Komsta Okna i Drzwi — 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.
• ✓Microfibre T-bar applicator on wash, professional squeegee on pull. Fresh rubber blade.
• ✓Check for low-e or solar-control coatings before using any hard tool on the glass surface.
• ✓No razor blades without confirming glass specification.

Frames

• ✓PVC frames: pH-neutral cleaner on a damp cloth. No bleach, solvent, or abrasive.
• ✓Aluminium frames: pH-neutral cleaner, soft cloth, rinse, dry immediately.
• ✓Colour-foil PVC: same as white PVC plus check corner welds for foil lift at every clean.
• ✓Clear drainage slots at the bottom of every frame at every clean.

Hardware

• ✓Identify the hardware brand before lubricating. GU, Roto, and Winkhaus hardware have different lubrication points.
• ✓Wipe hardware dry after cleaning. Standing water on steel hardware causes rust staining on adjacent white PVC.
• ✓Lubricate tilt-and-turn mechanisms and hinge points annually.

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 Komsta Okna i Drzwi 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 Komsta 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 Komsta 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 Komsta 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

• ★ Polish-fabricated windows often carry a profile system label in the sash rebate (VEKA, aluplast, GEALAN). Use this to identify the exact profile cleaning protocol - the profile system spec is more useful than the Komsta brand name for selecting products.
• ★ Hardware brand identification on Polish windows is sometimes tricky - the locking point covers may be blank rather than branded. Look at the hinge face or the corner cover on the sash edge for the brand identifier.
• ★ Colour-foil PVC from Polish manufacturers is very common in the German and Austrian residential market. The corner weld check is the most important pre-clean assessment on any colour-foil installation.
• ★ On Polish-fabricated windows exported to Western European markets, the glazing specification is often better than on comparable domestic-market products - triple glazing and warm-edge spacers are commonly specified for export.
• ★ Drainage slot clearance on Polish PVC windows follows the profile system design. VEKA profiles have drainage exits at specific positions on the frame base; aluplast and GEALAN profiles have slightly different positions. Familiarise yourself with the profile system to locate the correct drainage positions.
• ★ Polish aluminium windows at the mid-range tier use standard thermally broken profiles from European aluminium profile suppliers. Powder coat quality on mid-range Polish aluminium is typically reliable but should be checked with a pH test before applying any new cleaner.
• ★ On properties in Germany or Austria with Polish-fabricated windows, the client may not know who made the windows. The profile label in the sash rebate gives you more useful information than the nameplate on the frame.

What NOT To Do

Bundle Kits and Tool Recommendations

Cleaning Frequency

Glass: 2x per year minimum (Spring and autumn. Urban and roadside Polish properties: quarterly.). Frames: 2x per year (Same visit as glass. Colour-foil corner weld check at every visit.). Drainage slots: Every clean (Same protocol as the underlying profile system design.). Hardware lubrication: Once per year (Identify hardware brand before lubricating - GU, Roto, and Winkhaus have different lubrication point locations.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Field Notes

“Polish-fabricated windows are encountered across Western Europe in properties built or renovated in the 2000s to 2020s. The quality is generally reliable on mid-range and above products. The main field variable is hardware - identifying the brand before servicing is the most important pre-clean step. Colour-foil PVC from Polish manufacturers is the product most likely to show corner weld foil lift on properties over 10 years old, particularly in south-facing or high-UV locations. Build the corner weld check into every visit. The profile system label in the sash rebate is the most useful piece of information on any Polish-fabricated window. It tells you the exact cleaning and maintenance protocol for the profile material, regardless of which Polish company assembled the window.”

Justin Orloff