Metra Building — Window Cleaning Guide

Quick Facts

Brand at a Glance

Product Range

Why This System

Step 1 of 2: Manufacturer Recommendations

Official Care Guidance

Glass

• ✓Warm water with pH-neutral glass cleaner or mild dish soap. Microfibre applicator and professional squeegee.
• ✓On high-gloss aluminium frame faces adjacent to glass, angle the squeegee to prevent solution running onto the frame.
• ✓On curtain walling, clean glass from the top down, one bay at a time. Do not skip bays - solution running onto uncleaned glass below deposits a visible line.
• ✓Check for low-e or solar-control coatings before using any scraping tool on glass surfaces.

Frames

• ✓Powder-coated aluminium: pH-neutral cleaner only. No alkalis, no acids, no solvents, no abrasive pads.
• ✓Anodised aluminium: pH-neutral cleaner with even more care than powder coat. Never use bleach, oven cleaner, or alkaline degreasers on anodised surfaces.
• ✓Wipe with a soft cloth in straight strokes, not circles. Rinse with clean water immediately after cleaning. Dry with a chamois or clean microfibre.
• ✓Clear weep holes in horizontal profile members with a soft tool. Do not use metal tools in weep holes - they damage the drainage geometry of the extrusion.

Hardware

• ✓Wipe all handle and locking hardware with a damp cloth and dry immediately. Italian aluminium windows often carry designer handle sets that are more decorative than robust.
• ✓Lubricate hinge points and locking mechanisms annually with light machine oil or PTFE spray.
• ✓Check sealant at frame-to-glass junctions and frame-to-wall junctions. Report any cracking or lifting sealant before the next clean 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 Metra Building 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 Metra 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 Metra 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 Metra 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

• ★ View high-gloss Italian powder coat finishes in raking light after cleaning - streaks and watermarks invisible head-on are immediately obvious at an angle.
• ★ Never use the same cloth section twice on a high-gloss powder-coat frame. Fold to a fresh face after every wipe or you are redistributing the dirt you just removed.
• ★ Anodised aluminium that has been cleaned with an alkaline product shows a uniform dull patch that covers the entire cleaned area. It is not a watermark - it is surface damage. Prevention is the only option.
• ★ Weep holes in curtain walling horizontal members are often covered by small rubber plugs that get dislodged during facade cleaning. Check all plugs are in position at the end of every clean.
• ★ Italian facade silicone sealants in southern European climates have a shorter service life than manufacturers claim. On a south-facing facade with Metra curtain walling, expect sealant checks every 18 months rather than the standard 5-year interval.
• ★ High-gloss powder coat on Metra profiles in coastal environments picks up salt haze deposits that appear as a faint white bloom. A pH-neutral cleaner removes it, but if left more than a month the salt starts to etch into the coating.
• ★ On lift-and-slide terrace doors using Metra profiles, the running gear carries the full sash weight on every operation. Lubricate the track and running gear rollers at every annual service - seized rollers on heavy glass sashes are a significant repair cost.

What NOT To Do

Bundle Kits and Tool Recommendations

Cleaning Frequency

Glass: 2 to 4x per year (Residential: twice yearly. Commercial facades: quarterly minimum. Coastal locations: every 6 weeks.). Frames: Same visit as glass (Powder coat and anodised aluminium both benefit from regular cleaning to prevent deposit buildup that requires abrasive removal.). Drainage channels: Twice per year (Autumn leaf fall and spring pollen are the peak blockage periods for curtain walling drainage.). Hardware lubrication: Once per year (Annual service. More frequently on heavy sliding doors and high-use commercial entrance doors.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Field Notes

“Metra products appear most frequently in Italian new-build residential developments and commercial glazing projects exported to southern Europe and the Middle East. The common thread is high-gloss aluminium in strong UV environments. The most damaging single error on Metra products is using an alkaline cleaner on anodised profiles. It happens when a contractor grabs a standard tile or concrete cleaner without checking the pH. The result is permanent surface damage on a premium material. Curtain walling drainage maintenance is the least visible and most important task on a commercial Metra facade. A blocked weep hole causes a water entry report from inside the building - which triggers an expensive investigation before anyone checks the drainage.”

Justin Orloff