You prepare for a window cleaning visit by clearing access to every window, moving fragile or valuable items away from the glass, unlocking gates and side yards, and keeping pets calm and out of the work areas. Getting ready for a window cleaning appointment takes only a few minutes per room, and it lets the crew move through your home without stopping to work around obstacles.
What to do before window cleaners arrive
Follow these steps the evening before or the morning of the visit. They cover what to do before window cleaners arrive, inside and outside the house.
- Open blinds, curtains, and shutters. Raise blinds fully and tie back curtains so the crew can reach the glass and frames without handling your window coverings. If a treatment cannot be moved, tell the crew when they arrive.
- Move furniture a few feet from the windows. Sofas, side tables, and chairs under windows should shift back so the crew has room for a ladder, a bucket, and a comfortable working stance. Heavy pieces can stay where they are if you mention them in advance.
- Clear the sills. Move plants, photos, candles, and decorations off interior sills. Sills get wiped as part of the service, and clearing them avoids accidental knocks. Store small items on a table in the middle of the room until the visit is done.
- Secure fragile and valuable items. Anything breakable near the glass should move to a safe spot: vases, collectibles, picture frames on adjacent walls. Crews work carefully, but a clear workspace removes the risk entirely.
- Unlock gates and side yards. Exterior glass needs access all the way around the house. Unlock side gates, move cars out of the driveway if ladder work is planned near it, and make sure the crew can reach a water spigot if one is needed.
- Trim back what touches the glass. Bushes and branches pressed against windows block the squeegee and can scratch freshly cleaned glass in the wind. A quick trim before the visit gives the crew clear access and keeps the glass cleaner longer.
- Note problem windows. Walk through and list anything unusual: windows painted shut, cracked panes, torn or brittle screens, stripped cranks on casements, or glass with hard water stains. Hand the list to the crew so nothing is forced and nothing is skipped.
- Settle pets. Keep dogs and cats in a room the crew is not working in, or with a family member. Open doors, ladders, and buckets of water are not a safe mix with curious pets, and a calm house lets the crew finish faster.
- Stay reachable. Keep your phone nearby during the visit. The crew may have a quick question about a locked window, a delicate screen, or a stain that needs your decision before treatment.
Inside the house versus outside
Interior work and exterior work ask for different preparation. Inside, the main task is space: clear sills, moved furniture, and a path through each room. The crew brings drop cloths and works with shoe covers, but removing rugs from directly under large windows is a nice touch if it is easy. If you have interior window cleaning booked on its own, the same steps apply, with extra attention to clearing the glass of anything hanging on it.
Outside, the main task is access. Gates unlocked, hoses moved aside, patio furniture pulled back from the walls, and grills or play equipment shifted away from the glass. If the crew uses water fed poles with pure water systems, they will need an outdoor spigot, so make sure it is turned on and reachable. Our exterior window cleaning covers the full outside of the glass, frames, and screens, so anything leaning against the house should move before the visit.
What you do not need to do
You do not need to pre clean the glass. Washing the windows yourself before the crew arrives adds work without improving the result, and it can leave residue that the crew then has to remove. Professional crews bring their own tools, from squeegees and scrubbers to ladders and pure water systems, and their own cleaning solutions. Your preparation is about access and safety, not about doing part of the job for them.
You also do not need to remove the screens yourself. Screen removal is part of the service when screens are included in the quote, and crews know how to release stuck or delicate screens without bending the frames. The same goes for opening windows: if a window is stuck, leave it and note it on your problem list rather than forcing it.
If you have hard to reach windows
Windows over staircases, skylights, tall transoms, and glass behind fixed obstacles need planning, so mention them when you book rather than on the day. Crews carry water fed poles, extension ladders, and other access equipment, but they need to know which gear to load. A window over a stairwell, for example, needs a ladder setup that is planned in advance. Our hard to reach window cleaning is designed for exactly these spots, and flagging them early means the visit runs without delays. You can see every service option on our services page, and our residential window cleaning covers the full interior and exterior visit these preparations are built for.
A simple timeline for getting ready
A week before the visit, book the date, confirm whether interior glass is included, and mention any hard to reach windows so the crew loads the right equipment. The night before, open the blinds and curtains, clear the sills, and move fragile items to safe spots. Unlock gates and check that the outdoor spigot works if exterior work is planned. On the morning of the visit, move cars if needed, settle pets in a closed room, and keep your phone nearby. This timeline spreads a small job across three easy moments instead of one rushed scramble, and the crew can start work the moment it arrives.
A little preparation goes a long way. Clear the access, secure the fragile items, and let the crew handle the rest. Book your window cleaning visit and we will confirm everything with you before the day arrives.