PaX (Groupe LIEBOT Germany) — Window Cleaning Guide

Quick Facts

Brand at a Glance

Product Range

Why This System

Step 1 of 2: Manufacturer Recommendations

Official Care Guidance

Glass

• ✓pH-neutral glass cleaner in warm water. Microfibre T-bar applicator and professional squeegee.
• ✓Clean inner face in tilt position, outer face in turn position or from ladder.
• ✓Squeegee top to bottom with overlapping passes. Wipe rubber after each pass.
• ✓Edge wipe in rebate groove before final pull.

Frames

• ✓PVC: pH-neutral cleaner on damp cloth. No solvents, no abrasives, no bleach.
• ✓Aluminium: pH-neutral aluminium-safe cleaner on soft cloth. Rinse immediately. Dry with chamois.
• ✓Clear roller shutter guide rail-to-frame junctions with a soft brush before cleaning.
• ✓Clear all sash drainage slots in the base of each tilt-and-turn sash.

Hardware

• ✓Annual lubrication at all moving points: hinge scissors, corner transfer pieces, espagnolette rod guides, cam faces.
• ✓Wipe hardware with damp cloth and dry at every clean visit.
• ✓Check seal compression by running a finger along the full sash perimeter seal. Note any flat or cracked sections.

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 PaX (Groupe LIEBOT Germany) 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 Pax 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 Pax 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 Pax 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

• ★ German roller shutter installations are the hidden source of most lower-frame staining on PaX windows. Clear the shutter rail junction every time, not just when it looks dirty.
• ★ RAL-certified PVC profiles have better UV stability than non-certified profiles, but they still discolour if cleaned with bleach or oxidising products. The certification covers material quality, not chemical resistance to wrong cleaning products.
• ★ On PaX aluminium windows, the powder coat finish is factory-applied to a high standard. A streaky finish after cleaning is a technique problem, not a product problem. Use straight wipe strokes and a chamois final pass.
• ★ German tilt-and-turn windows operated from the inside of a multi-storey building can only be cleaned on the outer face from the open turn position. Confirm the hinge scissors support the sash weight correctly before working at height from outside.
• ★ The corner transfer piece on German mid-range tilt-and-turn hardware is the first point to show wear signs. A clicking sound at the 45-degree handle position during operation is the corner piece telling you it needs lubrication.
• ★ PaX PVC frames in white maintain their appearance best with regular gentle cleaning rather than infrequent heavy cleaning. Every six months of deposit buildup requires more aggressive cleaning that is harder on the PVC surface.
• ★ Entrance door multi-point lock bolts on German doors use hook bolts rather than deadbolts on most configurations. The hooks engage in keeps in the door frame. Check that all three to five hook points are fully seated when the handle is fully raised.

What NOT To Do

Bundle Kits and Tool Recommendations

Cleaning Frequency

Glass: 2x per year (Spring and autumn. More frequent in locations with heavy atmospheric deposits.). Frames: 2x per year (Same visit as glass. Roller shutter junction clearing at every visit.). Drainage slots: Every clean (Standard tilt-and-turn maintenance.). Hardware lubrication: Once per year (Annual service. Check seal condition at same visit.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Field Notes

“German market window installations with roller shutters represent a different cleaning scope to standard window work. Budget extra time per window for shutter junction clearance on every German installation visit. PaX aluminium products appear in both residential and light commercial installations. The commercial installations typically have more glass area per window and benefit from a longer-channel squeegee. RAL quality mark on PaX products is a positive indicator for maintenance planning - it means the product was manufactured to a consistent standard and gives a reliable baseline for predicting cleaning product compatibility.”

Justin Orloff