Window Cleaning FAQ: Santa Cruz County

With us, glass inside and out, tracks vacuumed and wiped, sills and frames wiped, screens removed, washed and reinstalled, and cobwebs cleared around the windows. Glass repair and fogged double-pane replacement are not included. Some companies charge extra for tracks or screens, so ask before you book anyone.

We do on every window job at no extra charge. Some companies treat tracks as an add-on, so ask before you book anyone.

Most homes don’t need monthly cleaning. We suggest quarterly on the oceanfront, every four to six months within about a mile of the water, and twice a year inland or in the San Lorenzo Valley. Weekly to monthly schedules are more common for storefronts with heavy foot traffic.

The marine layer and salt spray leave a mineral film on the glass, sprinklers add hard water spots, and trees add sap and pollen. Coastal glass gets dirty faster than glass inland.

For exterior glass we use a water-fed pole with deionized water, which dries without spots. Interior glass is cleaned by hand with a little mild soap, a mop, a squeegee and a detail towel on every edge. Tracks are vacuumed and wiped, and screens are brushed and rinsed.

It depends on the method. Inside glass is squeegeed dry and the edges are detailed with a dry towel, so no water is left behind. Exterior glass rinsed with deionized water is left to air dry, and because the water has no minerals in it, it dries without spots.

Yes. Water-fed poles reach three stories from the ground, and ladders with stabilizers cover what the pole can’t.

On the coast, yes. Salt film, pollen and dust reduce the light reaching the cells, and rain moves the dirt to the bottom edge instead of washing it off. Compare your monitoring app before and after.

Deionized water and soft brushes only. No pressure washers, no soap or detergent, no abrasives, and no cold water on hot panels.

Panel makers generally call for soft tools, purified water and no harsh chemicals or pressure, and that is exactly how we clean. Check your own warranty terms for any specifics.

Once or twice a year for most Santa Cruz County arrays, timed after spring pollen season and after the last big storm.

Call or text your address and a few photos, or use the form below. You’ll usually get a flat quote the same business day.

It depends on the number of panes, stories, inside or out, glass condition, access and add-ons like screens, gutters or hard water treatment. Send your address and a few photos and you’ll get a flat quote, usually the same business day. Our cost guide explains each factor.

No. The flat quote is the price unless you ask us to add something. If we find heavy staining or damage, we show you and you decide.

Not for exterior-only work if the gates are unlocked. For interior glass, someone needs to let us in.

You get a text when the crew is on the way, with a real arrival time.

Light rain doesn’t usually spot freshly cleaned glass. If a storm makes the work unsafe or pointless, we reschedule.

All of Santa Cruz County: Santa Cruz, Live Oak, Capitola, Soquel, Aptos, Rio Del Mar, La Selva Beach, Scotts Valley, the San Lorenzo Valley, Bonny Doon, Davenport and Watsonville.

Weekly to monthly, depending on foot traffic and how close the shop is to busy roads or the beach. Offices are usually fine monthly or quarterly.

Yes. Commercial routes are timed before opening or after closing so customers aren’t disturbed.

Yes, on request, along with entry doors, push plates and frames.

Yes. You get one flat price per visit, agreed in advance.

Yes, with a water-fed pole from the ground where it suits the building, or proper ladder setups.

Yes. Most screens just need new mesh and spline in the existing frame. Bent or cracked frames are replaced.

Fiberglass, because it won’t corrode in salt air. Pet-resistant mesh works well where pets push on screens.

Under trees, usually yes, because they cut down how often gutters need cleaning. With no trees overhead, an annual cleaning may be enough.

A fine micro-mesh. Coarse screens and foam inserts tend to trap needles.

It can on some glass. The IWCA says some tempered glass is highly susceptible to scratching, and some glass makers say metal blades should never be used, so we check first.

About 30.8 inches a year on average, most of it from November through March. December and January are the wettest months.

Yes. Boulder Creek averages about 52 inches a year, which is why gutters there fill faster.

Yes. Soquel Creek Water District lists 100 to 370 ppm depending on area, which is moderately hard to very hard.

A layer of cool, moist air over the cold ocean, capped by warmer air above. Fog forms inside it and leaves a salt and mineral film on glass as it dries.

Summer brings frequent morning fog and almost no rain, so salt film builds up day after day.

Tap water leaves mineral spots as it dries, and it doesn’t lift salt film or pollen well. Deionized water and a soft brush do.

No. Panels are cleaned with deionized water and soft brushes only, with no soap and no pressure washer.

That’s a failed seal in a double-glazed unit. Cleaning can’t fix it; the unit needs repair or replacement.

No. Skylights aren’t built to hold a person’s weight, so we always work around them from the roof.

Yes. Both use the same roof access and deionized-water setup, and windows are done last.

Once or twice a year for most homes, since salt film from fog builds up on panels the same way it does on glass.

Tipping is optional and not expected. Our flat quote is the full price for the job. If you were happy with the work, a review that mentions the details is just as helpful to a small local business as a tip would be.

We do, when inside glass is part of your quote. Interior glass is cleaned by hand with soap, a squeegee and a detail towel, with drop cloths down and floors and furniture protected. Someone needs to let us in for inside work, but exterior-only visits don’t need you home.

Wet the glass first so sand and grit lift off instead of scratching, wash with a little mild soap, then squeegee in the shade before it dries. Detail the edges with a lint-free cloth. For upper floors, we use a water-fed pole with deionized water from the ground instead of ladders.

Check your installer’s or panel maker’s instructions for your system. When we clean panels, we never disconnect or touch any electrical components. We use only soft brushes and deionized water, with no soap and no pressure washer, and we avoid cleaning hot panels in the midday sun.