Cleaning the outside of a ground-floor window is straightforward. The windows above it are a different job, and they are often the ones that stay dirty the longest. Knowing how to clean outside windows you can't reach mostly comes down to choosing a method that keeps you safe.
This guide covers the tools that let you clean from the ground or from inside, how to use a ladder safely, the best way to clean outside windows once you can reach them, and the signs that a window needs a professional. For the basics of kit and technique, see our guide on how to clean windows.
Why Upstairs Windows Are Harder Than They Look
Many homes in South East London make upstairs windows awkward to reach. Victorian and Edwardian terraces often have narrow side returns and rear extensions, so the only spot for a ladder is a tight path or a flat roof. Bay windows push the upper glass further from the ground than it first looks.
Conservatories and lean-to roofs are another problem, because they sit right under the windows you need to reach. Add uneven paving, flower beds and garden walls, and there is often no safe place to stand a ladder at all.
Ways to Clean Outside Windows You Can't Reach
There are four realistic options. Which one suits you depends on the window, the ground below it and how high it is.
Use a Telescopic Pole From the Ground
An extendable pole with a brush, sponge or squeegee head lets you clean first-floor windows while keeping both feet on the ground. It takes some practice to control the head at full length, so start at the bottom of the glass and work up. A pole works best where you can stand close to the wall on firm, level ground.
Clean From Inside Where the Window Allows
Some windows are built to be cleaned from inside. Tilt and turn windows open inwards, and many roof windows rotate so the outside pane faces into the room. If your windows work this way, you can clean both sides without going outside at all. Never lean out of an open window to reach the glass.
Try a Magnetic Window Cleaner
A magnetic cleaner has two halves, one inside and one outside, that move together through the glass. You guide the inside half and the outside half follows. They suit smaller panes and fixed windows, but each model is made for a certain glass thickness, so check it suits your glazing before you use it.
Use a Ladder Only When It Is Safe
If you do use a ladder, set it up properly. Safety guidance from the Ladder Association and RoSPA recommends:
- Firm, level ground: never stand a ladder on soft soil, loose gravel or a slope.
- The right angle: a leaning ladder should sit at 75 degrees.
- The belt buckle test: if your belt buckle moves outside the sides of the ladder, you are overreaching. Climb down and move the ladder.
- A secure ladder: tie it at the top and bottom where you can, or as a last resort have someone foot it.
What You Need for High Outside Windows
A few tools make high windows much easier, and most of them work on the ground floor too. If you plan to clean from the ground, this is the kit worth having:
- Telescopic pole: long enough to reach the top of your highest window without stretching.
- Brush or sponge head: soft enough not to scratch the glass or frames.
- Squeegee head: with a clean, sharp rubber blade.
- Bucket and washing-up liquid: a few drops in warm water is enough.
- Microfibre cloths: for the frames, sills and any glass you can reach by hand.
Check the pole locks firmly at each length before you start. A head that swivels or slips at full height is hard to control and can scratch the glass.
The Best Way to Clean Outside Windows Step by Step
Once you can reach the glass safely, the method is the same for every window. Pick a dry, overcast day, since direct sun dries the water before you can remove it.
- Rinse off loose dirt: brush or hose away cobwebs, dust and leaves so you are not grinding grit into the glass.
- Wash the frames and sills: do these first so dirty water does not run onto clean glass.
- Wash the glass: use warm water with a few drops of washing-up liquid on a sponge or applicator.
- Remove the water from the top down: use a squeegee in straight strokes, wiping the blade after each one.
- Dry the edges: finish with a clean microfibre cloth around the frame and along the sill.
If the glass dries with marks, the cause is usually too much soap, dirty water or sun on the glass. Our guide on how to clean windows without streaks explains how to fix each one.
Mistakes to Avoid
Most accidents with high windows come from trying to reach that last corner. Avoid these:
- Leaning out of an upstairs window: keep your body inside the room and use the right tool instead.
- Standing on the windowsill: sills are not built to take your weight, and there is nothing to hold on to.
- Putting a ladder on a conservatory or extension roof: these roofs are not designed to carry a ladder and a person.
- Carrying a bucket up the ladder: you need a free hand to hold on.
- Working in wind or rain: a pole is hard to control in wind, and wet rungs are slippery.
When to Leave It to a Professional
Some windows are simply not a DIY job. It makes sense to book a window cleaner when:
- The window is on the second floor or higher.
- It sits above a conservatory, extension roof or steep drop.
- There is no firm, level ground for a ladder.
- You cannot reach the whole pane without stretching.
- You would rather spend the time on something else.
A professional clean also covers the frames, sills and door panels in one visit. The whole outside of the house then looks cared for, not just the windows you can reach. It also means nobody in the household has to climb a ladder to get it done.
How We Clean Windows You Can't Reach
We clean high and hard to reach windows from the safety of the ground with our vehicle-mounted Reach & Wash system. We purify tap water, carry it in large tanks in our vans and pump it up telescopic poles with brush heads at the end. The brush scrubs the frames, glass and sills, and the window is rinsed and left to dry naturally without marks.
No ladders lean on your walls or roofs, and no dirty water or cloths used on other houses touch your windows. Every residential window clean includes your frames, sills and door panels, and customers on our round get a text alert the evening before we are due.
Red Point Cleaning Service is a family-run, fully insured business that has cleaned windows across South East London for 15 years, including window cleaning in Bromley and Chislehurst. All our work is guaranteed: if you are not happy, we re-clean the same or the following day free of charge.
