Domal — 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 mild soap or a dedicated glass cleaner. No ammonia-based cleaners - safe on the glass but aggressive on adjacent anodised aluminium if contact is made.
• ✓Microfibre T-bar on the wash, professional squeegee on the pull. Fresh rubber. Italian aluminium systems often have slim sightlines with less frame surface to catch squeegee drips - but squeegee control still matters.
• ✓Confirm glass specification before using hard tools. Commercial Domal systems may have solar control or reflective coatings. No razor blades on coated glass.
• ✓Direct the squeegee bead away from the frame face. Solution drying on anodised aluminium leaves mineral deposits that require specific treatment to remove.

Frames

• ✓Wipe aluminium frame faces with a damp cloth and pH-neutral cleaner. Rinse thoroughly. Dry to prevent mineral deposits from hard water drying on the surface.
• ✓No acid-based cleaners on anodised aluminium - permanent surface damage. No concentrated alkaline cleaners on powder-coat - etching and chalking.
• ✓No abrasive pads, wire wool, or scouring products on any aluminium surface, anodised or powder-coated.
• ✓On limescale deposits from hard water, use a dedicated aluminium-safe limescale remover. Test first on an inconspicuous area. Rinse thoroughly after use.

Hardware

• ✓Wipe hardware with a damp cloth and dry immediately. Steel components in aluminium frames are prone to rust staining if left wet - the stain marks the adjacent aluminium frame face.
• ✓Lubricate all moving hardware points - hinges, locking mechanisms, sliding tracks - with a purpose-made aluminium window hardware lubricant or light machine oil once per year.
• ✓On sliding and lift-and-slide systems, clean the track channel at every visit. Grit in the track channel wears the threshold seal and the track surface under the running rollers.

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 Domal 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 Domal 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 Domal 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 Domal 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 anodised aluminium in bronze or champagne finishes, water marks are more visible than on standard silver - dry the frame surface immediately after rinsing, before water has a chance to dry on its own.
• ★ Slim-profile Italian aluminium systems have less frame surface to manage but the proportional impact of a single water mark or abrasion scratch is higher - quality of finish matters more on a premium design-conscious product.
• ★ If limescale has built up on Domal aluminium frames from hard water, remove it with a dedicated aluminium-safe product before the main clean - removing the limescale first gives a cleaner result from the frame wipe-down.
• ★ On commercial Domal shopfronts and curtain wall systems, the track channel at the base of sliding panels collects cigarette ends, grit, and food debris in addition to normal airborne dust - budget time for a thorough track clean at each visit.
• ★ Powder-coated Domal frames in dark colours (dark grey, anthracite, black) show fingerprints and smear marks from cleaning tools - always do a final dry buff with a clean cotton cloth on dark powder-coat frames.
• ★ On thermal break Domal profiles (65 TT series), the polyamide thermal break is visible as a dark line running through the frame profile edge. Do not probe into this line with tools during cleaning.
• ★ Annual application of a dedicated aluminium restorer on exposed Domal profiles maintains the surface appearance and protects against slow oxidation on anodised finishes - this takes 10 minutes per elevation and makes a significant difference over years.

What NOT To Do

Bundle Kits and Tool Recommendations

Cleaning Frequency

Glass: 2x per year minimum (Spring and autumn. Commercial and hospitality applications: quarterly or monthly depending on exposure.). Aluminium frames: 2x per year (Same visit as glass. Annual aluminium restorer on exposed elevations.). Track channels: Every clean (Sliding system track channels need clearing at every visit. Grit accumulation is the main cause of track and seal wear.). Hardware lubrication: Once per year (All moving points. Purpose-made aluminium hardware lubricant or light machine oil.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Field Notes

“Italian aluminium systems from manufacturers like Domal are designed with visual quality in mind - the anodised finish is considered part of the design, not just a protection layer. Clients notice surface marks on Italian aluminium more quickly than on utilitarian commercial aluminium. The track channel on Domal sliding systems is the highest-maintenance point on the whole installation - more time spent on the track at each clean saves more money in seal replacement and hardware adjustment than any other single maintenance action. Limescale on anodised bronze Domal frames is particularly visible against the warm metallic tone - identify hard water properties on site during the first visit and plan limescale removal into the cleaning protocol from the start.”

Justin Orloff