, hard water removed, bug screens cleaned and tracks washed out. So what equipment will I need for this to do a professional looking job? Microfiber cloths, a brush to clean out the tracks, a cobweb brush, a squeegee, something to wash the glass with, something to scrub stubborn marks off of the glass which will not scratch, something to remove hard water stains without damaging the house or glass, some ladders, a bucket and some good glass cleaning soap so as not to leave streaks.

So where do you begin? Well the easiest place to start is the inside of the home, first you have to raise all the blinds and while you are at it remove the window screens. (See my earlier posts about how to remove screens.) Once your screens are removed next you have to set about cleaning the glass, making sure you lift the window and clean out the tracks remembering to wipe clean once they are brushed. Next wipe down the area where the window locks are, window sills and check for any swipe marks and for any streaks you may have left. Once the insides are done you will move onto the outside glass. First thing you need to do is make sure you clear away the hard water stains. This is the white milky film you see usually on the tops but sometimes covering the entire sheet of glass. This is from a mineral deposit build up on the glass. Now washing here will not get the job done, you need a hard water stain remover to be applied then washed off. Make sure you mix in the right quantity. Start on the upper floor first, got a three story? You are going to need some very big ladders, which brings us to the next few questions. How long is this going to take me? Well on average a two story home is going to take one person roughly 6 to 8 hours for interior and exterior cleaning. How much is your time worth an hour? Yup you can run round with some Windex and a rag inside but what results are you looking for? Is that going to give you what you want? Next, How safe is this for me to do? Well, it’s the ladders that are the tricky part, making sure they are level, making sure you have someone to foot them, and also having a stand-off that pushes you away from the wall giving you room to work. Let’s face it, what would be the cost to you if you were to fall from a ladder leaving you unable to work? Getting on a ladder at any height can be a danger. So these are the things you have to think about if you are planning on undertaking window cleaning for your home inside and out yourself. And using a squeegee is not as easy as it looks, it could take you a long time before you become proficient with it giving you the results you are looking for. So, let’s look at it, cost of equipment, cost of your time, injury factor, being proficient at what you do. Is it worth while giving it a go?

Now let’s look at the alternative, local window cleaners already have all the equipment so no need for you to go buy and store everything. Most are knowledgeable at what they do and will give you the results you are looking for. It takes out all the work and keeps your feet safely on the floor. A professional Window Cleaning Company with 2 guys will be done in anywhere from an hour and a half to 2 and a half hours for a midsized home, You can schedule them at a time convenient to you and be doing other important tasks as they do the work. They will leave the house clean wiping up any water, and give you sparkling clean windows. This is something you can set up for a quarterly, 6 monthly or annual clean if a home owner or more frequently for a business. But then you have a cost, well it’s not as expensive as you may think. Prices will vary depending on area and company and services performed. Best to go get some quotes but find out what you are getting up front. Many Window Cleaning Companies will give you a price for glass cleaning, but then charge you additional for screens cleaning or tracks cleaning when they get there, after you have booked them. So the quote you got from one company including everything may have seemed high but in fact turns out to be cheaper in the long run, so make sure you compare apples to apples. The other thing to check when looking for a local company is reviews, what are people who have used them saying about them? Trust your neighbors and people who have used the service. Make sure the reviews are written by real people and not just Family and Friends.

A+ Window Cleaning based in Cedar Park, Texas covering the surrounding towns including Austin have been in business for 7 years. They are a family run business using the latest technology in window cleaning to produce results you can be proud of. With over 350 Five star reviews on google, written by real people, they are in high demand to produce the quality of work you expect.

Customers love working with us, we answer the phone ourselves, no call centers or voice mails, we respond same day to texts and emails and google requests for service and can do estimates by customers sending photos via text or email or going out to the property for a quote. Our window cleaners are trained in house, wear uniforms and arrive in sign written vans. We are fully insured and give a 100% satisfaction guarantee that our work will leave you over the moon. A full window inspection is carried out by our teams to point out any scratches, cracks, blown glass and damaged screens at no additional charge.

So when asking to do or not to do, give some of those points a thought and do what’s right for you. Always remember, be safe.