UNILUX — Window Cleaning Guide

Quick Facts

Brand at a Glance

Product Range

Why This System

Step 1 of 2: Manufacturer Recommendations

Official Care Guidance

Glass

• ✓Clean glass surfaces regularly with a commercially available neutral glass cleaner and plenty of water.
• ✓Use a soft cloth or professional squeegee. No abrasive tools on glass surfaces.
• ✕Remove adhesive labels from glass within 14 days of installation - delayed removal becomes difficult or impossible.

Wood Frames

• ✕Do not clean newly coated wood surfaces for the first 6 to 8 weeks after finishing.
• ✓Clean twice yearly using the care kit provided by UNILUX (cleaner and polish).
• ✓After cleaning, apply wood care balm with a soft, lint-free cloth. This creates a water-repellent and dirt-repellent finish.
• ✓Apply care balm twice per year to maintain protection.
• ✓Avoid intensive dry rubbing on wood surfaces.
• ✓Inspect lower cross-sections and rain drainage slopes carefully during maintenance - these areas take the most weather exposure.

Aluminium Frames

• ✓Clean a minimum of twice per year with pH-neutral, non-abrasive cleaners containing no solvents.
• ✕Do not clean aluminium surfaces in direct sunlight or when the surface temperature is elevated.
• ✓After cleaning, the surface benefits from a conservation treatment to maintain the finish.
• ✓Alkaline leachate from fresh plaster, concrete, or facade materials causes irreversible damage to aluminium. Remove immediately if contact occurs.

uPVC Frames

• ✓Clean with lukewarm water and mild pH-neutral detergent.
• ✕Never let cleaning product residue dry on uPVC surfaces. Residue burns into the plastic permanently.
• ✓Avoid solvent-based or abrasive cleaners on uPVC.

Hardware

• ✓Check the seating of all fastening screws at least once per year and retighten as needed.
• ✓Lubricate all moving hardware parts at least once per year.
• ✓In high-stress environments (schools, hotels, coastal locations, wind-blown sand) increase maintenance to twice per year.
• ✕Handle levers must remain in three positions only - vertical up, horizontal, or vertical down. Intermediate positions cause malfunction.

Gaskets and Seals

• ✓Remove gaskets before any painting or recoating work to prevent paint contamination.
• ✓Clean gaskets at least once per year. They are essential for thermal insulation, sound insulation, and weather sealing.
• ✓Inspect gaskets annually for porosity or compression. Replace porous seals promptly.

Drainage

• ✓Check drainage channels and weep holes for blockages during annual maintenance.
• ✕Blocked drainage forces water back into the frame cavity, damaging wood from the inside and accelerating hardware corrosion.

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 UNILUX 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 Unilux 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 Unilux 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 Unilux 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

• ★ Identify your frame material before you start - wood, wood/aluminium, uPVC, or uPVC/aluminium. Cleaning tolerances differ.
• ★ Never let cleaning product residue dry on uPVC frames - burn-in damage is permanent and irreversible.
• ★ On wood frames, dry promptly after cleaning. Never leave moisture sitting on lacquered timber.
• ★ On OpenView and FineLine installations, work fast - the J tune is the only turn fast enough to finish before soap water dries on large glass areas.
• ★ The 10-year surface guarantee depends on following the Remmers maintenance schedule - keep records of all maintenance.

What NOT To Do

Bundle Kits and Tool Recommendations

Cleaning Frequency

Glass and frames: 2x per year minimum (Quarterly near industrial areas, coastal locations, or high-pollution zones.). Aluminium cladding: 2x per year minimum (pH-neutral cleaners only. Do not clean when surface is hot.). Hardware lubrication and screw check: 1x per year (Twice per year in high-stress environments (schools, hotels, coastal, wind-blown sand).). Wood care balm application: 2x per year (Maintains the water-repellent and dirt-repellent finish on timber frames.). Gasket inspection and cleaning: 1x per year (Essential for thermal insulation, sound insulation, and weather sealing.). Drainage channel check: 1x per year minimum (Blocked weep holes cause hidden water damage inside the frame.). Wood frame recoating: Varies by finish and exposure (From annually (transparent light, extreme exposure) to every 5 years (opaque, sheltered). Consult the UNILUX repainting interval table.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Field Notes

“Glass and frames: twice per year minimum, quarterly in high-pollution or coastal environments. Wood care balm: twice per year on all timber surfaces to maintain the protective finish. uPVC frames: never let cleaning residue dry on the surface - burn-in is permanent. Drainage channels: check annually. Blocked weep holes are the most common cause of hidden frame damage. Hardware: annual lubrication and screw check. Twice per year in high-stress environments.”

Justin Orloff