Are Windows Worth Cleaning?

If you’re thinking about having your windows professionally cleaned, you may be wondering if having your windows cleaned is really worth it. While you should expect to spend hundreds of dollars having the windows of your home or business cleaned, the cost is likely worthwhile for most. Let’s dive into what’s included in a professional window cleaning, what the benefits of regular cleanings are, and how much professional window cleaning costs. 

Why Is Cleaning Windows Necessary?

Window cleaning is an important investment because it protects the windows from damage, improves their appearance, and boosts indoor air quality. 

When left unwashed, windows gather dust, dirt, and deposits from acid rain and other elemental factors. All this buildup can cause the windows to be scratched and may lead to etching that weakens the exterior finish of your windows. By having your windows professionally cleaned, you’ll extend their lifespans in a major way. 

Even though having windows cleaned will cost an average of $8-$15 per window, window cleaning is worth it,because it’s essential to preserve your windows over time. 

How Often Should Windows Be Cleaned?

Windows should be cleaned a minimum of two times per year. In particularly dirty locations, you may have to clean windows as much as four or six times per year to keep them from becoming coated with grime. 

Start with a cleaning every six months, and inspect your windows monthly to see how long it takes before they are truly dirty again. This will tell you exactly how frequently you should have your windows professionally cleaned for the best results. 

What Is the Difference Between Window Washing and Window Cleaning?

While there are many professional window cleaners available for hire today, there are some window washers as well. Sometimes these titles are interchangeable, but often, window washing is a less-thorough form of true window cleaning. 

Window washers will very quickly clean the interior and exterior glass of your building, while cleaners will thoroughly scrub and wash the glass and frames of your windows inside and out. This difference is why window washers are often more affordable than professional cleaners. 

What are Average Window Cleaning Prices?

When hiring a professional window cleaner, you’ll have several different types of cleaning prices to be aware of. Some companies charge their clients a per-window cost, while others charge by the square footage of a building. The per-window cost is more common for residential customers, while a charge by the square foot is common for commercial customers. There are also extra charges for things like screen washing and hard-to-reach window washing. 

Cost Per Window

A common way to price window cleaning jobs is a cost per window cleaned. This cost can be between $8 and $15 per window on average, though higher windows may be as much as $20 each. 

Standard window styles, such as casement, double hung, and transom, are usually billed as a single window, but windows with more sections, such as sliding, bay, or picture windows, can count as two or three windows to clean. By counting your windows before hiring a cleaner, you can get a very rough estimate of what you can expect to pay for a cleaning service. 

Window Cleaning Price per Square Foot

Many commercial window cleaning jobs have a square-foot cost rather than a per-window cost. These jobs cost between $0.50 and $2.50 per square foot, with an average of about $1.50 per square foot. 

Window Cleaning Services Prices (Extra Costs)

The above prices are pretty standard costs for window cleaning services, but they aren’t always the only costs. Some companies charge a call-out fee of between $45 and $85 for traveling to the location. This is more common for customers that want information without paying for window cleaning services. 

It’s common to charge between $1.00 and $5.00 for washing window screens as well. Some companies also offer to clean shutters, blinds, and other window fixtures for a small additional fee. 

Ask about any extra fees when working with a new window cleaning company, so you can get an accurate cost estimate. 

What do Residential Window Cleaning Services Include?

Residential window cleaning services include fully washing the glass and the window frames on the inside and outside of your windows. During this process, the cleaners may remove mullions and screens but usually won’t clean them without asking for an additional fee. 

What Do Commercial Window Cleaning Services Include?

Commercial window cleaning services almost always include exterior window washing and frame cleaning services. It’s less common for mullion and screen removal to be necessary with commercial properties, but it’s sometimes done to prepare windows for cleaning. 

It’s more common for commercial cleaning services to be only for exterior windows, but most cleaning quotes are for interior and exterior window surfaces. The glass and frames of the windows are fully cleaned, often with a squeegee and scrubber, but sometimes with a water-fed pole system instead. 

The Benefits of Commercial Window Cleaning

Having your commercial windows cleaned at least twice annually ensures the windows don’t suffer from etching and premature wear. The windows will also look cleaner and more professional. Clean windows are known to perform more efficiently as well, and maintaining all the windows of a building can help it be more energy efficient. 

What Does High-Rise Window Cleaning Include?

High-rise window cleaning often includes scraping, scrubbing, and wiping down the glass of massive exterior window surfaces of skyscrapers in major cities. Much of high-rise window cleaning is lowering and raising your harness or lift to get to the proper height to clean the next set of windows. 

Even though high-rise windows only take a few minutes to clean each, skyscrapers take teams of individuals weeks or months to fully clean off. High-rise windows are often cleaned on a continual basis, though there may be a break of a month or two in-between cleanings for smaller buildings. 

The tallest buildings in the world require rotating teams of window cleaners to continually clean the glass surrounding the buildings to keep everything effectively clean. 

How Much Does it Cost to Clean High-Rise Windows?

High-rise window cleaning costs are $85 per hour per service person on average for cleaning a true skyscraper. These fees vary based on the building size and the company, but every high-rise job requires a minimum team of two individuals to safely clean the windows. 

Contact S&K Building Services Inc. for Your Residential and Commercial Window Cleaning Needs

While cleaning costs can add up, especially when caring for large commercial buildings, window cleaning services are worth their cost. Maintain your commercial or residential windows conveniently by calling S&K Building Services Inc. today. We are here to answer your questions.