Aluplast — Window Cleaning Guide

Quick Facts

Brand at a Glance

Product Range

Why This System

Step 1 of 2: Manufacturer Recommendations

Official Care Guidance

Glass

• ✓Use a pH-neutral glass cleaner or diluted washing-up liquid on a microfibre cloth.
• ✓Work top to bottom to stop dirty water running over cleaned areas.
• ✓Dry with a clean lint-free cloth or rubber squeegee to prevent limescale deposits.
• ✓Never use razor blades on coated glass units - check with your fabricator before attempting paint removal.
• ✓Inspect the glazing bead seal annually for cracks or separation from the profile.

Frames

• ✓Clean PVC frames with warm water and a small amount of pH-neutral washing-up liquid.
• ✓Use a soft microfibre cloth only - never abrasive pads, steel wool, or scouring powder.
• ✓For yellowing, a specialist PVC restorer cream can recover surface colour - test a hidden area first.
• ✓On foil-laminated surfaces, avoid anything with acetone, white spirit, or strong alkalis.
• ✓Clear drainage slots at the bottom of the outer frame with a soft brush every six months.

Hardware

• ✓Oil espagnolette locking points, hinges, and tilt-and-turn mechanisms twice yearly with a light machine oil or dedicated window hardware lubricant.
• ✓Do not spray oil directly onto PVC frame surfaces - it attracts dirt and stains white profiles.
• ✓Check handle fixing screws for tightness once a year.
• ✓If a sash drops and drags on the sill, adjust the bottom hinge keep before the fault worsens.
• ✓Wipe hardware with a dry cloth after cleaning - standing moisture on steel components causes rust bleeding onto white frames.

Step 2 of 2: The Orloffs Protocol

The Orloffs Protocol

Pro Tools

My daily tool list. This is what I carry to every job.

Follow these steps in order. Each one builds on the last. This is the same sequence I use on every Aluplast installation.

1. 1

   Preparation -- before any water touches the glass

   Fill the bucket with at least 10 litres of water. Add soap for cleaning power -- enough to cut through environmental deposits, not so much you are fighting foam.

   Before touching the glass, brush down the surface to remove loose dust, spiderwebs, and debris. Any grit left on the glass during the wash phase risks scratching during agitation.

   Check the uPVC frame condition before you start. Confirm which cleaning product is safe for that surface before opening any bottle.

   Cover anything below the windows that cannot be moved.

2. 2

   Agitation -- apply and work the solution

   Dip the microfiber T-bar completely into the soap water, both sides. Remove excess water with your hand so it does not drip. Apply the solution across the entire glass surface with overlapping passes.

   The goal is to fully dissolve and release every deposit from the glass surface. Anything not released during agitation gets transported across the glass by the squeegee as a smear.

   For stubborn spots -- insect marks, salt residue, environmental deposits -- re-apply soap water and allow it to soak for a full minute before agitating again. Use more soap water, not more pressure.

   For panels above arm reach: attach the T-bar to an extension pole. Work in sections -- top first, then middle, then bottom -- keeping each section wet until you squeegee it.

   Rinse the T-bar cover regularly during the job. A dirty applicator causes microscopic scratches that accumulate over time.

3. 3

   Detail the frame edge before squeegeeing

   Use your 100% cotton towelling rag, finger pressed into the fabric, to work into every junction and remove pooled soap water before the squeegee pass.

   This prevents drips running down onto already-cleaned areas during squeegeeing and keeps soap water out of drainage channels.

   On Aluplast uPVC frames, pay particular attention to the bottom edge where glass meets the frame sill -- water pooled here runs into drainage openings and leaves residue over time.

4. 4

   The squeegee

   Tilt the squeegee at a slight angle so soap water spills from one side of the channel only -- not both. If the rubber is jumping or squeaking, either the rubber is not lubricated enough or the glass surface has warmed.

   Cutting in: start with the rubber blade making first contact on a dry edge of the glass.

   Side to side: horizontal passes across the panel. Works well on wide sections. Top to bottom: vertical passes down the panel. Works well on tall narrow sections.

   The J tune: one smooth unbroken motion top to bottom, wrist rotating at each end to reverse without lifting the rubber. The most efficient method on larger panels -- but it requires training before applying it to premium glass.

   Wipe the rubber dry after every pass. Overlap each stroke by 2-3 cm.

5. 5

   Final edge detailing

   After squeegeeing, there is always a residual line of water along the bottom edge and at the panel sides. Take a dry cotton rag, fold to a clean corner, and detail these edges in one smooth pass.

   On Aluplast frames, the bottom edge where glass meets the sill requires the most careful attention. Water left here runs into drainage and leaves residue that affects the next clean.

   Rotate the rag to a clean section after every pass. If the rag picks up grit at any point, replace it immediately.

6. 6

   Frame wipe and hardware check

   On Aluplast uPVC frames: solvent-free pH-neutral cleaner only -- solvents cause permanent surface damage. Avoid abrasive pads on the profile.

   Check that all drainage openings are clear and unobstructed. Water must be able to flow freely -- a blocked channel leads to accumulation that affects seal performance over time.

   Operate every opening window through its full range. Stiff handles or resistance at locking points indicate hardware that needs lubrication. Flag it to the owner rather than forcing it.

Pro Tips

• ★ White PVC yellows fastest on south-facing elevations. Annual PVC restorer cream on these windows adds years to the visible finish.
• ★ Foil-laminated frames in dark colours (anthracite, black) absorb more heat and expand more. Check foil edge adhesion on these windows first each spring.
• ★ Never use a pressure washer on PVC windows. The jet forces water behind glazing beads and into hardware keeps.
• ★ If white PVC frames have brown rust staining near hardware, the steel espagnolette bar inside the frame has corroded. Lubrication alone will not fix this - the bar needs replacing.
• ★ On tilt-and-turn windows, always check the tilt function as well as the turn. Hardware faults often show in tilt mode first.
• ★ Drainage holes are usually hidden under the outer sill overhang. Use a mirror or phone camera to check them rather than guessing.
• ★ aluplast profiles are widely available to fabricators - if a frame section is damaged, replacement profiles through the original fabricator are usually possible.

What NOT To Do

Bundle Kits and Tool Recommendations

Cleaning Frequency

Glass cleaning: Every 6-8 weeks (More often on ground floor or near roads.). Frame cleaning: Every 3-4 months (South-facing frames may need more frequent attention in summer.). Hardware lubrication: Twice yearly (Spring and autumn are ideal timing.). Full service check: Annually (Drainage, seals, hardware adjustment, and frame condition review.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Field Notes

“aluplast profiles are made in Germany to consistent tolerances, but the finished window quality depends entirely on the fabricator. The same profile in two different windows can feel completely different. Yellowing on white aluplast-profiled windows is a surface phenomenon in most cases. A quality PVC restorer cream recovers around 80% of the original white in our experience. The IDEAL 7000 system is the most common profile we encounter in Austrian residential work. Hardware access points are well-positioned and maintenance is straightforward.”

Justin Orloff