A window cleaning visit goes best when we can get to every pane, every screen and every track without working around obstacles. None of the prep is complicated, and most of it takes a few minutes. It pays off in a faster visit, a more thorough job and nothing out of place when we leave.
Here is a checklist you can work through a few days ahead, the night before and the morning of your appointment.
A few days before
Decide what you want cleaned. Inside and outside, or outside only? All the windows, or just the ones that face the lanai and the street? Sliding glass doors, transom windows over the front door, garage door glass? Knowing this up front keeps the visit on track. If you are not sure how often each part of the house needs attention, see how often to clean windows in Tampa Bay.
Walk the house and note problem windows. Hard water spots from sprinklers, orange iron staining, paint or stucco overspray from a project, stickers, or glass that looks cloudy even when clean. Point these out so they get the right treatment and an honest answer about what will come off.
Check your screens. Look for tears, sagging mesh, bent frames and missing screens. Screens come out during a full window cleaning anyway, which makes it an easy time to repair them. Our guide on whether to repair or replace a torn window screen covers the options.
Note any window film or tint. Some tint and security film needs gentler tools. Let us know which windows have it.
Share gate codes and parking details. Many communities around Land O' Lakes, Wesley Chapel and Trinity are gated. Send the gate code or add us to the guest list, and let us know where we can park.
The night before
Pause the sprinklers. Turn off any irrigation zones near the house for the night before and the day of the visit. Sprinkler water on freshly cleaned glass puts new spots on it right away, and soggy ground under a ladder is less stable. Well water and reclaimed water are the worst offenders, for reasons we explain in why Florida windows spot so fast.
Clear the windowsills. Move plants, photos, candles, collectibles and anything breakable off the inside sills.
Raise or open the blinds. Pull blinds and shades all the way up, or tilt them fully open if they do not raise. Tie back heavy curtains.
Move furniture back from the glass. Slide chairs, side tables and small furniture a few feet away from windows and sliding doors. Anything heavy can stay put. Just let us know it is there.
Outside
Unlock gates. Side yard gates, pool cage doors and any locked fence gates need to be open for exterior work.
Clear paths around the house. Move garden hoses, bikes, toys, trash cans, grills and patio furniture away from the walls where a ladder will stand.
Open up the lanai. Clear furniture and planters away from the sliding doors and lanai windows, and make sure the pool cage door is unlocked.
Trim anything touching the glass. If shrubs or palms are pressed against a window, a quick trim gives us room to work and keeps branches from scratching fresh glass.
Point out fragile landscaping. New plantings, delicate beds or low lighting that should not be stepped on or have a ladder set on it.
Glass that is easy to forget
Some windows get missed simply because nobody thinks of them as windows. Walk the house once with these in mind and tell us which ones you want included.
- Transom and arched glass above the front door or a stairwell, common on two-story stucco homes
- Sidelights on either side of the front door, which collect fingerprints and dog nose prints
- French doors and doors with grids, where every small pane has its own corners
- Garage door windows, which face the driveway dust and the sprinklers along it
- Lanai sliders and pocket doors, including the tracks, which fill with sand, pollen and dead bugs
- Bathroom windows over tubs and showers, which often have soap and hard water film on the inside
Listing these ahead of time keeps the visit from running long and makes sure nothing gets skipped.
Pets and people
Keep pets inside or away from the work. Even friendly dogs can slip out an open gate, and cats love an open window with no screen. For exterior work, keep pets inside. For interior work, a closed room or a crate keeps them calm and safe.
Let us know about kids and naps. If a baby naps in a certain room, tell us so we can work around it.
Share alarm details. Motion sensors and window contacts can trip when windows are opened or screens removed. Put the alarm in a mode that allows it, or let us know which windows are wired.
Interior access
For interior cleaning, someone needs to be home or arrange access. We will need to reach every window being cleaned, including upstairs bedrooms and bathrooms. Hard to reach glass over tubs or stairwells is worth mentioning ahead of time so the right ladder comes along.
We protect floors and furniture while working inside, but clearing a path to each window makes it faster and safer for everyone.
The morning of
- Sprinklers are off
- Gates and the pool cage door are unlocked
- Pets are settled inside or in a closed room
- Blinds are up and sills are clear
- Cars are moved if they block a garage window or ladder spot
- The alarm is set so windows can open
Weather days
Light rain does not always stop exterior window cleaning. Clean glass handles a light shower far better than dirty glass, and the rain itself is not what leaves heavy spots. Afternoon thunderstorms and lightning are another story. If the weather turns unsafe, we will reach out to reschedule. Morning appointments in the summer often beat the storms entirely.
After the visit
We walk through the finished windows with you, and if anything is not right, we make it right. That is our 100% streak-free guarantee. Afterward, keep sprinkler heads aimed away from the glass so the results last as long as possible.
Our window cleaning service includes glass inside and out, frames, sills, screens and tracks, with hard water spot treatment where it is needed. Estimates are always free.
Ready to get it on the calendar? Book your window cleaning online or call (813) 444-4499.
