Clear the Path, Not the Glass: A Sane Prep Guide for Window-Cleaning Day

November is a funny month for windows. The low sun finds every smear, the nights draw in, and plenty of us suddenly notice the glass we have been ignoring since August. If you have booked a window cleaner for the first time in a while, you might be eyeing the job with a mixture of guilt and a bucket. Here is the good news: you do not need to pre-clean. In fact, the best preparation is usually a clear path, a parked car in the right place and a quick text if something has changed.

Please stop apologising for the dirt

Almost every new customer says the same thing at the door: sorry about the state of them. Please do not worry. Dirty windows are not an embarrassment; they are the reason we are here. A window cleaner expects to find dust, traffic film, spider webs, bird mess and whatever the British weather has glued to the glass since the last visit. If your windows were already spotless, we would be redundant.

There is also a practical reason to leave the glass alone. Professional window cleaning uses purified water, proper squeegees and a bit of technique. A quick going-over with a cloth and washing-up liquid often leaves smears, lint and a thin film that is harder to shift than the original dirt. In some cases, rubbing at dry bird mess or grit can even scratch the glass. So save your weekend. We will handle the glass; you handle the access.

What actually helps: access, access, access

The single most useful thing you can do is make sure we can get to the windows safely and quickly. That means checking the side gate, moving the wheelie bin and making sure the garden is not a obstacle course of footballs, hosepipes and half-finished DIY. If you have a gate code or a new lock, tell us before the visit rather than shouting it through the letterbox as we balance a ladder.

A simple checklist works well:

• Unlock the side gate and clear the path to the back garden.
• Move bins, plant pots, garden furniture and children's toys away from the walls.
• Check for dog mess before we arrive, especially if the garden is shared.
• Close windows that we are not cleaning inside, so water does not drip indoors.
• Clear window sills inside if you have booked an internal clean.
• Move delicate ornaments and hanging baskets away from the glass.
• Tell us about any broken panes, loose catches or fragile leaded lights.

None of this takes long. Five minutes of tidying saves a lot of awkward shuffling and makes the whole visit safer.

Cars, drives and the narrow-street shuffle

If you have a driveway, leaving a sensible gap for ladders and poles is a huge help. If you park on the street, try to move the car before we are due, not as we pull up. On a narrow terraced street, a badly placed car can turn a twenty-minute job into a game of vehicular Tetris. We are not fussy about much, but we cannot clean a window through a Vauxhall Corsa.

If your road has permit parking or restricted access, a quick message beforehand is useful. Same goes for shared drives, alleyways and back entries. We would rather know than guess.

Pets, plants and the doorbell

Dogs are lovely. Dogs are also convinced that a window cleaner with a pole is either a friend or a threat, and they will express this loudly. Please secure pets before we arrive, not after they have escaped through the gate. Cats tend to make their own arrangements, but a heads-up about an indoor cat or a nervous rescue dog is always welcome.

Plants are less dramatic but still worth thinking about. Move delicate pots away from the wall, and do not leave hanging baskets dangling exactly where a pole needs to go. If you have a conservatory roof or a fragile greenhouse, mention it before the visit so we can bring the right kit and take the right care.

The things worth telling us before we start

A few details can change how we approach a job. Tell us if you have self-cleaning glass, leaded lights, a listed property, recent paintwork or building work nearby. If a window has been painted shut, has a cracked pane or has silicone smeared on the glass, we need to know. The same goes for hard-water stains, bird mess that has been baked on for months, or a conservatory roof that has not been touched in years.

It is not about making a fuss. It is about doing the job properly without causing damage or wasting time.

What not to do before we arrive

Do not scrub the glass with a dry cloth. Do not use washing-up liquid, vinegar, bleach or a pressure washer on windows you are not sure about. Do not remove window screens or security fittings unless you know how they go back. Do not leave windows wide open on a wet day. And please do not move the car as we are setting up the ladder.

Most of all, do not apologise. We have seen worse. We have probably cleaned worse this morning.

The kettle question

Offering a cup of tea is kind but never expected. In November, a hot drink is genuinely appreciated, but it will not affect the quality of the clean. What matters more is a clear path, a safe working space and a quick message if plans change.

At Al's Window Cleaning, we would rather you spent your time on something useful than on a pre-clean that will not help. Clear the path, move the car, secure the dog and leave the glass to us. That is the whole guide.