How to clean outside windows

Updated 2026-10-06

To clean outside windows, rinse off loose dirt, wash the glass with warm water and a little mild detergent, then squeegee or wipe it dry before it dries by itself. Wash the frames the same way. Most of the work can be done from the ground with a pole. If the upstairs glass is too much, we arrange exterior window cleaning for North Shore homes.

What’s the best solution for cleaning outside windows?

A bucket of warm water with a few drops of mild, pH-neutral dishwashing liquid does the job on most outside glass. It lifts dirt and salt without harming aluminium frames or seals. The Window & Glass Association recommends exactly that kind of mild solution for looking after windows and frames, and warns against harsh chemical cleaners.

Keep it weak. Too much detergent leaves a film that smears when the sun hits the glass, and then you are rinsing twice. A squirt or two in a full bucket is plenty.

What to leave in the cupboard:

• Solvents and strong cleaners. Joinery guidance warns that they put powder-coated and anodised frames at risk.
• Abrasive powders and scourers. They scratch glass, and the scratches show every time the sun is low.
• Products not labelled for glass and aluminium. If a house-wash product doesn’t say it is safe on both, keep it away from the windows.

Vinegar is a common home remedy. It is mildly acidic and some people find it helps on mineral spots, but joinery guidance asks for pH-neutral cleaners on frames, so if you try it, keep it on the glass and rinse well.

What’s the best tool for cleaning outside windows?

A good rubber squeegee and a washing applicator, or a soft sponge, will handle most windows you can reach standing up. Add a telescopic extension pole for higher glass, and a soft-bristled hose-end brush for frames and big areas. A lint-free microfibre cloth finishes the edges. Together these cover nearly every outside window on a typical house without leaving the ground.

What each tool is for:

• Applicator or sponge. Puts the soapy water on and loosens grime. A sleeve on a T-bar holds plenty of water and covers a pane quickly.
• Squeegee. Pulls the water off in one direction so the glass dries clear. A sharp, unnicked rubber blade matters more than the handle.
• Extension pole. Many squeegees and applicators screw onto a pole thread, which turns a first-floor window into a ground-level job.
• Hose-end brush. A soft brush that clips onto the garden hose, some with a built-in detergent dispenser, makes washing frames and rinsing large areas easy.
• Microfibre cloth. For corners, edges and any drips the squeegee leaves behind.

Professional window cleaners often use water-fed poles with purified water, which dry without spots and don’t need a squeegee.

Common mistakes when cleaning outside windows

The mistakes that cause streaks are cleaning in hot sun, using too much detergent, reusing dirty water and letting the glass dry on its own. The mistakes that cause damage are scraping the glass, using harsh cleaners on frames and blasting water into seals. The mistake that causes injuries is climbing too high or onto the roof. All of them are easy to avoid.

• Cleaning in direct sun. The water dries before you can squeegee it, leaving streaks and spots. Work on the shady side and follow the shade around the house.
• Dirty water and a dirty blade. Change the water when it turns grey and wipe the squeegee blade after every stroke.
• Using a scraper or blade on the glass. The Window & Glass Association strongly advises against it because it can scratch glass, and toughened glass in particular can carry tiny fused particles that a blade drags across the surface.
• Turning the hose to a hard jet. It forces water past seals in a way wind-driven rain doesn’t. Use a gentle spray.
• Skipping the frames. Dirty frames drip back onto clean glass with the next shower.
• Overreaching from a ladder. Move the ladder instead, or use a pole from the ground.

For glass you can’t scrub without a blade, see the association’s note on toughened glass, which recommends a soft cloth for that reason.

How do you reach upstairs windows from the ground?

Use a telescopic pole with a squeegee or applicator on the end, or a soft hose-end brush on the garden hose, and work from the ground. Windows that tilt or swing inward can often be cleaned on both faces from inside. Stay off the roof, and avoid ladders on soft, sloping or uneven ground. If glass can’t be reached safely from the ground or a short ladder, leave it to someone set up for it.

A pole clean of an upstairs window, step by step:

1. Rinse the glass with a gentle spray from the hose to soften dirt and salt.
2. Wash it with the applicator on the pole, working from the top down.
3. Squeegee from the top, angling the blade so water runs down and off one side.
4. Rinse again if you see streaks, then leave the frame edges to drip dry or wipe what you can reach.

If you do use a ladder for a lower window, follow WorkSafe’s advice on safe working with ladders and stepladders: set a straight ladder about 1 m out at the base for every 4 m of height, don’t stand above the third rung from the top, keep three points of contact and don’t overreach. WorkSafe also notes there is no minimum safe height for a fall.

How do you remove hard-water spots and salt from windows?

Salt spray rinses off with plain fresh water and a soft brush, so wash it off often rather than letting it build up. Hard-water spots are minerals left behind when tap water dries on the glass. Wash the pane with warm, mildly soapy water, rinse, then squeegee or dry it straight away so new spots don’t form. Older, baked-on marks may take a few washes.

Near the coast, a regular gentle hose-down of the windows and frames stops salt from building into a haze. The Window & Glass Association notes coastal windows need frequent washing for exactly this reason.

Water spots come back whenever tap water is left to dry on glass, including from sprinklers and the hose. Drying the glass after rinsing is the simplest fix. Professionals avoid the problem with purified water, which leaves nothing behind when it dries.

Don’t reach for a razor or a scourer on spotted glass. If marks won’t move with gentle washing, they may be etched into the surface or part of a special coating. In that case, check with the glass supplier before trying anything stronger.

How do you clean window frames and tracks?

Brush loose dirt and insects out of the tracks first, then wash frames and sills with a soft brush and the same mild, pH-neutral solution you use on the glass. Rinse with a gentle spray and dry the glass. The Window & Glass Association suggests this routine about every three months for powder-coated aluminium frames, and more often near the sea.

• Tracks. A small brush or an old paintbrush lifts grit from sliding door and window tracks. Clear the small drainage holes at the bottom of the frame so water can escape.
• Seals. Wipe rubber seals with a damp cloth. Skip solvents, which joinery guidance warns put frames and seals at risk.
• Timber frames. Wash gently and dry; flaking paint on timber is a job for a painter, not a cleaner.
• Marks that won’t shift. Paint splashes and sunscreen are easiest to remove straight away with water and a soft cloth. Leave anything stubborn rather than scrubbing the finish.

Do the frames before the glass. That way any dirt that runs down lands on glass you haven’t cleaned yet.