Choose a window cleaning company with commercial experience, public liability insurance, a safe method for reaching glass at height, references you can check and a written schedule that fits your opening hours. Ask how many staff will attend and whether frames and sills are included. This guide covers each check so you can compare quotes on equal terms.
Choosing a window cleaning company at a glance
The right window cleaning company for a business has commercial experience, full insurance, a safe method for reaching glass at height and a written schedule that fits your opening hours. Use this checklist before you compare quotes.
- How often should business windows be cleaned?
- It depends on the building. Shopfronts and entrances usually need cleaning more often than upper floors, and the frequency is agreed at the site visit.
- What insurance should they hold?
- Public liability insurance as a minimum, plus employers’ liability if they employ staff. Ask for copies before work starts.
- How do they reach high windows?
- Ask for the method in writing. Our high-level cleaning reaches 12 to 14 metres with IPAF-licensed staff.
- Can windows be cleaned outside working hours?
- Usually, yes. Agree the times in the schedule so cleaning does not disturb staff or customers.
- Is the cheapest quote the best value?
- Rarely. Compare what each quote includes, such as frames, sills and internal glass, rather than the price alone.
- Should window cleaning be part of a wider contract?
- It can be. Adding windows to your office or commercial cleaning contract means one supplier, one schedule and one invoice.
Work at height must be properly planned, and HSE guidance on work at height explains what that involves. See our commercial window cleaning and high-level cleaning services.
Dirty, streaky, grimy windows are good for nothing! So, it is important to choose the right window cleaning company. But with so many companies on the market, how do you make the right choice?
Here’s how…
Experience Is Essential
When you are shopping around for window cleaning companies, you should only consider those that have good experience in commercial window cleaning. These companies will be best placed to offer you a high-quality clean, at a fair price.
Ask About Insurance
You should never hire a window cleaning company that isn’t fully insured. You want the peace of mind that in the (unlikely) event something happens to your property during the clean, the company is fully covered to pay for the repair!
Read Reviews And References
Before hiring a window cleaning company, you should make sure to read reviews of previous clients. You might even want to ask for a reference! This will give you a good idea of the quality of their work as well as how professional they are.
Think Eco
Sustainability is something that should be important to us all. When it comes to window cleaning, you should look for a window cleaning company that uses eco-friendly products and methods. This helps reduce your environmental footprint and also reflects well on your business.
Consider Add Ons
To save yourself the hassle of dealing with multiple suppliers, you might want to consider hiring a company that offers other services you are interested in. Many window cleaning companies, such as ourselves, will also offer office, gutter, facade and upholstery cleaning… you might even be able to get a package deal!
Ask About Numbers
Let’s be honest, pricing is likely to be your biggest concern. Be sure to compare a selection of quotes and prices, remembering that going for the cheapest option won’t necessarily pay off.
Ready To Get In Touch?
If you would like to find out more about our window cleaning company, and the services we can offer your business, just get in touch to talk to a friendly member of our team.
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Check how a window cleaning company works at height
This is the seventh check, and the one most often skipped. Ask any window cleaning company how it will reach every pane on your building, and who has planned that work.
- Which method will be used for upper floors: ladders, water-fed poles, a powered access platform or rope access?
- Are operatives trained and licensed for the equipment, for example IPAF for powered access platforms?
- Will they provide a risk assessment and method statement before the first clean?
- How will they keep pavements, car parks and entrances safe while they work?
For many low-rise offices and shopfronts, water-fed poles let operatives clean upper windows from the ground. Taller or awkward elevations may need a powered access platform or rope access, which takes more planning.
If the answers are vague, treat that as a warning sign. A window cleaning company that plans its access properly will be happy to explain it, and that plan protects your staff and visitors as well as its own operatives.
Questions to ask a window cleaning company before you book
- Will you visit the site before quoting, to see the number and type of windows and how they are reached?
- Does the price include frames, sills and internal glass?
- Do you use purified water or detergents, and how is run-off handled?
- What is the schedule, and what happens if the weather stops a clean?
- Can window cleaning be added to our office or commercial cleaning contract?
- Who is our contact, and how do we report a missed area?
A window cleaning company that answers these clearly and in writing is usually one that will turn up and do the job properly. DNA Cleaning Solutions has more than 18 years’ experience, is fully insured and is ISO 9001 certified. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Think about access on the day as well. Tell the company where operatives can park, which entrances to use, whether a permit is needed to work from the pavement and whether any windows face areas that must stay closed to the public.
See our commercial window cleaning service or ask for a free quote.
