How to Clean Outside Windows: A Practical Melbourne Guide

Most people who ask how to clean outside windows, or how to wash windows outside, or how to clean exterior windows, depending on how you search, have already tried something. Windex on a kitchen sponge. The supermarket spray on window cleaner. A quick wipe with paper towels. And ended up with streaks. The frustrating thing is that it isn't really a product problem. It's a method problem. Wash in the wrong order, on the wrong day, with the wrong cloth, and even the most expensive window cleaner spray will leave the same streaky finish.

What follows is the method we use ourselves on customer install sign-offs and on our own showroom windows. Same answer if you're asking how to clean windows outside on a Victorian terrace, an aluminium-framed townhouse, or a new build with modern uPVC double glazing. It's the best way to wash windows we've found, and it works on every window type. The only thing that changes is whether you can reach the glass, and we'll get to that.

What you actually need (and what's a waste of money) #

The list of essential tools and materials for cleaning exterior windows is genuinely short. You don't need a specialised outside window cleaner. You don't need expensive trade products. Here's the entire kit, in plain terms.

A bucket of warm water with a squirt of dish soap

That's the cleaning solution. Half a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid in five litres of warm water is enough. Morning Fresh, Palmolive, Dawn, whichever's in your kitchen cupboard. Dish soap cuts through the oily film that builds up on outdoor windows in cities (combustion residue from cars, exhaust, pollen-bound dust), and it doesn't streak the way some glass cleaner sprays do. Avoid anything that says "stronger" or contains ammonia, it doesn't help, and on tinted or low-e glass it can be a problem long-term.

White vinegar is fine too if you'd rather not use detergent. About half a cup in five litres of warm water. The smell fades within ten minutes. Don't mix vinegar with bleach or ammonia under any circumstances.

A rubber squeegee, the single most important tool

This is the difference between professional results and a streaky weekend. A 25-30 cm squeegee with a fresh rubber blade is what every commercial window washer uses. You can buy one at Bunnings for under twenty dollars. The Sabco or OXO ones work fine. Replace the rubber blade once it starts to look nicked or rounded, usually after a couple of years of regular use.

A soft scrubber or microfibre wash mitt

Used to apply the soapy water and loosen surface dirt. The Sabco yellow window scrubbers at Bunnings are decent. A microfibre wash mitt (the type sold for cars) also works well and is gentler on tinted or coated glass. Avoid abrasive sponges, steel wool, or anything labelled "scour", these can scratch glass.

Two microfibre cloths

One slightly damp, for wiping the edges and frames after squeegeeing. One dry, for any final touch-ups. Cheap microfibre cloths from Bunnings, Kmart or any supermarket are fine. Don't use newspaper or paper towels, those leave lint. Don't use chamois unless it's brand new, old chamois is usually streakier than people remember.

Optional: extension pole for high windows

Required only if you have first-storey or second-storey windows you can't reach from the ground. A telescopic pole with a squeegee-and-scrubber combo head is the safer alternative to climbing a ladder. The Unger range at Bunnings is the standard.

Optional: an outdoor window cleaner for hose use

The hose-end window cleaning tools (Gilmour, Karcher and similar), searched for as "outdoor window cleaner for hose", are popular but worth knowing what they actually do. They spray a mixture of water and cleaning solution onto the glass, and then a separate rinse cycle washes it off. They're useful for second-storey windows you can't reach with a pole. On easily accessible windows, the squeegee method gives a noticeably cleaner finish.

What you don't need: spray-on glass cleaner in a bottle (Windex, Mr Sheen, Method). They work on indoor windows where there's not much dirt to remove. Outside, they smear around the grime instead of cutting it. A bucket of soapy water performs better, costs less, and you'll be done sooner.

When to wash exterior windows in Melbourne #

Timing matters more than people realise. The single most common cause of streaks when washing outside windows isn't the cleaning solution or the cloth, it's washing in direct sunlight. The water and detergent evaporate from the glass before you can squeegee them off, and the residue dries onto the surface as streaks and spots.

The window-cleaning sweet spot in Melbourne is an overcast day, or any day in the early morning or late afternoon when the sun is off the glass you're working on. Cool, still, dry. Around 15–25 degrees is ideal. If it's a 38-degree summer day, don't bother, wait. If it's pouring rain, also wait, though a light drizzle isn't a problem if you're working under eaves.

Spring (September–November) is the busiest time for exterior window cleaning in Melbourne because of pollen, but autumn (March–May) is arguably the easier season, lower pollen, more overcast days, fewer flies.

The method that gets streak-free results #

Here's how to clean windows on the outside, and how to wash exterior windows generally, in the order that actually matters. These are the best window cleaning tips and methods we've found across a decade of installing windows for customers across Melbourne.

Start by rinsing the windows with a hose, just plain water. This removes loose dust, pollen, cobwebs and bird droppings that would otherwise just spread around when you wash. Skip this step and your wash water turns to mud within two windows.

Dip the scrubber or wash mitt in the soapy water and wash the glass top to bottom, then edge to edge. Cover the whole pane. Don't go gentle, outside grime needs a bit of pressure to lift. Pay particular attention to the corners and the bottom edge where dirt always collects.

Now the part most people get wrong: the squeegee stroke. Start in the top corner, with the squeegee held at a slight angle so the water runs off to the side rather than down. Pull across the glass in one smooth horizontal stroke. Wipe the squeegee blade on a dry cloth. Move down a strip-width, slightly overlapping the previous stroke, and pull across again. Repeat until you reach the bottom.

If you've ever wondered what is the best way to clean outside windows compared to the standard "spray and wipe" method, this is it. The horizontal-overlapping technique is what every professional window washer uses. It's faster, drier and far more streak-free than wiping with a cloth.

Wipe the edges with a damp microfibre cloth. The squeegee will leave a thin band of water along the top, bottom and sides. The microfibre lifts it. Don't skip this, it's where most people see streaks afterwards.

Step back and check the glass in the light. Move to one side and look across the surface. Streaks that aren't visible head-on usually appear at a low angle to the light. Touch up with the damp microfibre if needed.

How to clean high or hard-to-reach windows #

Cleaning high windows and hard-to-reach windows is where most people get hurt, falls from ladders are one of the most common home-renovation injuries in Australia. If you're going to attempt this yourself, the rule we tell our customers is: if you can't do it safely from the ground with a pole, don't do it. Hire a professional outside window cleaner. The few hundred dollars they cost is much less than an ambulance.

If the windows are reachable with a telescopic pole, the method is the same as ground-level windows with two tweaks. Use a slightly wetter scrubber so the soapy water reaches the pane without you having to over-extend. And use slightly slower squeegee strokes, at length, the angle of the squeegee is harder to control, so go for steady rather than fast.

For the hose-attachment outdoor window cleaners, follow the manufacturer's instructions and rinse with plain water at the end to remove any detergent residue. They're best on rough glass or heavy dirt where you wouldn't get a clean squeegee stroke anyway.

One other thing worth knowing for anyone planning new windows or a replacement on a double-storey home: tilt and turn windows are by far the easiest above-ground-floor windows to clean. The "turn" mode swings the entire sash inward like a casement door, so you can clean the outside surface from inside the house. No ladders. No poles. No hose attachment. For upper-storey bedrooms or stairwell windows where access is otherwise awkward, it's the practical solution most European homes have used for decades.

A note on cleaning double glazed windows outside #

People often ask if cleaning double glazed windows outside is different from cleaning single-glazed glass. The honest answer is, not really. The method is identical. Same soapy water, same squeegee, same overlapping strokes.

Two practical notes specific to uPVC double glazed units. First, the frames don't need any specialty cleaner, a wipe with the same soapy water and a microfibre cloth keeps them looking new. Avoid solvents like Mineral Turps or anything labelled "paint thinner" near uPVC frames; they can dull the surface finish over years. Second, if your double glazed unit has visible moisture or fogging between the two panes of glass, no amount of exterior cleaning will fix that, the seal has failed and the unit needs replacing. We cover that in detail in our guide on clearing misted double glazed windows.

How often should you wash outside windows (and how often is too often) #

The honest answer for cleaning external windows on a Melbourne home: less often than the internet would have you believe. Twice-yearly cleaning is enough in most cases.

For most Melbourne homes, washing exterior windows or external windows twice a year is enough, once in late spring after the pollen drop, and once in late autumn after the summer dust. Coastal homes (Brighton, Hampton, Mentone, Frankston) benefit from a third clean because of salt spray. Homes near construction sites, busy main roads, or on properties with lots of trees overhead may need quarterly outside window cleaning.

If you wait too long between cleans the dirt bonds harder to the glass and takes longer to remove. Six months is the right interval for most situations. Anyone who tells you outside windows need to be cleaned monthly is either selling you something or has fairy floss trees in the front yard.

When it's worth hiring an outside window cleaner #

Honestly, sometimes paying a professional just makes sense. The three situations where we'd recommend it:

Anything above ground level you can't reach with a pole. A standard residential window cleaning quote in Melbourne is somewhere around $150–$300 for an average home, depending on the number of windows and access. Compare that to the cost of replacing a cracked windowpane after a fall, or worse.

Heritage or large picture windows. Big single panes are harder to do streak-free without practice. Professional window washers can do a 2-metre fixed window in a few minutes with results that take an amateur half an hour.

Pre-sale clean. If you're putting the property on the market and want photos that pop, the squeeze of a professional clean is one of the better-value pre-sale touch-ups. Buyers do notice clean windows even if they can't articulate why a house looks "brighter".

For everything else, single-storey homes, accessible windows, owner-occupier maintenance, the method above is the same one professionals use, just at a slower pace. You can absolutely do it yourself.

Frequently asked questions #