Two methods. One goal: a crystal-clear window.
I've been cleaning windows professionally since 1999, starting in Melbourne and building my business in Vienna over the past 15 years. In that time, I've used both a water fed pole and a traditional squeegee on thousands of windows, from cosy family homes to commercial buildings. I know what each tool does well, where each one falls short, and, most importantly, why neither one works without solid technique behind it.
Most guides on this topic treat it like a product comparison. This one doesn't. Because the real question isn't which tool is better. It's which tool is right for the window in front of you, and whether you know how to use it properly when you pick it up.
Let's go through both methods properly.
What Is Pure Water Window Cleaning?
Pure water window cleaning, also called water fed pole (WFP) cleaning, uses ordinary tap water that has been purified through a deionisation process. This process removes all natural minerals and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) from the water, leaving it in a chemically "hungry" state that actively attracts and dissolves dirt.
The purified water is fed through a telescopic pole (an extendable aluminium or carbon fibre pole that can reach several storeys from the ground) to a specialised brush head at the top. The brush scrubs the glass and frame, loosening dirt. The pure water then rinses everything away. Because the water contains no dissolved minerals, it can be left to evaporate naturally on the glass, leaving no spots or residue behind.
No chemicals. No detergents. No ladder, in most cases. That last point matters enormously for safety on higher windows.
What Is Traditional Squeegee Cleaning?
Traditional squeegee cleaning uses a soap water solution applied to the glass with a T-bar applicator (a T-shaped handle fitted with a microfibre sleeve), then removed with a squeegee (a handle, channel, rubber blade, and two clips that hold the blade in place).
The soap water dissolves the dirt. The squeegee rubber, moving across the glass at a slight angle, shaves the soapy water away cleanly. The edge work is finished with 100% cotton towelling rags, which collect any remaining moisture from the frame seal and corners.
Done correctly, this method produces an immediate, high-quality result on any window within reach. The finish is inspectable the moment the squeegee has passed. There are no variables you can't see and correct on the spot.
Where the Water Fed Pole Wins
For windows above safe ladder height, the water fed pole is the professional's answer. Reaching a third-floor window with a ladder is a risk calculation. Reaching it with a 10-metre pole from the ground is not.
The WFP method also cleans frames, sills, and glass simultaneously. The brush head scrubs the full surface, not just the glass. For heavily soiled windows with accumulated dirt in the frame channels and sill tracks, this is a genuine advantage.
Speed is another factor on large commercial or residential jobs. Once the pole is set up and the pure water system is running, an experienced operator covers more window area per hour than a squeegee operator working at height with a ladder.
Finally, no chemicals means no risk of chemical residue on treated glass surfaces, no slip hazard from soap water on the ground below, and no environmental concern about runoff. For customers who ask about eco-friendly cleaning, pure water is the honest answer.
Where the Traditional Squeegee Wins
For windows within reach, nothing matches the squeegee for quality of finish and control.
The squeegee operator sees the result immediately. A streak, a smear, a missed edge: all visible and correctable before moving to the next pane. With a water fed pole, the result is only visible once the glass has dried, which takes time and means any error isn't discovered until later.
Inside windows can only be cleaned with the squeegee method. A water fed pole is an exterior tool. For residential work that includes both sides of the glass, the squeegee is the only option for the interior.
For intricate windows, small panes, divided lights, or decorative glazing, the squeegee gives precise control that a brush head cannot match. The rubber edge reaches into corners and along frame seals in a way the WFP brush does not.
And for ground-floor and first-floor windows on residential properties, the traditional method is faster to set up, faster to clean, and produces a result you can verify on the spot.
The Mistake Most Guides Don't Mention
Here's what almost every comparison article on this topic gets wrong: they treat both methods as if the tool does the work.
It doesn't. The operator does.
A water fed pole in the hands of someone who doesn't understand how to pre-soak frames, how to maintain consistent brush pressure, how to control water flow, or how to rinse thoroughly, will leave dirty windows. The mineral-free water cannot do its job if the brush hasn't loosened the dirt properly first.
A squeegee in the hands of someone who hasn't learned to agitate the dirt before squeegeeing, who doesn't tilt the channel at the right angle, who skips the edge detailing before the first pass, will leave streaks. Every time.
The tool is not the skill. The skill is the skill.
If the dirt isn't fully dissolved in the soap water and released from the glass before the squeegee passes, the remaining dirt still stuck will be transported over the glass, leaving smudges or smears. That's true regardless of how expensive the squeegee is.
The Right Sequence for Pure Water Cleaning
The first step in WFP cleaning is scrubbing the windows thoroughly using the specialised brush and pure water. This step loosens dirt on both the glass and the frames. Thorough rinsing follows, to remove all dislodged dirt and debris. Rushing either step, particularly the scrubbing, is what produces the results that give WFP a bad reputation in some circles.
The brush must make full contact with the glass on every pass. This means consistent pressure, even strokes, and attention to the top corners where dirt accumulates and the brush head often loses contact with the surface.
Rinse from the top down. Any remaining dirty water flows downward, and a thorough top-to-bottom rinse ensures it doesn't dry on glass that has already been cleaned below.
Allow the glass to dry naturally. Pure water evaporates cleanly. Wiping the glass after a WFP clean defeats the purpose.
The Right Sequence for Squeegee Cleaning
Cover the entire glass surface with soap water using the T-bar applicator. Then agitate: work the soap into the glass with up-and-down or side-to-side motions. The idea is to dissolve the dirt, ready for the squeegee to shave away.
Before picking up the squeegee, take your 100% cotton rag and detail the top and sides of the frame: use your finger pressed into the rag to remove any pooled soap water from the edge where the glass meets the frame. This prevents drips forming at the top of the glass during squeegeeing.
Cut in (position the squeegee with a dry rubber at the top edge of the glass) and begin your squeegee turn. Tilt the channel at a slight angle so the soap water spills from only one side of the channel. Wipe the rubber dry after each pass. Maintain the smallest possible overlap between passes.
For large windows, combine the top-to-bottom and side-to-side turns, or progress to the turn with a twist, the continuous fanning motion that links every pass into one flowing movement from top to bottom. Finish with edge detailing using the rag.
When to Use Which Method: A Practical Guide
Use the water fed pole when:
- The windows are above safe ladder height.
- The job involves a large number of exterior windows on a commercial or multi-storey residential property.
- Frames, sills, and glass need to be cleaned together.
- An eco-friendly, chemical-free clean is a customer requirement.
Use the traditional squeegee when:
- The windows are within safe reach from the ground or a stable ladder.
- Interior windows are included in the job.
- The windows are intricate, small-paned, or require precise edge control.
- An immediate, inspectable result is required.
- You're building technique from the ground up. The squeegee is where the skill lives.
In professional practice, most window cleaners use both. The WFP handles the upper-floor exterior work. The squeegee handles ground level, interior, and any intricate glazing. The two methods complement each other.
The Training Question
Here's the thing about the water fed pole: it looks simple. Point the brush at the window, press the trigger, rinse. The learning curve appears short.
The traditional squeegee looks harder. There's a technique to learn, turns to practice, angles to understand. The learning curve is visible.
But the WFP operator who skips squeegee training never develops the core understanding of how water, dirt, and glass interact. They know how to operate equipment. They don't know how to clean glass. When the WFP produces a poor result, they don't know why, and they can't diagnose and fix it.
I always recommend starting with the squeegee. Master the skill first. The water fed pole then becomes an extension of that understanding, not a substitute for it.
The free Window Cleaning Manifesto at orloffs.com/manifesto covers the foundational squeegee technique in five minutes. It's the starting point for both methods.
The $69 Beginner Program at orloffs.com/for-beginners includes the Manifesto, the AR Window Cleaning Training Tool (practise the squeegee turns in augmented reality, including the turn with a twist), and the full 90-minute Mastery Course, which covers both traditional squeegee technique and a WFP introduction, with lifetime access.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the water fed pole better than a squeegee? Neither method is universally better. The water fed pole excels on exterior windows above safe ladder height, large commercial jobs, and situations where chemical-free cleaning is required. The traditional squeegee excels on windows within reach, interior glass, intricate or small-paned windows, and any situation where an immediately inspectable result matters. Most professional window cleaners use both, choosing the right method for each window rather than defaulting to one tool for everything. The quality of the result depends on technique, not the tool.
Can you use a water fed pole on all windows? No. The water fed pole is an exterior tool only. Interior windows require the traditional squeegee method. Additionally, some glass types and coatings require specific care: always check the window manufacturer's guidelines before using any cleaning method on coated, laminated, or specialist glass. The WFP brush must make full contact with the glass and be used with sufficient pressure and thorough rinsing to produce a clean result. Windows with very deep sills, recessed frames, or unusual geometry may also be better suited to the squeegee.
Do I need to learn both methods? Learning the traditional squeegee method first is strongly recommended, even if your primary tool will be a water fed pole. The squeegee teaches you how water, dirt, and glass interact: the agitation principle, the angle of the tool, the importance of preparation. That understanding makes you a better WFP operator too, because you can diagnose problems and understand why a result is poor when the brush and rinse alone don't produce a clean window.
AUTHOR BIO
Justin Orloff is a professional window cleaner with 25 years of experience. He started cleaning windows in Melbourne, Australia in 1999 and has since worked on everything from Vienna's historic facades to commercial high-rises. He created the world's first AR window-cleaning training platform and is based in Vienna, Austria.
