Can you Clean your Windows with a Pressure Washer?

Can you clean your windows with a pressure washer?

Pressure washers are truly fantastic tools for household cleaning – they can restore your patio to its former glory, make your car dazzle or remove stubborn stains from that swimming pool! They really are versatile cleaning tools, but can they clean your windows?

This is an excellent question – window cleaning can be a real pain (no pun intented). Windows can be hard to reach, yet they are one of the most eye catching elements when it comes to your property.

It’s very difficult to hide dirty windows due to their transparent nature, so it’s really important to keep them thoroughly cleaned.

Traditional cleaning methods often leave a lot to be desired, so is pressure washing an option? Stop wondering, because we’ve got the answers – read on to find out more!

So, can you?

We’ve got great news for you – you absolutely can clean your windows with a pressure washer. In fact, we would highly recommend it – there are tons of benefits to doing this. 

For starters, pressure washers can clean your windows with a thoroughness that is simply not possible with a traditional squeegee setup.

It’s also significantly more convenient due to the high powered water projection, meaning that it’s easy to clean those hard to reach spots. No longer will a window get neglected due to it having a pesky bush blocking access to it! 

However, don’t get ahead of yourself – there are several things that you are going to need to consider before you get stuck into pressure washing your windows. Let’s take a deep dive into the preparations required.

Protecting your Glass

The first thing that you are going to need to consider is the safety of your windows. After all, you’re trying to restore them to their original glory, not cause damage to them! There are two key things that you are going to need to protect – the glass and the frames. 

You will need to begin by assessing the thickness of your window glass and choose an appropriate pressure washing nozzle degree for it.

If you have double or triple glazing then most nozzles should do just fine, but if you have single glazing windows then the higher-powered nozzles could be strong enough to damage the glass!  

Always take appropriate caution when choosing a nozzle, and you should be good to go. Just stay away from the zero-degree nozzle as this is always going to be overkill.

Assessing the Frame

Next, you should consider whether the frames or your windows are sufficiently durable to be pressure washed.

As you will be blasting them with high water pressure, you will need to ensure that the material can sustain the power and most importantly prevent any water from entering the property. 

Any vinyl or aluminium window frames will not cause you any issues, but wooden frames can be problematic. Conduct a risk assessment and pay attention to the glazing between the wood and the glass, and ensure that it is well sealed.

You should also double-check that the weather stripping and caulking are in excellent condition. 

As long as your windows are in good nick, you shouldn’t come into problems here. However, it’s always better to be safe than sorry, as a damaged window frame could result in a huge amount of water leaking into your property – what a nightmare!

Safety First

The most important thing you will need to consider is the safety of yourself – forget about the window for a minute and ensure that you are safe. 

Pressure washing always comes with a checklist of risk assessments and PPE that will help you stay safe when working with high water pressure, but window cleaning presents its own risk.

If you live in a bungalow then you won’t have to worry about this, but many people think it’s a bright idea to use their pressure washer on a ladder to reach the second story or roof of their house. 

Stop! That is such a dangerous idea – not only could the soapy water cause you to slip on the ladder and fall, but the high water pressure could actually physically push you or the ladder over. 

So, if you’re not supposed to use a ladder then how can you clean above the ground floor? This is another good question – let’s take a look at the full window cleaning process.

How to Clean Your Windows With a Pressure Washer

So, what exactly will you need to clean your windows with a pressure washer? It’s pretty simple really – you will need a pressure washer fitted with a filled window detergent bottle, and if you plan on cleaning above the ground floor then you will need a ‘second story nozzle’. 

This is essentially a nozzle that will increase the range of your pressure washer, allowing you to reach those hard to reach places.

These nozzles will come in packs of two, one for the soapy water and one for the rinsing water. This will allow you to apply soap and clean your windows down without presenting any danger from using a ladder. 

So, the overall process will look like this:

Step 1: Apply PPE

Step 2: Conduct a risk assessment of the window and the area

Step 3: Apply second-story attachment (unless you are only washing ground-floor windows)

Step 4: Begin by spraying the window with regular water to remove any debris

Step 5: Soap up your windows with a detergent nozzle

Step 6: Spray the windows down with a 45-degree nozzle and leave to dry

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, you absolutely can clean your windows with a pressure washer and it’s actually pretty easy! As long as you ensure that your windows are in good shape and you stay away from ladders, it’s pretty easy to keep the whole process safe and easy. 

Always double-check that those windows are fully closed, and don’t forget to spray the window down before applying soap in order to optimize the effectiveness of the job. Now, what are you waiting for? Go and make those windows shine!