cleaning the hard to reach outside of your windows

red_devil

If you cant reach them to clean them, what do you do apart from ask a window cleaner. Is there any device that you can buy that will reach up for you and clean the outside of the upstairs.

[Deleted User]

In the area where I live window cleaners are as rare as hen's teeth so I clean what I can reach and the rest sadly has to stay mucky, as climbing around on my wonky hip isn't condusive for healthy living. I would happily pay a window cleaner but it seems to be a dying trade,or perhaps folk find it easier to sit on their butts. My late husband at 6ft used to clean my windows for me and mow the lawn but now the little bit of grass I have left in my garden one of my grandsons mows for me, but none of them are yet tall enough to clean my windows

Pollybear

I don't know if this thread is any help?

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=370521

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

I have window cleaning troubles too.
I had them cleaned properly upstairs 6 weeks ago when I had some men come round asking if I wanted them done monthly.They did a realy good job and I was realy pleased.They have'nt been back since so I don't suppose they'll come now.
What happened to window cleaners.

McKneff

a ladder !!!!

geordie_joe

McKneff wrote: »

a ladder !!!!

Not allowed to use ladders these days, you have to use a long pole with a brush on the end, attached to a hose pipe that used 245 gallons of water per window.

Apparently the health and safety police are worried about people falling off ladders while cleaning windows, but don't care if we all die of thirst!

geordie_joe

red_devil wrote: »

If you cant reach them to clean them, what do you do apart from ask a window cleaner. Is there any device that you can buy that will reach up for you and clean the outside of the upstairs.

You can get long poles to clean windows, argos used to sell them.

What kind of windows do you have?

I have a short window cleaning "thingy" that has a fluffy bit on one side and a rubber strip on the other. It has a hollow handle and I can stick in onto a broom shank, which allows me to do the upstairs windows from inside.

I just open one window and lean out (a little) and use the "thingy" to clean the closed window, then swap round.

For the one "single" window I just open it 90 degrees and shove the "thingy" through the gap between the hinge side of the window and the wall.

Just been on ebay, if you do a search for "window cleaner" you will find some "magnetic" window cleaners. You will also see one of the "thingy's" I have. On ebay it has a red handle and the picture has a green price ticket in it. Mine is very similar, but has a hollow handle, this one does not. You need to find one with a hollow handle to stick the "extension" in.

McKneff

Youre not allowed to use a ladder on your own house:eek:

MrsBartolozzi

I have a vileda super mop thing for the kitchen floor. The head is strips of fabric with abrasive scrubby bits (technical eh? ) Well I use this to clean my windows , and a squeegee thing which I stuck on the end of a broomhandle.
You might have something suitable lying around the house - maybe an extending pole for attaching a paint roller- you could attach something to that?

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

All the window cleaners that I've ever seen use ladders and still do.
As for the poles to clean them,they just don't reach my windows and if I was to be able to add more poles it would just wobble and keelover it would be so unmanagable.

geordie_joe

McKneff wrote: »

Youre not allowed to use a ladder on your own house:eek:

You can use a ladder on your own house, but if you employ someone else to clean your windows then you have to make sure they use the most appropriate equipment, and that they are competent if working at heights.

This means that if they fall of the ladder the H&S police could blame you for not making sure they used a cleaner on a pole instead of a ladder.

Even worse if they fall due to their own error, because you are responsible for making sure they are competent.