Capoferri Serramenti — Window Cleaning Guide

Quick Facts

Brand at a Glance

Product Range

Why This System

Step 1 of 2: Manufacturer Recommendations

Official Care Guidance

Glass

• ✓Lukewarm water with a small amount of mild soap. Minimal solution volume - keep solution away from the timber inner frame and from structural silicon joints on facade installations.
• ✓Microfibre T-bar on the wash, professional squeegee on the pull. Very fresh rubber - luxury glass installations show squeegee lines from worn rubber more clearly than standard windows.
• ✓No razor blades on any Capoferri glass - assume specialist coatings (laminated, acoustic, solar control, low-E) on all luxury installations unless you have confirmed the specification from the project documentation.
• ✓Edge detail with a soft cloth before squeegeeing - do not allow solution to sit against the edge seal of the glass unit or at the junction of the glass and the timber rebate.

Frames

• ✓Aluminium outer face: damp cloth with pH-neutral cleaner, wiped dry. No abrasive pads. No acid or concentrated alkali products on bespoke powder-coat finishes.
• ✓Timber inner face: barely damp cloth only, dried immediately and completely. Do not spray cleaners onto or near the timber inner surface.
• ✓Hardware surfaces (handles, hinges, escutcheons): wipe with a damp cloth and dry immediately. No metal polishes on designer hardware finishes - they can remove the surface coating on brushed or PVD-finished hardware.
• ✓Silicon joints on facade systems: do not disturb, cut into, or apply cleaning products directly to structural silicon beads. Clean the glass and aluminium up to the silicon joint; clean around it, not into it.

Hardware

• ✓Wipe all hardware surfaces with a damp cloth and dry immediately. Pay attention to the back face of handles and the hinge knuckle - cleaning solution pools in these areas.
• ✓Lubricate all moving points - hinges, pivot mechanisms, locking bars - with a light machine oil or purpose-made hardware lubricant once per year. Consult the project documentation if available for the specific lubricant recommended for the hardware specification.
• ✓If hardware finish shows any dullness or discolouration, do not attempt to restore it with metal polish. Flag to the owner - the hardware may need specialist attention from the original supplier.

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 Capoferri Serramenti 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 aluminium 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 Capoferri aluminium 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 Capoferri 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 Capoferri powder-coated aluminium frames: use pH-neutral cleaner only, never abrasive pads or steel wool. Dry immediately after wiping.

   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

• ★ On dark-stained timber inner frames, water marks are invisible when wet but become visible as they dry - work in small sections and dry immediately rather than washing a large area and drying it after.
• ★ Fusital and Colombo handles with a brushed or PVD finish show fingerprints from the cleaning process itself - always dry hardware with a clean cloth as the last step, not before the final inspection.
• ★ If the glass on a Capoferri facade has a permanent haze or fogging that does not clean off, it may be internal condensation in a failed unit - confirm before doing remedial cleaning work that will not resolve it.
• ★ On lift-and-slide or tilt-and-slide systems at this tier, the threshold seal is precision-machined and should not be cleaned with anything abrasive - a soft damp cloth along the threshold channel is sufficient.
• ★ Acoustic glass in hospitality and residential luxury installations has a visible PVB interlayer at the edge - do not mistake this for a failed seal. The PVB interlayer is part of the laminated unit construction.
• ★ On oiled timber inner frames, a very light application of the same oil used on the frame (typically Danish oil or Rubio Monocoat) on a barely damp cloth at the annual clean maintains the finish without a full recoat.
• ★ On bespoke shaped windows, use a detail squeegee or a narrow rubber pull-tool for corners and arched sections rather than trying to wrap a standard squeegee around the shape - it leaves a cleaner result.

What NOT To Do

Bundle Kits and Tool Recommendations

Cleaning Frequency

Glass: 4x per year recommended (Quarterly for hospitality and luxury residential. Spring and autumn minimum for secondary properties.). Frames and hardware: Every glass clean (Frame and hardware wipe at every visit. Annual hardware lubrication.). Facade drainage: Every clean (Drainage channels in facade systems need to be checked and cleared at every visit - blockages cause water ingress into unitised panels.). Timber finish inspection: Annual (Oiled and painted timber inner faces need a specialist inspection once per year - the cleaning contractor should flag any finish deterioration as part of the annual visit.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Field Notes

“The most common damage on luxury Italian joinery is water marks on painted timber inner frames caused by using too much solution volume on the glass - technique discipline on water control matters more here than on any other system. Capoferri hardware handles often have a complex geometry with shadow gaps and recessed details that collect cleaning solution - dry these areas with a soft brush before the final cloth wipe. On facade installations, the visible result after cleaning is assessed by the client looking up from street level or from inside - streaks that would be acceptable on standard residential glass are immediately visible on large luxury facade panels at eye level.”

Justin Orloff