Window & Facade Cleaning in Geneva

Why are windows the most closely inspected item?

Because they are judged standing up, without bending down, and against the light. An inspector walking into an empty flat looks at the windows first: light passes through and instantly reveals a film, a squeegee line or a residue in the groove of the casement. No other item is assessed that quickly.

There is a second, more technical reason. The rebate — in French the feuillure, the groove the casement closes into — collects a greasy dust mixed with condensation. It is never cleaned during ordinary occupancy, it is invisible while the window is open, and it is checked by running a finger along it. In Geneva it is the single most frequent point of reservation on this item.

The practical consequence is that a window clean which stops at the glass is a job half done, and it does not pass a handover inspection. We treat the glass, the frame, the rebate, the sill, the seals, the handles and the hinges as one operation rather than as an option.

What is deionised water and why does it change the result?

Geneva mains water is hard. When it dries on a pane it leaves behind the minerals it was carrying, and that is exactly what a streak is. So the problem is not the product being used, it is the water itself — which is why rubbing harder only spreads the deposit around.

Deionised water has had its minerals removed by filtration. Because it carries nothing, it leaves nothing when it dries. That allows work without detergent on many surfaces and, more importantly, finishing without wiping — which removes the main cause of marks: dragging a cloth across a pane that is still wet.

It is not a universal answer. On greasy glass — kitchens, commercial units, a façade exposed to traffic fumes — a conventional degrease has to come first, then the deionised rinse. And on older glazing showing the beginnings of surface corrosion, no method restores the original clarity: we say so before starting rather than let it look like poor work.

Why do streaks appear after a clean?

Five causes account for almost every case, and none of them is mysterious. Knowing them lets you judge a job rather than simply put up with it.

The first is hard water left unrinsed, described above. The second is cleaning in direct sunlight: the pane heats, the product dries before it can be removed and crystallises into a film. The third is a loaded cloth — a microfibre used elsewhere redeposits what it picked up. The fourth is a worn or nicked squeegee blade, which leaves a fine line on every pass. The fifth is too much detergent: a soapy residue attracts dust and the window resoils within days.

There is a sixth case, often mistaken for a streak while being something else entirely: a deposit between the two panes of a double-glazed unit whose seal has failed. It sits inside the sealed unit, no cleaning can reach it, and the only remedy is replacing the glazing. We identify it during the final check with you so it is not confused with a defect in the work.

Inside, outside, and how high can you go without a cherry picker?

The practical limit depends on the joinery more than on the floor. A tilt-and-turn window that pivots fully inwards allows the outside to be reached from indoors at any level, safely. That is the common case in the newer buildings around the canton.

On windows that do not open far enough — frequent in the older central blocks — the outside is reached from indoors using a telescopic pole with a deionised water system, which covers most configurations up to a reasonable height. Beyond that, or for a glass roof, a tall conservatory or stairwell glazing, a cherry picker or rope access is needed: different skills, different equipment and different insurance cover, so a separate line on the quote.

We prefer to state that limit at the quote stage rather than on site. A provider who agrees to everything over the phone ends up improvising at height, and that is how glazing gets broken or someone gets hurt. If the configuration needs a cherry picker, we say so and price it accordingly.

How often should windows be cleaned?

For a home, twice a year covers most situations: once in spring after the heating season, once in autumn. That is the rhythm that actually matches how glass soils, absent particular circumstances.

Three situations justify more. A flat on a busy road — the main Geneva boulevards, the approaches to the bridges, proximity to the motorway — picks up a greasy deposit visible within weeks. Exposure to the lake or to prevailing winds adds a saline and mineral film. And an open-plan kitchen throws a fine grease layer onto nearby glazing that water alone will not shift.

For a shop or an office the logic is different: it is the shopfront that counts, and it is judged by customers rather than by an inspector. Monthly, or fortnightly for a food business or a busy street-level unit, is the norm. A regular contract costs noticeably less than a series of one-off visits, because soiling never accumulates in the first place.

Which glazing types need particular care?

Not all glazing is treated the same way and some mistakes cannot be undone. Four cases are worth flagging before work starts.

Solar or anti-intrusion film is applied on the inside face and scratches very easily: no scraper, no abrasive pad, ever. Self-cleaning glass carries a surface coating that loses its effect if an abrasive product or a blade is used — it is treated with water and microfibre only. Frosted or sandblasted glass holds product in its porosity and leaves a halo if the rinse is insufficient.

Finally, old mirrors and antique glass, common in Old Town flats, often have a fragile silvering at the edges: excess water at the border accelerates its deterioration. That is exactly the kind of detail we note at the start of a visit and adapt the method for, rather than applying one protocol to everything.

Do it yourself, or have it done?

For a studio with accessible tilt-and-turn windows, doing it yourself is entirely reasonable. You need a squeegee with a fresh blade and a handle, a non-linting microfibre, a little product and above all the right method: work in the shade, top to bottom, wipe the blade after every pass, and finish the edges with the microfibre. Allow two to three hours for a small flat, rebates included.

The calculation changes in three situations. When the windows do not open far enough to reach the outside safely — the most common case, and a question of risk rather than skill. When the glazed area is large: a villa with sliding doors is a full day, and holding an even result across that time is difficult. And when the point of the exercise is an inspection: at a handover it is the rebates and frames that decide, not the clarity of the glass.

We say so willingly on the phone: if your situation is the first paragraph, you do not need us. If it is the second, the job is worth having done.

How do you check a window cleaning quote?

Five points should be in writing, and their absence says more than the figure quoted.

First, what is being counted: per window, per casement, or a flat rate for the property? A price "per pane" can double on a two-casement window if the quote does not say. Second, frames, rebates and sills: included, explicitly? Third, the outside: included, and up to what height without special equipment. Fourth, how special cases are handled — films, self-cleaning glass, frosted glass. Fifth, what happens if a streak remains at the check.

On that last point our practice is simple: the check is done with you before we leave, against the light, and anything you raise at that moment is put right on the spot. If a cleanliness reservation concerning windows still appears at a handover inspection, we return and correct it at no charge. What we do not promise is anything about a deposit inside a failed double-glazed unit, which is a replacement rather than a cleaning matter.

Access and ancillary items

We recommend keeping frames and rebates in the service: that is the point an inspector checks by running a finger along it, and a clean that stops at the glass does not pass a check-out inspection. The 'glass only' line exists for seasonal upkeep where visible cleanliness is enough.