Any suggestions on how to leave windows looking clean after pressure cleaning a house

[POWERMEN INC 14]

Does anyone have a trick, or add anything to the rinse to leave the windows without any smears or water stains?

I just clean with chlorine and rinse with plain city water.

[Mathew Johnson 123]

Does anyone have a trick, or add anything to the rinse to leave the windows without any smears or water stains?

I just clean with chlorine and rinse with plain city water.

Add some tinse aid to your wash. I use simple cherry from Pressure Tek and have pretty good results

[PressurePros 249]

Downstream MrClean (very dilute) for spot free windows. There is also a product we use called Glide that rocks.

[plainpainter 217]

If all you use is chlorine and water - you ain't washing.

[PressurePros 249]

If all you use is chlorine and water - you ain't washing.

That's my feeling as well. Without some type of caustic/surfactant to break carbon bonds mold has an immediate source to which it can stick and regrow.. unless you are using some pressure to wash every inch.

[All Surface 24]

I've been using Mr. Clean on some of my jobs and ds'ing it after the wash. Not only does it smell damn good it does also help reduce the spotting and straking on the windows. ? Are you guys re-rinsing the windows after applying MR. Clean or other products? I've been leaving it and like I said it reduces the streaking but doesn't leave them perfect. I know there is no replacement for actually hand washing but I am just curious if I'm doing it wrong. :think:

[plainpainter 217]

I don't know what you guys are talking about - after using simple cherry - all I have to do is rinse, rinse, rinse, and my windows come out beautiful.

[Camelot 68]

I use simple cherry and add a little liquid cascade to my solution...keeps windows streak free every time!

[Doug Dahlke 114]

A good rinse is all I do. You just need to be mindful of what other areas are being washed. It is easy to splash solution back on windows that have already been rinsed. Use a good cleaner and rinse well you should be fine.

[We Wash Concrete 64]

Just rinsing with regular tap water will give different results depending on what area your in. That can even vary greatly within a few miles. If your rinsing with water that has a high TDS (total desolved solids) content you'll get spots no matter what kind of rinse aid you use. If you use a rinse aid and have a relativly low TDS count, the windows will more then likely turn out very nicely.

You can filter the water to bring the TDS down to 0. This can be accomplished with either a De-ionization tank or with a Reverse Osmosis filter, or both, depending on the TDS of your water.

If I were wanting to clean windows without physically cleaning them, I would clean the house as usual, but brush the windows with a soft car brush with the house wash. Then rinse rinse rinse the entire house as usual with just water. Then I would rinse the windows with pure water, water with a TDS count of near 0. Water with a TDS of around 10 starts to spots windows. I clean windows all the time with a water fed pole and pure water. No squeegee'n is needed.

Keep in mind too, that if you don't use a surfacent like Simple Cherry, you have to increase your chlorine concentration to do the same job. This means you'll need to rinse even more in order to remove all the chlorine.

[FLORIN 21]

Downstream MrClean (very dilute) for spot free windows. There is also a product we use called Glide that rocks.

Which Mr. Clean product do you downstream. Last I remember at the grocery store they make a bunch of products.

[James 625]

Brush the glass and rinse. The condition of the glass and how dirty it is has allot to do with how they come out. Glass comes out better with agitation. or get a De-ionizor.

[Palmetto Home and Deck 167]

“Brush the glass and rinse. The condition of the glass and how dirty it is has allot to do with how they come out. Glass comes out better with agitation. or get a De-ionizor.”

Jim

“If I were wanting to clean windows without physically cleaning them, I would clean the house as usual, but brush the windows with a soft car brush with the house wash.”

Micah

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There are a lot of good tips here, but there is one key step to good looking glass and that is brushing as Jim and Micah point out . I know you want to avoid this, but brushing does not mean scrubbing. Just a little agitation goes a long way and it doesn’t take long.

Another that helps is wet the glass before you apply your house wash mix and then again right afterwards even before you start rinsing the house. If you avoid putting your mix on hot dry glass and never let it dry on the windows they will be much easier to rinse clean.

[PressurePros 249]

I agree 100% with brushing windows and we do it on every housewash. The only problem is screens. Some homeowners will remove them for the extra depth of clean, some could not be bothered. On higher end houses with very large windows without insie access we offer DI water rinsing and/or squeeging as an upgrade.

Florin, we do not use the Mr Clean method but have heard it is effective from a number of guys. We use the Glide product.

[James 625]

After PW a house DI water is awesome. Its tricky? your better off waiting for the area to be dry around the window to use DI water and bushing. Otherwise, some of the chalk residue may leach back on the window. I love it!

I have a house to go to now. House ,fence, shed, DI the windows!!

[FLORIN 21]

How much extra cost does a DI treatment put into a housewash?

[plainpainter 217]

I was once downstreaming F-18 onto bare grey PT deck boards to clean them up. Then I was packing up - the guy asked me if I could clean his front window with the cleaning water. It was like those grand entrances - where the ceiling goes up to the ceiling of the second floor - and thus they have this huge window above the front door way letting lots of light in. So I downstreamed the F-18 onto the window glass- and rinsed like crazy - and the glass came out shiny and perfect with absolutely no streaking! And it was 'hard' rinse water to boot. figure that out!

[PressurePros 249]

Florin, Its a PITA upsell because we have to remember to load on the portable cannister and tank for the DI water (plus let it fill over night). I don't add much to the cost I use it more as a closer when the situation calls for it (ie $1200+ house wash).

For the guys that think their windows dry spotless.. Every house wash I do appears that way as well. Go inside that house the next morning when the sun is streaming through the windows and you will change your thought. DI water (and brushing) makes a noticeable difference. I'm not saying it is worth the cost or aggravation, but there is a difference.

[Russ Johnson 141]

DI tanks will treat quite a few gallons of water before regeneration is required. ( I forget how many, call Culligan) Get a smaller tank to dedicate to window rinse and fill it with DI water. Ball valve it into your pump inlet, wash as normal, flip the ball valves, and rinse only the windows with DI water. RO is actually even better, but hugely expensive. Not only in equipment and a holding tank, but water wasted creating the pure water. If I recall, it'll make 3 and discharge 2 to waste.

Edited November 17, 2008 by Russ Johnson

[Power Clean 14]

Jet Dry! 1oz per 5gal of house wash mix, leaves the windows nice and shiny. Works better than the 5 gallon rinse aid I use to buy.

Edited November 18, 2008 by Power Clean

[We Wash Concrete 64]

Jetdry can harm anodized aluminum, be careful.

I totally agree with Pressure Pros. Windows can look perfect, especially from the outsite. Pay attention through out the day to different resturants or shops you visit. You'll notice that from several feet away the windows look perfect, but once you get closer or even inside they are filthy.

DI tanks can be rented. The tank I rent is about the size of a welders tank. I have it strapped on a handtruck so it can be wheeled around and loaded on the truck easy. I hook it up with a garden hose and the water is instantly filtered. I test the water with my TDS meter to make sure I'm still getting pure water before I start a job, and if it's a large job, I'll check it throughout the job. Setting up is easy, easier then setting up to pressure wash.

My DI tank, which houses a 1 cubic yard of mixed bed resin, last about 2500 gallons in my area. In some areas of the country it may only last 500 gallons - in which case a RO unit would be better suited. To rent the tank is 150 dollars until it's spent. That's 0.06 cents a gallon for pure water, and you really only want half a GPM flow, so it's extremly cheap.

[FLORIN 21]

hmmm. very interesting. Ive looked in to a di system before when was looking to do a carlot but this is a totally different ball game. Dont need to use as much. I get quite a few requests for window cleaning but I usually price em so high that most dont go for them because I hate squeegieing them.

[Chesapeake 14]

Simple Cherry from Pressure Tek

[A and J POWERWASHING 64]

Chris that is some great stuff have you tried it

[Chesapeake 14]

Yea, I use it in one of my house washing mixes. It works really well.

[john@AEC 37]

G'day All

For those windows that are very dirty, and owners who like clean windows, I use a window cleaners mop (about 18" long on T-bar/swivel) while washing/rinsing the walls etc. I then spray window cleaner (carry it in a pump-up sprayer) and mop/rinse again. My other "trick" is bathroom cleaner (soap scum/water spot remover) to remove dried house wash and old dirt/mineral marks, especially from behind screens.

We have had a bit of rain recently and I have extra water storage, so have used rain water for rinsing windows - not quite DI or RO, but it impresses clients.

Cheers