How to Clean KAPO Windows: Professional Care for Wood-Aluminium

KAPO has been building windows in Austria's Pöllauer Tal since 1927. Wood and wood-aluminium, handcrafted in Styria, sold direct from the manufacturer, 100% Austrian production.

What makes KAPO different from most windows — and different to clean — is the two-material design. A warm wood interior and a weather-resistant aluminium exterior, each with its own cleaning requirements, surrounding glass that needs professional technique to keep streak-free.

I regularly clean KAPO windows across the Vienna region. This guide covers what KAPO recommends in their own care handbook, what I've learned from working on these systems, and where the two overlap.

The Two-Material Challenge

Most windows are one material throughout — clean the glass, wipe the frame, done. KAPO gives you three distinct surfaces on every window, each needing different products, different techniques, and different care intervals.

Wood interior — finished with lacquers or stains that protect the timber and give it that warm, natural appearance. These finishes can be damaged by harsh chemicals, prolonged water contact, or abrasive cleaning. They need periodic nourishment to stay protective.

Aluminium exterior — powder-coated for weather resistance and colour retention. Low-maintenance, but environmental pollutants and certain substances can bond to the surface over time. KAPO's handbook specifically warns that bird excrement is aggressive enough to attack coatings if left.

Glass — follows the same professional cleaning principles as any premium window. The challenge on KAPO windows is working around the wood frame without damaging the lacquer finish during the glass cleaning process.

Understanding these three surfaces before you start is the foundation for everything that follows.

What KAPO Recommends — From "Der Gepflegte Umgang"

KAPO publishes one of the most detailed care handbooks in the Austrian window industry — "Der Gepflegte Umgang" (The Careful Treatment). Here are their specific recommendations by material.

Glass care (from KAPO's handbook, Section 5.4):

KAPO recommends mild, pH-neutral cleaning products. Their handbook includes a clear disclaimer about modern glass:

Any abrasion like steel wool, scouring pads, or razor blades could damage your glass. Additionally, chemicals with a pH on the acidic side can burn or etch and damage the glass.

This warning applies to all their glass — standard, coated, and speciality.

Wood care (from KAPO's handbook, Section 5.2):

KAPO's approach to wood is built around their own Pflegeset for lacquered and stained surfaces (€29.90). Their principle: "Pflegen statt Streichen" — care instead of repainting.

The Pflegeset works like a furniture polish. Applied evenly with a soft cloth, it cleans the surface, refreshes the colour, and adds a protective layer against moisture. KAPO recommends applying it twice per year. With consistent use, full repainting becomes unnecessary — the regular care maintains the finish.

KAPO is also specific about timing: after construction work (plastering, screeding) is completed, windows must be cleaned and treated with the Pflegeset immediately. Construction-phase moisture and residue can damage wood finishes if left.

Aluminium care (from KAPO's handbook, Section 5.3):

Lukewarm water with a mild, pH-neutral cleaner. Soft cloth. No abrasive products. Rinse with clean water afterwards to prevent residue buildup.

Hardware care (from KAPO's handbook, Section 5.5):

This is where KAPO is most specific and most emphatic:

Only use cleaning and care products that do not impair the corrosion protection of the hardware parts. Never use silicone, rust removers, or general-purpose lubricants. Use only acid-free, resin-free oil or technical vaseline.

KAPO's Pflegeset Mechanik (€14.90) includes the appropriate lubricant. They recommend checking all hardware regularly for tightness and wear, and note that hardware adjustments — especially around corner bearings and scissors — should only be performed by a specialist.

Seal care (from KAPO's handbook, Section 5.8):

Keep seals clean and inspect annually. Functional seals are essential for thermal and acoustic performance.

Drainage channels:

Vacuum debris from frame drainage regularly. Blocked drainage leads to water accumulation that can damage wood components.

Maintenance contracts:

KAPO offers professional Wartungsverträge (maintenance contracts) covering hardware adjustment, seal inspection, lubrication, and surface care. They state: "With a KAPO maintenance contract, the service runs almost by itself — and the lifespan of your windows and doors can be significantly extended." Their service team also works on windows from other manufacturers.

These are thorough, material-specific guidelines from a company that's been working with wood for nearly 100 years. What I add as a professional is the glass cleaning technique and the practical workflow for caring for all three surfaces efficiently.

What I Add — The Glass Cleaning Workflow for KAPO

The professional glass cleaning method — agitation with a T-bar applicator, squeegee technique, and detailing — is covered in full in the Window Cleaning Manifesto (free, 5 minutes) and in detail in the Mastery Course. Rather than repeat the full method here, I'll focus on what's specifically different when cleaning KAPO wood-aluminium windows.

Start with the frame, not the glass

Before applying soap water to the glass, brush down frames and glass to remove dust, spiderwebs, and loose debris. On KAPO windows, vacuum the drainage channels in the frame — this prevents dirty water from running into frame joints during cleaning.

KAPO's tilt-turn windows (Dreh-Kipp-Fenster) have drainage points that need to be clear for the window to manage moisture correctly. Checking these takes seconds and prevents long-term wood damage.

Protect the wood during glass cleaning

This is the most important KAPO-specific technique. When agitating the glass with soap water, be mindful of where that water contacts the wood frame. Soap water running onto lacquered wood won't cause immediate damage, but repeated pooling over time undermines the finish that KAPO's Pflegeset is designed to maintain.

Detail the edges between glass and frame BEFORE squeegeeing — use your 100% cotton towelling rag along the frame-to-glass junction to remove pooled soap water. This prevents drips during squeegeeing and keeps soap water off the wood.

Stop the squeegee before the wood

When squeegeeing, stop the blade a few millimetres before it contacts the wood frame. Running a squeegee rubber repeatedly against lacquered wood gradually wears the finish at that contact point. Use your rag to detail the final strip where glass meets frame.

This is a small adjustment. Over years of regular cleaning, it preserves the lacquer in the area most exposed to the cleaning process.

KAPO's window range affects your approach

KAPO makes a wide range of window types, each with slightly different cleaning considerations:

Dreh-Kipp-Fenster (tilt-turn): The most common. The tilt function creates drainage paths that need clearing. When tilted for cleaning access, ensure soap water doesn't pool in the tilt mechanism.

Kastenstockfenster (box-frame): Two sets of glass to clean — inner and outer. More frame-to-glass junctions to detail. The gap between inner and outer frames can accumulate dust.

Sprossenfenster (mullioned): Mullions (the dividing bars) create multiple small glass panes. Each junction between glass and mullion needs individual detailing. Smaller squeegee channels (20cm) work better here than large ones.

Bogenfenster (arched): The curved frame requires careful squeegee control at the arch. Work the straight sections normally, then detail the curve by hand with your rag.

Hebefenster and Hebeschiebtüren (lift and lift-slide doors): Larger glass areas, similar to the Sky-Frame challenges. Sill tracks need clearing. Larger squeegee channels (35cm) work efficiently on these.

This range is part of what makes KAPO interesting to work with — the craftsmanship varies by window type, and so does the cleaning approach.

The Complete KAPO Care Routine

Here's the full workflow I follow when cleaning KAPO windows, combining their material care recommendations with professional glass technique:

Step 1: Vacuum drainage channels and brush down frames and glass.

Step 2: Clean the glass — agitate with soap water using a T-bar applicator, detail edges before squeegeeing, squeegee with blade stopping before the wood frame, finish with cotton rag detailing. (Full technique here)

Step 3: Clean the aluminium exterior — lukewarm water, pH-neutral cleaner, soft cloth, rinse with clean water.

Step 4: Treat the wood interior — apply KAPO Pflegeset for lacquered/stained surfaces. Spread evenly, let it protect and refresh.

Step 5: Lubricate hardware — acid-free, resin-free oil on all moving parts. Operate the window several times to distribute. Check screws for tightness.

Step 6: Inspect seals — check for cracking, hardening, or gaps.

This complete routine takes 15-25 minutes per window depending on size and condition. Twice per year keeps KAPO windows in the condition they were built for.

Cleaning Frequency

Glass: Minimum twice per year. Four times in urban, coastal, or high-pollution environments.

Wood care (Pflegeset): Twice per year — spring and autumn.

Aluminium exterior: Twice per year, more in exposed locations.

Hardware lubrication: At least once per year. KAPO recommends regular functional checks.

Drainage channels: Clear at every glass cleaning.

Seal inspection: Annually.

Protecting Austrian Craftsmanship

KAPO has been building windows in the Styrian Naturpark Pöllautal since 1927. The wood comes from sustainable sources. Every window is produced in Austria and sold direct — no middlemen. The company offers everything from individual consultation through to production, delivery, installation, and ongoing service.

When you clean KAPO windows properly, you're maintaining craftsmanship that's been refined over nearly 100 years. The glass technique protects clarity. The Pflegeset protects the wood. The correct lubricant protects the hardware. Together, they preserve windows built to last decades.

KAPO themselves say: "Bester Service, da Kapo."

Their windows deserve care that matches their quality.

👉 The professional glass cleaning technique applies to every window brand. The Manifesto covers the foundation in five minutes, free. For the complete method including squeegee turns, pole work, and advanced technique, the full training is $69 with lifetime access.

About the Author:

Justin Orloff is a professional window cleaner with 25+ years of experience, based in Vienna, Austria. He regularly cleans KAPO wood-aluminium windows across the Vienna region and created the world's first AR window cleaning training platform.