Somehow it almost sounds like you live in my neighborhood. Washington coast.

We have MANY windows, but a very deep overhang all the way around the single story house so they are a little bit protected unless blowing. DH washes them, they need it inside and out but he's got a little bit of a cold and I didn't want to ask him to be out dragging the hose around for another day or two.

A little tougher job - that overhang is painted white underside and it has some spots of mildew on it. From what I can guess, it's going to take him/step stool, or me/6 ft ladder to scrub and rinse and I can't see a way to do it overhead without getting wet. We may flip a coin on that one, and wait for a warmer day without ocean fog.

You put me to shame. My windows are very dirty. I thought when we got the ones you can lean in and clean from the inside of the house I would be better about it. It's a lot of work, isn't it, Sheila?

I'm right there with you Socks. I'll admit that maybe in the 15 years I've lived in my condo, I've maybe cleaned my window no more than 5 times and that is probably stretching it. Shame on me!! LOL

I started washing windows yesterday...have a long way to go. Took down a bunch of curtains and washed them today...have a long way to go with that, also. We have tons of windows, but most are accessible from the porches. But there are five on the upper level that I have to stand on a ladder and hang out the window to clean the outside--I dread doing those. They only get done once a year; the others get done twice a year. I love clean windows!

I decided many years ago that the one luxury as far as home maintenance goes is having my windows washed. I could never do them all because of the height anyway, but I'm never satisfied with the outcome when I've tried to wash windows. So, I have a wonderful washer who comes maybe 3 times a year, charges me around $100 for doing only the 1st floor windows inside and out - there are 14 windows and 6 doors with glass, plus one 6 ft" tall mirror. Takes him a little over an hour and they are perfect. I usually have him do that configuration in the middle of winter, because upstairs is only bedrooms and bathroom, which I seldom see in the daylight.

The other two times he comes are both upstairs/downstairs, inside and out. There are 17 more windows up there and one door with glass. He charges $180 for that whole house configuration. Money well spent. I'd give up a lot if I had to, to never wash another window. He once even washed the inside of my car windows for me because the rear window angle is such that I cannot reach it fully. His younger, non-arthritic hands did a fine job!

Isn't it amazing what a difference clean windows make? I moved into an old house several years ago, and some of the outsides of the windows could not be washed because they had some strange storm windows on them. I lived there a couple years before I got around to removing the storms and frames and could access the windows to wash them. OMG - it lightened up the room!

We are having our windows professionally washed this morning. We have them done every spring, mostly due to the height of them. We have a ton of windows and pay $203 for the outsides only to be done. It takes 2 guys a little less than 2 hours. Totally worth it as we don't do heights of that size, we don't have a ladder that reaches that far up, and I am terrible at the task. I just can't seem to get streak free windows no matter what I do.

The all-volunteer gaggle of locals called the Building Review Board insisted we have simulated true divider windows when we built in 2001. We 'compromised' by using them on the front of the house. (Only birds and squirrels view the rear.) Result is that we need a window washer to do those little panes, inside and outside. DH used to do the windows with between-the-glass muntins, but now we have the washer do those too. He'll get here some time in June. It's $360 and up.

D@mn busy-bodies! I have yet to have anyone notice that our windows 'don't match'.

Mine need washing but I hate to disturb the cobwebs in the corners. ;)

It seems like I just washed ours (last year iirc), but they need it again. I thought it would be easier having those that tilt in to wash, and they are, sort of. But when I get started, I clean all the tracks, vinyl trim and all that other messy stuff, which takes me twice as long as 'just' cleaning the windows. And of course we have to take down the screens and scrub those too.

And then the first time it rains, the outside gets water splattered, and even with the overhang especially on the south side of our house, it doesn't even look like I cleaned at all.

- waiting for the next cloudy day after I retire.

@marilyn

You too? It's like an ecosystem in those corners, what if they're cleaned and all of a sudden some environmental protection group sends me a notice that they're suing me over my destruction of spider habitat? ;)

I just mentioned to hubby that we need to do the windows. He was thinking that maybe only washing them in the fall would make sense, because of all the dirt and dust that blow around all summer. This spring has been the worst, with all the windows open there's a layer of gritty dust all over everywhere. I've not noticed that before.

I always take the screens down and hose them off too.

The only one that's a pain is the picture window in the livingroom. There casement windows on either side of the window and hubby sits on the sill and reaches as far as he can with the squeegee to do the picture window. We're on the top floor of the triplex, so he really doesn't relish doing this.

DH is willing to wash the windows, but...his idea of doing it includes *only* the glass. Noooo.

I hate window washing. I don't have many 18. I also don't like dirty windows. I try to wash inside and outside of 2 windows a week. And I clean inbetween and frames 3 times a year. I have to do them myself so I find washing a few a week doesn't kill me and I always have relatively clean windows. But boy oh boy I'd rather do any chore other than windows.

I have to wash my windows at least 5 times a year, and it is not easy. I concocted my own tool by putting 3-4 Windex outdoor poles together. I get on my ladder and use the Windex disposable wash pads attached to the pole. I have about 25 windows and they get filthy. I washed the windows more a few years ago, but I am getting a little lazy this last year. The Windex tool has been a Godsend to me as my windows are too high to reach.

I've been working my way around my old house, having each window retrofitted with the "tilt out" system. That means I can clean all parts of all windows, even those on the second floor, from the inside: the two sashes come out easily, and the storm/screen combo also comes apart easily. I love this, because I like clean windows and want to be able to clean them when I feel like doing so. And I would never get on a ladder.

I always wait until the birds are done nesting in the spring. If I do it before then, it's pretty much a given that one or two will hit the windows with fatal results during their courtship antics which makes me feel very bad.

When I get home from San Diego next week, that is one of the chores on my list.

The outsides haven't been cleaned in a long time - I figure that they're rather dirty.

But - the inside of my major kitchen window is smeary from all of the regular houseflies and fruit flies which've been slaughtered there ... so it needs doing badly.

Several of the other windows need doing, as well ... and now that spring is here, it's much easier.

But ... it's been so cold, until late, and rainy, that it's difficult to get at it.

And now that it's warmer and there are some intervals between rains, the possibilities become viable.

But ... I've been able to get a lot of the stakes and strings in place in the garden, but there's only a couple of hundred feet of seeding done ... and the rest of 19 rows about 65 paces long in the large garden and 8 rows about 35 paces long in the smaller one yet to seed. And it's getting really late - we figure that most of first seeding should be in place by 24th of May, a substantial holiday.

ole joyful

I should have clarified and said that I do keep the insides clean. It's the outside that only gets the 'treatment' about once a year. And always, always, after the pollen season. Dang yellow dust gets everywhere. It seems like a very prolonged pollen season this year for some reason. How about for the rest of you?

Our new place has single pane divided light windows almost everywhere, but to then be more energy efficient there are tempered glass panels clipped on the outside of most of them. To clean the window you have to remove the panel, clean the window panes inside and out, then clean the panel inside and out, and then re-install the panel.

Even for the ground floor windows its about 1/2 hour to an hour per window, and for second and third floor windows I have no idea how we will do it, since they are about 30 to 40 feet up.

all mine get done at least twice a year. ground floor more often. i do them myself since they tilt, much easier. they get done after the trees get done pollinating in the Spring. in the fall, around november.

all screens come out since they sit on outside of window and will get very weather beaten during the winter. wash all screens in Spring before they go in windows. its a PITA but i love clean windows!!!!

Thanks (maybe). You've reminded me that I need to clean windows after a long winter.

Windows are a lost cause in this house. I'm not paying to have them done every few months. I can't reach all of them either.

Tall rooms are really pretty, but I've told dh our next house after this has to be more manageable. If I can't use a normal ladder to clean or paint, then the home maintenance is not manageable. I started cleaning window blinds last week. I told dh I don't want to add those to any future houses either. I prefer curtains I can just throw in the washer a couple of times a year.