XS-ALU — 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. Microfibre T-bar and professional squeegee.
• ✓Inner face in tilt position, outer face in turn position.
• ✓Squeegee top to bottom. Edge wipe in rebate before final pull.
• ✓Keep solution away from the aluminium frame faces during glass cleaning.

Frames

• ✓pH-neutral aluminium cleaner on soft cloth. No alkaline, no acid, no abrasive.
• ✓Rinse immediately after applying cleaner. Dry with soft cloth.
• ✓Clear sash drainage slots at every clean.
• ✓Do not use PVC cleaning protocols or products on XS-ALU aluminium frames.

Hardware

• ✓Annual lubrication: hinge scissors, corner transfer pieces, espagnolette rod guides, locking cam faces.
• ✓Wipe hardware dry at every clean. Dry aluminium hardware immediately after any contact with water.
• ✓Check all locking points engage cleanly. Report stiff or incomplete engagement.

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 XS-ALU 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 XS-Alu 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 XS-Alu 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 XS-Alu 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

• ★ In Hungarian apartment renovation projects, the switch from PVC to aluminium windows sometimes results in cleaning damage because the building management continues to use PVC-specific cleaning products. Check what products are in use and replace them with aluminium-appropriate alternatives at the first maintenance visit.
• ★ Aluminium powder coat that has been cleaned with alkaline products develops a chalky white bloom that appears after the product dries. This is a warning sign - switch to pH-neutral product immediately to prevent accumulation of coating damage.
• ★ Central European summer temperatures in Hungary reach 35 degrees C regularly. At these temperatures, glass cleaning solution on south-facing aluminium windows evaporates faster than in cooler conditions. Clean south-facing elevations in the morning.
• ★ XS-ALU aluminium drainage slots are in the same position as PVC drainage slots but may be slightly different in size. A plastic drainage tool that works on PVC slots may be slightly loose in an aluminium slot. Confirm the tool clears the slot fully rather than just passing through the centre.
• ★ Hungarian apartment building windows on multiple floors from the same renovation project are all the same specification. Once you have confirmed the frame material and established the correct product, the same protocol applies to every window in the building.
• ★ New powder-coat aluminium windows on a renovation building may still have residue from the fabrication process on the frame - a slight oily film that attracts dust in the first months. The first maintenance clean removes this film and establishes the clean base condition for ongoing maintenance.
• ★ Lift-and-slide terrace doors on Hungarian apartment balconies are operated in the full temperature range of central European climate. PTFE lubricant maintains better viscosity across this range than standard oil. Use PTFE on lift-and-slide running gear.

What NOT To Do

Bundle Kits and Tool Recommendations

Cleaning Frequency

Glass: 2 to 3x per year (Hungarian residential standard. South-facing elevations in summer: adjust timing to morning.). Frames: Same visit as glass (Regular cleaning prevents powder coat deposit bonding that eventually requires more aggressive cleaning.). Drainage slots: Every clean (Standard aluminium window maintenance.). Hardware lubrication: Once per year (Lift-and-slide terrace doors: twice yearly in high-use Hungarian apartment contexts.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Field Notes

“XS-ALU represents the mid-range Hungarian aluminium window manufacturer category. The products are competent and reward correct maintenance. The primary maintenance risk in the Hungarian market is alkaline cleaning product use by building management teams unfamiliar with aluminium care requirements. Hungarian apartment building renovation projects are the primary context for XS-ALU installations. These projects replace large numbers of windows simultaneously, creating maintenance contracts with multiple identical windows - efficient and consistent protocol matters here. The Hungarian market for aluminium windows is growing. More building managers and occupants are learning the specific maintenance requirements for aluminium as the product becomes more common in the renovation market.”

Justin Orloff