Window Cleaning FAQs

How often should I get my house windows cleaned?

Most residential clients require their windows cleaned every 3 - 6 months. However, this can vary depending on many factors, such as traffic pollution, if the house is near the beach and is affected by salt spray, or if there are a lot of little children or pets putting dirty hands or paws on the glass, etc.

How much does window cleaning cost?

Firstly, we have a minimum cost. However, other factors are the quantity of windows and difficulty of access to the them. Since every job is unique, our window cleaners are prepared to visit the job in person free of charge to give you a competitive quote - free of charge.

If the job is relatively straight forward, once you've filled in the 'Get a Quote' form, we can often give you the price straight away. Emailing photos will help too. For more complicated jobs, we are happy to pay a visit in person to provide you the window cleaning quote.

‍How do you accept payment?

You can pay the window cleaner when he comes to do the job either by Cash, Bank Transfer or Credit Card (Amex, Visa or Master Card - a 1.95% surcharge applies). Our standard payment terms are 7 days from the invoice date, but this can be adjusted on mutual agreement. Sorry, we don't accept cheques.

Pay by:

‍Can you give me a Tax Invoice?

Of course! All our window cleaners are willing and happy to provide you with a tax invoice.

What type of window cleaning do you do?

We tackle all types of window cleaning! Here's what we offer:‍

Residential Cleaning: Make your house shine with sparkling windows!
Commercial Buildings: Boost your curb appeal and impress clients!
Industrial Sites: Let in the light and keep your workspace bright!
Strata Buildings: Maintain a clean and professional look for all residents! ️
Nursing Homes & Retirement Villages: Brighten the day for residents with clear views!
Government Facilities: Ensure a clean and professional environment!

We're fully equipped for any job and are qualified to use a Cherry Picker (Boom Lift). Working at Heights Certified, Working with Children Checks, Police Checks

How far in advance do I need to book?

Generally: 1-2 weeks notice is ideal. But beware of the Summer Rush: Spots fill up fast! Bookings for October to December fills fast, so get in early to avoid disappointment. If you're in a rush, please let us know and we might be able to speed things up for you. To help with that, please include in your enquiry the exact address with a good description of the job and if possible, a few photos.

How should I prepare for the window cleaners coming to my place?

Once you've made a booking and know the date and time for the window cleaners to arrive, we'll send you a reminder email a couple of days beforehand.

If we are cleaning the inside of your windows, please have your blinds pulled up, curtains opened and any personal effects or ornaments removed from your window sills to allow us clear access. With any heavy furniture, we can squeeze around it with about 30cm space.

What's included in a standard "maintenance window clean"?

Obviously, we clean the glass - streak free. We also wipe the window frames, clean fly screens (or fly wires) and remove spider webs from around the window area. We will remove a small amount of paint spots, bug marks and other hard marks.The items below which are not counted as part of a maintenance clean can be done as an additional service on request.

Glass Doors

We include glass doors as windows when quoting.

Window Sills

Cleaning the window sill of a sash window is a standard part of our window cleaning (when possible to open window).

Window Frames

We wipe or wash the outside window frames, and give the insides a quick wipe over too.

Fly Screens

We include cleaning fly screens as part of the window cleaning job. We have to remove them to clean the window, so we don't want to put them back dirty.

We normally clean them outdoors with a brush damp towel.

Screwed-in Fly Screens

Screwed-in fly screens can take a lot longer to remove and refit. A small amount may not affect the price, but if there are a lot of screws for us to handle, we may want to adjust the quote accordingly.

We carry 'Phillips head' and 'flat head' screwdrivers with us.

Security Screens

Security screens such as 'Crimsafe' have special screws designed to be tamper-proof. This means that they normally need a licensed installer to remove them.

You cannot buy these tools from Bunnings or another hardware! Therefore, we cannot remove these screens.

We can spray running pure water through them to partially clean the windows, or in some cases can remove the window to clean it from inside.

Hard Water Stains

Hard water stains, soap scum, lime scale, glass cancer, glass corrosion, metal leaching. These terms all mean similar things - that the glass doesn't appear clean, even after a normal window clean.

This can occur to glass when a high concentration of dissolved minerals runs over the glass. It's most common on windows that regularly get wet from sprinklers, swimming pools or driving rain that transfers water from fly screens to the glass.

The window feels rough to touch, is dull, not very shiny and over time, gradually looses it's transparency, becoming cloudy.

Special (acid-based) hard-water-stain removers are available to remove the mineral deposits and restore the glass's shine, but do not have a 100% success rate.

After Construction

Glass with a lot of hardened marks, stickers or post renovations or construction grime needs special attention. It can be very time-consuming to do a thorough, careful job. You need the right tools, experience and temperament.

Please make sure to mention in advance if you have any glass like this for your job.

Window Tracks

Window, or glass door tracks, or window runners are not included in our maintenance window cleaning price.

This is the part at the bottom of a window frame where the window or glass door slides left or right.

We find that many clients don't want or don't need this part of the frame cleaned, so we don't want to charge everyone for it. Please ask us for a separate quote to clean the window tracks if you would like that done.

Heavy Mould

We include a quick wipe of window frames, but this might not be enough to clean heavy mould from the frames.

This mould is normally caused by poor ventilation and temprature regulation in the room.

As it takes more time and effort to remove this, we ask for it to be mentioned to us before we send the final quote, so it can be factored in.

Hidden Parts of Window Frame

Side jams and head jams of sash windows do not normally get dirty. We do not clean this part of the window frame unless specifically requested beforehand.

The inside facing cross bar or bottom rail of sash windows is normally not included in a maintenance window clean.

This is because in many cases, the top part of sash windows are rarely moved and often becomes jammed. To be able to clean the cross bar, the top and the bottom panes of the sash window must be able to slide freely.

Cleaning the side trim of awning, casement or hopper window is not generally included in a maintenance clean. The side trim is the part of the window frame that is hidden when the window is closed.

The sill which is hidden when an awning window is closed is not part of the standard clean.

How can you reach the outsides of my high windows?

Firstly, some windows can be accessed from inside. We also use poles and tall ladders where possible.

For windows above up to 6 stories that can't be accessed from inside, we have a long water-fed pole with pure water system which delivers sparkling results to glass the window frames. This amazing technology can reach up to 70 feet, or 20 meters high!

It's safe to use - no chemicals and the worker stands safely on the ground.

See more about cleaning high windows here.

Do the window cleaners have all the necessary insurance cover?

Yes. We are covered by $20 million Public Liability insurance and all workers are also covered by Workers Compensation Insurance. We are happy to forward a copy of the Certificates of Currency on request.

Can you prepare Safe Work Method Statements?

Yes. We can provide you with a SWMS once a job has been confirmed. Please let us know in advance if this will be required.

Do you have permission to use running water with Sydney's Water Restrictions?

Yes we do. Since 2020, Sydney does not have 'water restrictions'. Instead, it has guidelines seen here to prevent water wastage. In summary, we can use running water for cleaning hard surfaces, window cleaning, gutter cleaning and pressure cleaning. However, we are not allowed to leave a tap running unattended.

What else do you do besides window cleaning?

Besides window cleaning, we also do pressure cleaning, house washing, gutter cleaning and a few other small services related to theses. We are also licenced to use cherry pickers (or boom lifts) to access high areas.

What are you doing to reduce your carbon footprint?

El Toro cares for the environment and is leading the industry in environmentally friendly work practise. Some steps already in place are:

Reducing car travel by using the internet and telephone wherever possible for quotes
Organising work in efficient routes to save on travel
Avoiding waste by being careful with the storage and use of all tools and detergents
Having machines serviced regularly to run at optimum levels
Disposing of rubbish legally
Detergent is never tipped down the drain and allowed to enter the water system
We are sparing with water usage and respect any water restrictions imposed by authorities
Where possible, the towels and rags we use are recycled

Do you clean after construction work?

Sometimes. This depends on several factors. However, we do understand that great care needs to be taken to avoid scratching the glass. This specialised type of window cleaning work is best left to the professionals!

Do you still come if it is raining?

We normally continue working if it is raining lightly. However, if we consider the weather would make the job unsafe for work (ie. stormy, strong winds or slippery roof), then we would need to re-schedule.

In our experience, the weather forecast isn't very reliable beyond about 24hrs. So, where possible, we prefer to make the decision to reschedule no earlier than on the day or the day before. But if you'd prefer to wait for a sunny day, we totally understand. We'll happily reschedule your appointment for a time that works best for you!

But doesn't rain make the windows dirty?

Not really. The three main reasons windows become dirty are:

Pollen & Dust/Pollution
Insect droppings
Finger prints

If these are present on the glass when it rains, the residue in the rain attaches itself to the dirt and often makes the windows look worse. So if the windows have recently been cleaned, then the rain will simply run off the clean glass and the windows continue to remain clean.

Do you clean fly screens?

Yes we do. However, if we are only cleaning one side of the windows we wouldn't clean internal fly screens.Keeping fly screens (also called fly wire or insect screens) clean helps to keep the windows clean too. Please let us know if you have fly screens at your place.
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What if my screens are screwed in, or Crimsafe security screens?

In most cases, we cannot remove Crimsafe screens. If these are not removed prior to us doing the job, we can spray pure-water through the screen - which should clean away some of the dirt on the window, but not leave it spotless.

Please let us know prior to quoting the job if you have fly screens that are screwed in place. It can take quite a lot of extra time for us to handle these.

Why do you ask for fly screens to be removed on Strata buildings?

Most strata buildings are designed with fly screens that need to be detached from the inside. This is because ladders cannot safely each over about 2 stories high, so there's no other way to take off fly screens above that height.

We acknowledge that some people may not know how, or be able to remove their fly screens as requested. If this is a concern, please let us know - it may be possible to arrange for us to come through the apartment to assist.

Below are some examples of fly screen clips that need to be detached from inside:

A Slide Tab needs to be released from inside to detach the fly screen

This D-Clip has a tab that slides to unclip the fly screen from inside the window

Spring-Loaded Plunger clips are normally put on the inside of fly screens

This kind of Fan Tab turns to lock or unlock the fly screen in place

Turn (or Swivel) Clips are probably the most common way to fasten fly screens

Lift Tabs are common to see on most fly screens

What if I'm not happy with the job?

We aim to go above and beyond your expectations on every job we do. If you are not 100% satisfied, please bring it to the attention of the worker while he is there, and he'll be happy to do whatever it takes (within reason) to remedy the job. Otherwise, feel free to contact us as soon as possible by email or phone.

Please note: By several days after completion of the job, weather, spider webs and other factors could start to affect the results of our work.

We get job satisfaction from getting sparkling results and our goal is to keep our clients coming back to us.

How do you window clean?

I'm often asked about tips on how to window clean, so I've prepared these two pages explaining our professional methods: Tips on How to Window Clean and How to Clean Small Window Panes.

Is it worth it to have a professional window cleaner?

Don't think of yourself as being lazy for calling a professional window cleaner.

Here is why it's worthwhile:
* Don't risk your neck - professionals have the knowledge and equipment to reach high windows safely.
* Streak-Free Shine! Years of experience means sparkling windows, no technique struggles!
* Your Time Matters! Skip the chore and reclaim your precious hours!
* Instant Curb Appeal! Clean windows instantly brighten your entire home! ✨

It's a small investment, but the results pay off!

Is a Robot Window Cleaner worth buying?

Technology is always looking at improving our lives, and many new advances have been made in the window cleaning industry in recent years. This article discusses a new Robot Window Cleaning machine. If you would like a great, reliable result on the glass, it seems like it's still best to use a professional window cleaner to do the job.

Is it 'Window Washer' or 'El Toro Window & Gutter Cleaning'?

Windowwasher.com.au is the website address for El Toro Window & Gutter Cleaning. As for where does 'El Toro' come from?, you'll have to ask the cleaner himself about that!

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