Streak-free window cleaning
I've been cleaning windows since before the earthquakes — still the perfect add-on after gutters.
Glass, frames and sills — left proper
Some customers are surprised to hear I cleaned windows before gutters. As I wrote on 5 December 2025, "some customers seem surprised when they find out I have been cleaning windows since before the earthquakes .... it's not a service I promote much, but if your glass needs a touch up after you've had your gutters cleaned, let me know!" That's still how I offer it: a tidy-up on the same visit, not a separate pitch.
Process is traditional: wash with clean water and a squeegee, wipe frames and sills so grime doesn't wash back, and check the glass in the light for streaks before I move on. Inside and outside by arrangement — I work around furniture and lay a sheet where needed. For rental turnovers or pre-sale cleans, I coordinate gutter and window together so the whole exterior photographs well.
I keep the pace unhurried and the finish consistent — the same "no mess" standard people mention for gutters applies to windows. No ladders leaned on fresh paint if I can avoid it, no drips left on the sill. If a pane has paint flecks or hard water marks that need a blade, I'll name it before I start.
Christchurch light is unforgiving on glass. After a southerly blows dust off the estuary or a nor'wester drives pollen across New Brighton, a pane that looked clean at arm's length shows every wipe at sunset. I clean windows with the traditional method because it is fast, quiet and leaves no chemical film — wash with clean water, squeegee in overlapping passes, detail the edge with a dry cloth, wipe frames and sills so dirty water doesn't bleed back.
Inside cleans need more care than outside. I lay a drop sheet, move only what you ask me to, and work top-down so drips don't mark a sill I just dried. For double-hung windows and louvres common in Christchurch renovations, I clean each pane and the track where dust sits. If a pane has old paint flecks, silicone or hard-water spots that need a blade, I name it before I start and test an inconspicuous corner first.
Timing with gutters is the advantage. A gutter clean flicks fine grit onto the glass below; doing windows right after means the final rinse on the gutter doubles as a pre-rinse for the window. For pre-sale photography or a rental inspection, I schedule both together so the exterior reads as one job, not two visits. And because the same person did both, the quote you accepted for gutters plus a realistic add-on for windows is the invoice you receive — no travel fee added after you decided to bundle.
- Outside wash as standard, inside by arrangement
- Frames wiped, sills dried
- Checked in the light for streaks
- Furniture and floors protected
- Add-on to gutter clean saves a trip fee
- Straight quote, no add-on surprises