Eurofenster — 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 near PVC seals or frames.
• ✓Microfibre T-bar on the wash, professional squeegee on the pull. Fresh rubber.
• ✓Confirm glass specification - Austrian mid-range windows commonly include low-E coating. No razor blades without confirmation.
• ✓Wipe the frame perimeter after squeegeeing - squeegee drips on Austrian white PVC dry visibly.

Frames

• ✓PVC: damp cloth with pH-neutral cleaner. No bleach, no solvent, no ammonia. Rinse thoroughly.
• ✓Aluminium: pH-neutral aluminium-safe cleaner, dried immediately to prevent mineral deposits.
• ✓Clear drainage slots at every clean. Austrian condensate volumes make this essential.
• ✓No abrasive pads on any Eurofenster frame surface, PVC or aluminium.

Hardware

• ✓Wipe hardware with a damp cloth and dry immediately.
• ✓Operate each window through the full tilt-and-turn range at every visit. Note any resistance.
• ✓Lubricate all moving hardware points annually - hinges, tilt-and-turn mechanisms, locking bars.

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 Eurofenster 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 Eurofenster 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 Eurofenster 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 Eurofenster 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

• ★ Austrian tilt-and-turn hardware operates through a specific sequence - if a Eurofenster window resists switching between tilt and turn positions, the multi-point lock may be partially engaged. Close fully, re-engage the lock, and try again before reporting a hardware fault.
• ★ Co-extruded colour foil on Eurofenster PVC is more durable than laminated foil but the corner edge is still the most vulnerable point - inspect corners on colour installations at every visit.
• ★ Hard water is common in many Austrian regions. An aluminium-safe limescale remover used quarterly on aluminium Eurofenster installations prevents build-up that becomes difficult to remove if left for a full year.
• ★ On Austrian sliding system tracks in winter, road salt brought in on shoes and from adjacent surfaces accumulates in the track channel. This is more corrosive than standard grit - brush and rinse the track at every winter visit.
• ★ Austrian residential properties often have external roller shutters or Raffstores above the windows. Clean the shutter guide rails and the window frame top rail in the same visit - solution from the shutter rails drops onto the window frame if the window is cleaned first.
• ★ On Eurofenster aluminium windows in darker powder-coat colours, fingerprints from the cleaning process are visible - a final dry buff with a clean cotton cloth on dark aluminium frames is part of the professional finish.
• ★ If an Austrian tilt-and-turn window will not close fully after cleaning, check that no cleaning cloth or brush has been left in the rebate groove. The multi-stage seal compresses completely when the sash closes - any obstruction in the rebate prevents full close.

What NOT To Do

Bundle Kits and Tool Recommendations

Cleaning Frequency

Glass: 2x per year minimum (Spring and autumn. Urban and high-traffic locations: quarterly.). Frames: 2x per year (Same visit as glass.). Drainage slots: Every clean (Austrian condensate volumes make this essential at every visit.). Hardware lubrication: Once per year (Tilt-and-turn mechanisms, hinge points, and locking bars. Spring or autumn visit.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Field Notes

“Austrian residential clients have consistently high expectations of cleaning quality - the professional standard in this market is high and the visual inspection after cleaning is thorough. Eurofenster installations in alpine locations experience more severe weather cycling than urban lowland installations - drainage maintenance and seal condition monitoring matter more in these locations. Tilt-and-turn windows cleaned from the inside (upper floor, inner face) are a significant part of the Austrian residential market. The inner face of the outer glass surface is often the dirtiest on tilt-and-turn windows that are regularly tilted - reach this face from outside, not from a tilt position inside.”

Justin Orloff