window cleaning FAQ for Rochester homeowners

Twice a year is the Rochester sweet spot — once in spring (April–June) to clear winter salt spray, road grime, and tree-pollen film, and once in fall (September–November) to clear summer dust, bug debris, and humidity haze before winter. About 70% of our customers book both. Single-clean-per-year customers usually pick spring, since fresh-glass-for-summer is the bigger visual win.

Mostly no. We close the route December through February. Exterior cleaning below about 35°F is unsafe — water freezes on the glass before the squeegee can clear it, leaving worse streaks than we started with. We do take interior-only jobs in winter on a case-by-case basis (offices, real estate listings, deep cleans before holiday parties).

Real streaks visible in normal daylight that came from our cleaning — we come back free, full stop. What it doesn't cover: streaks from sprinklers hitting the glass an hour after we leave, fresh fingerprints or pet-nose smudges on the inside, water spots from a rain shower the next morning, or hard-water mineral stains that were already etched into the glass (those need a separate restoration service). If we're not sure whose streak it is, we err on your side.

No — and this is the honest reason we cost more than the $99-truck-and-bucket guys. Old painted wood frames need gentle handling: we use lukewarm soapy water, microfiber cloths, and squeegees with soft rubber. No ammonia, no harsh chemicals, no pressure sprayers near painted wood. If we see flaking paint or rotted sash, we flag it for you and skip that area rather than risk making it worse.

Screens are the most common damage point in this trade, so we treat them carefully. We label each screen as it comes out (so it goes back in the right window — frames vary by 1/8" and a wrong screen will rattle), hand-wash with mild solution, air-dry flat, and reinstall without forcing. If a screen frame is already bent or the mesh is torn, we flag it and don't reinstall a damaged screen as if it were fine. We don't do screen repair — but we'll tell you what you need.

Spider webs in window frames and around lights are a normal part of every exterior clean — we remove them as part of the regular service, no charge. Active wasp or hornet nests are a different story: we won't spray pesticide (not in our scope), but we'll skip that window, flag it, and come back to finish after you've had pest control treat it. Inactive (old, abandoned) nests get knocked down and disposed of with the rest of the debris.

Yes. Storm windows are a Rochester staple — most of our older-home customers have them. They take longer because we clean both panes plus the interior space between them. We charge per storm-window unit (typically $3–$6 extra per storm), priced separately so you can choose to include them or not.

Sometimes. Light mineral spotting from sprinklers or rain comes off with our normal clean. Heavy, etched hard-water staining (the cloudy, foggy look on glass that's been hit by a sprinkler for years) needs a separate restoration service — a polish with cerium oxide or similar. We quote that separately, and we're honest about cases where the glass is too far gone and replacement is the better call.

Yes — storefronts, restaurants, small office buildings, and ground-floor retail. Most of our commercial customers are on a monthly cadence rather than the spring/fall residential rotation. We schedule before or after business hours when needed. Buildings above three stories or anything requiring rope-descent (high-rise) is outside our scope — we'll refer you out.

Yes, and we discount the bundle. A typical Rochester home with a fall window + gutter combo runs about 15% less than booking them separately, and we knock both out in one visit. Bundling is most popular for the September–November service — fall leaves in gutters become ice dams by January, so handling both at once is straightforward insurance.

Yes. We carry general liability insurance and a surety bond, with certificates available on request. Ladder work + water + someone else's home is a combination that can go wrong fast without coverage, so we don't book a single job without both in place. (Operator note: replace with actual policy limits and bond amount once the business is operational.)

Exterior-only — no, we just need a way to reach the windows. Interior or full detail — yes, ideally, since we need access to every room. If you can't be home, we work with a side-door code or a trusted neighbor handoff. We always text photos when we finish so you see the work the same day.