Short answer
Choose a window cleaner who explains their method, works safely, tells you exactly what’s included, quotes for your home rather than guessing, and replies clearly. Check reviews carefully, and compare more than one option before you decide. The Competition and Markets Authority’s advice is not to rush, and to check how review sites verify what they show.
Start with what you need
Before you compare cleaners, decide what you want done:
- Outside only, inside only, or both.
- Regular or one-off. A round on a set gap, or a single clean.
- Anything unusual. A conservatory, high windows, skylights, timber frames.
Knowing this makes it easier to compare like with like. Inside or outside helps if you’re not sure.
Ask how they clean
There are two common methods:
- Pure water and a water-fed pole, used from the ground for outside glass. What is a water-fed pole? explains it.
- Traditional washer and squeegee, used by hand, often from a ladder upstairs, and the right method for inside glass.
A good cleaner will tell you which they use and why, and won’t mind you asking.
Look at how they work at height
The HSE’s guidance on window cleaning says to avoid work at height where reasonably practicable. A water-fed pole is one way to do that for outside glass. If someone uses ladders, it’s reasonable to ask how they keep that safe. You don’t need to be an expert; you just want an answer that makes sense.
Check what’s included
"Window cleaning" can mean different things. Ask whether the price covers:
- Glass only, or glass, frames and sills.
- Door glass.
- Conservatory sides, or roof too.
- Upstairs and downstairs.
If frames aren’t cleaned, dirt from them can run onto clean glass, so it’s worth knowing.
Get a quote for your home
Homes differ too much for one price to fit all. A cleaner who asks how many windows, how many storeys and what the access is like is more likely to give a quote that holds on the day. How to get an accurate quote lists the details that matter.
Read reviews carefully
Reviews help, but the Competition and Markets Authority suggests checking how a site makes sure reviews are genuine, and not relying on labels like "trusted" alone. Some sites rely on what traders say about themselves. Look for detail in reviews rather than star counts, and be wary of a page full of identical praise.
A new business may have no reviews yet. That isn’t a red flag in itself; it’s honest. Full View is new, and I say so.
Compare more than one
The CMA’s advice is not to rush into choosing a trader and to compare several options. For window cleaning, that might mean asking two or three cleaners the same questions and seeing whose answers are clearest.
Notice how they reply
How someone replies to a quote request tells you a lot. Did they answer your questions? Did they say what’s included? Did they explain anything unusual, like spots after a first clean? Clear replies before the job usually mean clear communication after it.
Think about the round
If you want regular cleans, ask how often they come, what happens if the weather stops a visit, and how to pause or stop. What happens on a regular round? explains how mine works.
Know your rights
The CMA notes that traders must act with reasonable care and skill, and that you may have a right to cancel some contracts made at your home or online. If something goes wrong, raise it with the cleaner first; most problems are easier to fix early.
Common questions
Should I choose the cheapest quote?
Not on price alone. Compare what’s included and how the work is done. A cheaper quote that skips frames, or doesn’t reach upstairs, may not be cheaper for what you get.
Do I need a contract?
For a regular round, it helps to have the details in writing, even a short message: what’s cleaned, how often, and how to stop.
Is a small business a risk?
It often means you deal directly with the owner. Ask what happens if they’re ill or away, and how they’ll let you know.
