How to Prepare Your Home for a Window Cleaning Appointment

Most homeowners have never watched a professional window cleaning crew work, so the day itself can feel like a bit of a mystery. The short version: our crew shows up, walks the property with you, cleans interior and exterior glass, wipes down sills and tracks, and does a final walkthrough before they leave. A few minutes of prep on your end helps everything go faster and protects your belongings, but you do not need to scrub anything or rearrange your whole house.

Here is what to expect from start to finish, and the short list of things worth doing before we knock on the door.

What happens when the crew arrives

A Starbrite crew typically starts with a quick walkthrough, either with you or based on the notes from your quote. We confirm which windows are included, whether that is interior and exterior or exterior only, and flag anything unusual, like a window painted shut or a screen that is already torn. If you mentioned specific concerns when you booked, like a foggy pane or hard water spots on a bathroom window, this is when we take a closer look and let you know what to expect.

From there, the crew splits the work by area. Exterior glass gets washed with squeegees and cleaning solution, screens come off, get rinsed or brushed clean, and go back in. Interior glass, sills, and tracks are wiped down with soft cloths so nothing scratches the frame or gets moisture into places it should not go. On homes with storm windows, we remove and clean those too, and reseat them so they sit flush.

How long does it take

This depends mostly on home size and window count, plus whether you are booking interior and exterior or exterior only. As a general range, a typical single-story home with 15 to 20 windows runs around one and a half to two and a half hours for exterior-only cleaning, and closer to three to four hours with interior included. Larger two-story homes, homes with divided-light windows (multiple small panes per sash), or homes with storm windows to remove and reinstall can take longer, sometimes five hours or more. If you have an estimate from your quote, that is the number to plan around, since it reflects your specific window count and layout.

What to do before we arrive

You do not need to do a deep clean before we show up. What actually helps is clearing the way so the crew can move efficiently and nothing fragile is at risk. A few minutes spent on the items below makes a real difference, especially for interior appointments.

• Clear window sills of plants, candles, small decor, and anything else sitting in the way
• Open or tilt blinds and pull curtains back so interior glass is fully accessible
• Move furniture a couple of feet back from windows, especially tables, lamps, and anything breakable
• Take down or set aside fragile decor near windows, like glass ornaments or picture frames on sills
• Secure pets in a separate room or crate, since crew members will be moving in and out of doors
• Unlock any gates or fences around the yard so exterior crews can reach every window
• Turn off sprinkler systems for the morning, since a timed cycle can undo exterior work in progress
• Make a note of any panes you already know are cracked, fogged, or have failed seals so we can look closer

What you do not need to do

We get this question a lot, and the answer is simple: do not pre-clean the glass. Wiping windows with your own glass cleaner beforehand does not save us time and can leave a residue that makes our job harder, since some household cleaners leave a film that shows up once the sun hits the glass. Leave the actual cleaning to the crew.

The same goes for screens. There is no need to pull your own screens out of the frames before we get there. Screen removal is part of the job, and our crew knows how to take them out and reseat them without bending the frame or damaging the mesh, which is more delicate than it looks, especially on older aluminum-frame screens common in Twin Cities homes.

Point out anything unusual before we start

If you already know about a cracked pane, a window that fogs up between the panes, or a screen with a tear or a hole, tell the crew before they start rather than after. Minnesota's freeze-thaw cycles are hard on window seals, and it is common for a double-pane window to develop a hairline crack or lose its seal over a winter without anyone noticing until spring cleaning turns it up. We cannot repair broken seals or cracked glass ourselves, but pointing it out ahead of time means we can clean around it carefully instead of applying pressure where the glass is already compromised, and you will have a clear answer on what needs a glass repair company rather than a cleaning.

What to expect once the work is done

When the crew finishes, screens go back into their frames, sills and tracks are wiped down, and moved furniture gets put back roughly where it started. Before anyone leaves, we walk the property with you again to check the finished work. If you spot a streak, a missed spot, or anything that does not look right, tell us on the spot. Most fixes take a couple of minutes, and it is easier to correct something while the crew is still on site than to schedule a separate return visit.

That final walkthrough is also a good time to ask questions, whether that is about how often you should schedule cleanings given the trees around your house, or what caused a particular water stain on a lower window. We would rather answer those questions in person than have you guessing after we have already packed up.

Ready to get on the schedule

A little prep is all it takes to make window cleaning day go smoothly, and most of it takes less time than making a pot of coffee. If you have a home full of windows that could use a professional pass, inside and out, request a quote and we will get you an estimate based on your home's size and layout, or give us a call at (952) 922-6860 and we can talk through timing and what to expect.