Hey guys so these windows have the locks in a weird place. There directly again the top window and I can’t get a Squeegee in between the lock and the window and I’m trying to go around them and than detail around the locks but that’s leaving a bunch of water behind. So how would you clean these windows.
Scrim floss
Similar windows here. I just stuff a scrim or microfiber down the gap and pull both ends. As Josh says, similar to flossing :-).
Also maybe we all are too wedded to squeegeeing everything… There is a lot to be said for the old way of damp scrim followed by dry scrim only. Scrim is not only for detailing.
1 Like
Use less water. Unlock the windows half way. Dry leftover with a flossing motion.
I use my 1,5 “ blade as a squeegee to push the water behind the locks( after squeegeeing the window),
towels often leave marks you see in certain light.
I also use the blade to pick up a drip, so that you are not touching center of glass with a towel, detailing corners/edges with a towel is more forgiving, but you if you touch glass with a towel in the middle, it’s gojng to leave a mark.
Being careful with a blade always goes without saying. Don’t do raking across entire glass:)
The Locks are not in a weird place ( If you mean an unusual place ). This is standard for a Double Hung Window ( normally one in the center or two like your image ). Are you just getting started into residential window cleaning ?
All other post were good feedback on detailing.
Another idea would be to clean latch area first. Then clean above and ride towel at bottom of squeegee. If perfection is needed or desired, latches could be removed, totally clean everything, then replace. Have done this when latches had thick paint. Also, most modern windows unlatch and tilt in. It’s all about time. What is the needed or desired level of clean? Most times, damp wipe, maybe brush…move on. Perfect takes much time.
Yes I am new to the residential side of window cleaning. I’m trying to hit the residential side hard this year. I’m having some issues visualizing the towel trick you guys have mentioned. Does anyone care to make a video? Of them cleaning a window like thisLol when I tried to clean the window I went up and around the locks but it left a lot of water around them and at the bottom of the window. I then used my huck towel to wipe up but it just smeared and didn’t look good
From the latches I see in your picture, I would not let fluid get in that area at all. I see latches seem to be tight against window, just hand detail that area, squeegee the big area, but catch the fluid so it does not run down into and behind the latch area. You got this, just read this and practice. 
“Latch Flossing” - Take edge of cloth behind latch. Pull cloth left to right several times. When detailing, damp wipe area, then wipe with dry, lint free cloth. If a film is left, cloth is not clean. Don’t use dryer sheets or fabric softener to launder window towels.
To avoid run down of fluid, hold towel at bottom of upright squeegee and single pull squeegee and cloth at the same time. All fluid goes into towel. You just need some more practice. Don’t overthink it, you’re just detailing a window after you clean it. You can even just spray some window cleaner on a towel, clean area, then wipe with clean, dry, lint free cloth. Big surface area can be squeeged. Sometimes, small areas like around latches need to be worked by hand wiping. Don’t let fluid run down into these areas, it’s a mess. That’s detailing. I carry mountains of towels, hucks, lintfree cloth, and several kinds of micro fiber towels. This stuff is for the handwork.
Yes - my pic is of a double hung, UPVC sash window.
Those locks aren’t in a “weird” place, they’re pretty common and are just a bad design when it comes to cleaning.
A lot of EPI locks are like that and I run into them quite often.
As above, towel them as best you can.
My tip: I’ll back track when they’ve had a chance to dry a bit and use a 1" razor to touch them up, use the blade to shove what ever remains on the glass behind the latch receiver. It’s always worked out well for me.
~Jimmy~
Interesting reading all the topics here - wish we had stuff like this forum back when I was just starting out.
I don’t think anyone mentioned it yet on this thread, but one thing about these kind of windows is that many of them, if you do the outsides first you’ll end up redoing the bottom piece if water from the top piece drips through as you’re cleaning the insides. Not a big deal unless it’s ladder work.
As far as cleaning it with the latch… looks like that bottom edge would have a tendency to bleed a bit anyway. If you clean all the heavy accumulation off and wipe it up good then finish the glass by fanning it out again with a clean t-bar. Clean water on a mostly clean window already detailed out so all you do is fan it. Top and side edges detail with dry clean scrim if needed (hopefully not…). If the bottom has a lot of water along the edges then a terry cloth towel followed with dry scrim. As someone else suggested, call it good and come back to check it after it’s dried. If necessary I’ve used a dry scrim with a spray cleaner that dries with no residue on just the edge. Spray your clean dry towel - not the window. Don’t touch the middle of the glass. Detail out just the latch unless you have bleed. Done
