profine (Kömmerling, TROCAL) — 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 and professional squeegee.
• ✓On conservatory roof glass, use an anti-algae pre-treatment on any green or black growth before standard cleaning.
• ✓On outward casement UK installations, confirm the sash friction stay holds the sash open before accessing the outer face.
• ✓Edge wipe in rebate before final pull.

Frames

• ✓Co-extruded colour Kommerling: pH-neutral cleaner on soft cloth. More robust than foil - minor abrasive risk but still avoid harsh scrubbing.
• ✓Foil laminate TROCAL and Kommerling: pH-neutral solvent-free cleaner only. No exceptions near seam edges.
• ✓White PVC profiles: standard PVC cleaning with pH-neutral product.
• ✓Clear all sash drainage slots at every clean.

Hardware

• ✓Annual lubrication on all mechanism points. Tilt-and-turn: standard central European protocol.
• ✓On outward casements: lubricate friction stay pivots and check stay hold strength.
• ✓Wipe hardware dry at every clean visit. Check all locking points engage cleanly.

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 profine (Kömmerling, TROCAL) 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 Profine 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 Profine 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 Profine 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

• ★ The most important thing to establish on a Profine profile window is whether the colour finish is co-extruded or foil laminate. This one fact determines how careful you need to be with product selection.
• ★ Co-extruded Kommerling colour profiles are one of the most forgiving surfaces to clean in the PVC window range. You still need pH-neutral products, but the foil-lifting risk is completely absent.
• ★ UK outward-casement installations with Kommerling profiles need friction stay awareness built into the cleaning protocol at every visit. A failing friction stay that drops the sash mid-clean at height is a safety issue.
• ★ Conservatory roof glass is biologically active in a way vertical glass is not. The low pitch, intermittent wetting and drying, and accumulated organic debris creates ideal conditions for algae and moss. Standard glass cleaner does not kill established biological growth - an anti-algae step is needed first.
• ★ German-profile windows in central European residential buildings can be 20 to 25 years old and still in excellent structural condition if correctly maintained. The cleaning approach for an older Profine window is identical to a new one - the material ages predictably within the German RAL quality mark specification.
• ★ Foil laminate on Kommerling profiles is the same type of product as foil laminate on any other German or central European PVC profile. The brand does not indicate a superior foil product - solvent-free protocol applies identically.
• ★ On conservatory installations with a mix of vertical Profine PVC window profiles and polycarbonate or glass roof panels, clean the vertical PVC glass and frames first, then do the roof. Solution running down from the roof onto already-cleaned vertical glass is the most common rework cause.

What NOT To Do

Bundle Kits and Tool Recommendations

Cleaning Frequency

Glass: 2x per year (Conservatory roof glass: 3 to 4x per year minimum due to biological growth accumulation.). Frames: 2x per year (Same visit as glass.). Drainage slots: Every clean (Standard PVC maintenance.). Hardware lubrication: Once per year (Conservatory vent hardware may need more frequent service due to high-use operation.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Field Notes

“Profine profile windows are a large proportion of the German and central European window stock. The maintenance approach is the same as any other German PVC profile product - the brand distinction matters less than the finish type. UK Kommerling installations present the outward casement access challenge that continental European technicians do not encounter. If your background is tilt-and-turn, the outer face access approach for UK casements needs to be learned as a separate skill. Conservatory work on Profine profiles is the most technically varied of any Profine installation type: PVC frames, roof glazing, polycarbonate panels in some cases, and vent hardware all in a single installation. Each surface needs its own product and technique.”

Justin Orloff