How often should windows be cleaned?

For most Melbourne homes, twice a year keeps windows clear. Homes near the bay (salt spray), on main roads (traffic film) or under lots of trees (sap and dust) benefit from three or four times a year. A quick exterior clean before spring and after summer covers most households.

Why do my windows streak when I clean them?

Streaks come from cleaning in direct sun (the solution dries before you wipe), using too much detergent, or wiping with paper towel and cloths that leave lint. Pros get a streak-free finish with a squeegee, a light solution and by working out of direct sun, and increasingly with pure-water poles that leave no residue to dry as a streak.

Do window cleaners do the frames, tracks and screens?

A proper clean includes the glass inside and out plus wiping the frames and sills, and most will clear the tracks and screens on request. When you get your free online instant estimate at expanse.builders/window-cleaning, note how many windows and whether you want inside and outside so the price matches the job.

Window cleaning in Melbourne: how often, and how to get streak-free

How often to do it, inside vs outside, why pros never streak, and when to skip the ladder.

Expanse Home Maintenance › Guides › Window cleaning

Quick answer Clean your windows twice a year for most Melbourne homes, more if you are near the bay, a main road or lots of trees. The streak-free trick is a squeegee, a light solution, and working out of direct sun. Count your windows on the free online instant estimate for a price in seconds.

Clean windows do more than look good, they let in more light and are the fastest way to freshen a home's street appeal. Here is how often they really need doing, and how the pros get that streak-free finish that is so annoying to achieve yourself.

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How often, based on where you live

Your situation	Recommended
Standard suburban home	Twice a year
Near the bay (salt spray)	Three to four times a year
On a main road (traffic film)	Three to four times a year
Under trees (sap, dust, bird mess)	Three to four times a year

Inside and outside are different jobs

Outside glass takes the weather, so it collects the most film and does the most for your home's look. Inside glass picks up cooking film, dust and fingerprints. A full clean does both faces plus the frames and sills, and most cleaners will clear tracks and screens on request. When you price the job, note whether you want inside and outside (both sides) so the estimate matches.

Why pros get streak-free (and you fight it)

Out of the sun — direct sun dries the solution before you can wipe it, leaving streaks.
Less is more — too much detergent is a top cause of smears; a light solution wipes clean.
A squeegee, not paper — cloths and paper towel leave lint; a squeegee pulls the water clean off.
Pure water poles — for high or hard-to-reach glass, deionised water dries with no residue, so no streaks and no ladder.

DIY or a pro?

Ground-floor windows are a doable DIY job once you have the squeegee technique. Second-storey glass, big fixed panes and awkward access are where a pro earns their keep, both for the finish and for the safety of not being up a ladder. Pure-water poles let a good cleaner reach most upstairs glass from the ground.

Want them done properly, streak-free?

Inside and out, frames and sills included, by an insured local crew. Free online instant estimate first.

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