5 Key Pieces of Window Cleaning Equipment That Everyone Should Have

Window cleaners, whether full-time professionals or just the ones who drew the short end of the stick at home, need quality window cleaning equipment in order to do the job right. After almost 20 years of buying equipment for my husband and our staff of eight window cleaners, I know what works and what doesn’t. The list may surprise you.

1. Bucket: You can choose between the standard 5 gallon bucket or pick one of the popular rectangular ones. It really is personal preference but the rectangular version have a more ergonomic handle, balance the heavy load of water better and hold long squeegees better. Anyone with a bad back really should switch hands each time you pick up and carry the bucket. It evens out the pull on your back and your chiropractor will thank you. They even sell a product called a "bucket-on-a-belt", that just does that, clip to your belt. It holds just enough water to do one window and is very easy to carry.

2. Wetter or Sponge: Professional window cleaners all have varying opinions on this topic as well (go figure!). There are basically three camps. The first swear by natural sea sponges. These babies have been around since the beginning of time and are great for getting into tight crevices and corners, especially on little cut-up panes. The second group insists that synthetic sponges are better suited for the job (that’s the yellow Sponge Bob-esque versions). Lastly, many window cleaners prefer what is called a “wetter”, simply put it is a fabric handle that is used on the end of a pole to wet large surfaces of glass.

3. Lint-free towels: Ever wonder why you have little bits of fuzz and lint all over the windows you worked so hard to clean? Wrong towels! Professionals use a variety of products from cloth diapers to chamois to huck towels. Any product that doesn’t have lint. In fact, huck towels are the blue towels that you always see on the instrument tray during surgeries. They are sanitized and re-sold for cleaning purposes. Be sure to wash and dry all lint-free products separate from your other towels and clothes or they will no longer be lint-free. Everyone does it at least once; consider yourself warned.

4. Squeegee: Yes, the squeegee. Let’s get one thing straight. You cannot buy a qualitysqueegee anywhere but at a professional supplier. Sorry. What you purchase at a hardware store, no matter what it says on the package, is not professional grade. If you want a quality finish, you need to start with a quality product. They come in a range of sizes, from 6 inches to over 40 inches. Don’t make the mistake of trying to get the biggest one and thinking that you can clean the windows faster. The longer they are, the harder they are to use. Stick to an 12-18 inch squeegee to start. Smaller, 6 inch versions are actually specialty squeegees designed for smaller panes frequently seen in French doors.

5. Rubber Blades: The squeegee blade (ok – they are called “rubbers” in the trade but that usually makes people giggle) is the most misunderstood product in the window cleaner’s arsenal. They need to be changed frequently. Very frequently. Most people just keep using them and using them and USING them until they fall apart. Good window cleaners, the ones that have been around for a while, know to change their blade at least once a day, twice if the windows are really bad. They are expensive, too, selling for almost $1 a piece but it is necessary for a streak-free clean. Every little bit of debris on the glass creates a miniscule nick on the rubber and, in turn, a streak on your glass. Didn’t know that, did ya?

Hopefully, these window cleaning equipment tips have inspired you to clean out your dusty buckets and harden sponges and clean those windows. Good luck!