Fenster-Haus — 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 dish soap or purpose-made glass cleaner. No ammonia on coated or tinted glass.
• ✓Microfibre T-bar applicator on the wash, professional squeegee on the pull. Fresh rubber on every job.
• ✓Triple-glazed units are heavier - do not lean on the open sash during cleaning.
• ✓No razor blades unless you have confirmed the glass has no soft coating.

Frames

• ✓PVC frames: pH-neutral cleaner on a damp cloth. No bleach, no solvent.
• ✓Aluminium frames and cladding: pH-neutral cleaner. No alkaline or acidic products.
• ✓Timber inner frames: damp cloth with timber-appropriate mild cleaner. Minimal moisture. Check wood finish condition first.
• ✓Clear lift-and-slide bottom tracks and tilt-and-turn frame drainage slots at every clean.

Hardware

• ✓Wipe hardware dry after cleaning - standing water on exposed steel hardware causes rust staining on adjacent frames.
• ✓Lubricate tilt-and-turn mechanisms and hinge points annually. Triple-glazed sashes need more frequent lubrication than standard.
• ✓Lift-and-slide bottom rollers should be wiped clean and checked for smooth operation at every visit.

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 Fenster-Haus 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 Fenster Haus 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 Fenster Haus 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 Fenster Haus 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 timber-alu composite windows, the aluminium outer face and the timber inner face are part of the same product but need separate cleaning passes with separate products.
• ★ Triple-glazed sashes are heavy enough to pull hinge screws loose from soft plaster or timber frames over time. A sash that drops when opened is usually a loose hinge screw.
• ★ Lift-and-slide bottom tracks trap grit that then gets transferred onto the roller mechanism. A track swept dry before washing lasts significantly longer than one that gets hosed out.
• ★ Warm-edge spacers around the glass unit edge are not cleaning marks - they are the edge seal system. Do not scrub them.
• ★ On colour-foil PVC, test new products on a bottom corner first. Austrian mid-range PVC commonly uses darker foil colours that show chemical damage faster than white.
• ★ If a tilt-and-turn handle is stiff on the turn function but easy on the tilt function, the locking rod guides need lubrication specifically at the corner gearbox point.
• ★ Austrian buildings often have external roller shutters on the same window opening. The shutter housing at the top of the window frame collects debris that falls onto the glass during cleaning - brush the housing first.

What NOT To Do

Bundle Kits and Tool Recommendations

Cleaning Frequency

Glass: 2x per year minimum (Spring and autumn. Alpine and rural locations accumulate pollen and organic debris - consider 3x.). Frames: 2x per year (Same visit as glass. Timber inner faces on composite windows may need quarterly condition checks.). Drainage slots and tracks: Every clean (Lift-and-slide tracks are a priority at every visit.). Hardware lubrication: Once per year (More frequently on triple-glazed tilt-and-turn due to increased hinge and tilt mechanism load.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Field Notes

“Timber-alu composite windows are the most satisfying product to clean well and the most damaging to clean carelessly. The two-material protocol adds time but prevents expensive timber remediation. Austrian mid-range windows at this tier commonly use triple glazing as standard - the sash weight catches cleaners used to lighter central European double-glazed units off guard. Lift-and-slide terrace door tracks in Austrian properties are often installed flush with the internal floor level - external debris washes directly into the track after rain and needs clearing at every clean.”

Justin Orloff