Type of Water to clean my windows

[Ferdinand]

Just after a bit of advice from people who do their own upstairs windows.

 

I have just purchased a roof cleaning accessory for my Nilfisk pressure washer. The max length is 4.2m, and seems fine. It is also suitable for windows.

 

My local tap water is moderately hard, to the extent that I need to pay attention to the shower screen regularly. I do not want that on my upstairs windows, and I do not have a water softening system in the house (can get one if needed, perhaps, when I extend my utility room).

 

I will, however, have a rainwater storage setup for watering the container plants.

 

Q: Is this rainwater suitable for window washing, without leaving any noticeable residue on the windows?

 

Thanks for any thoughts.

Ferdinand

[Carrerahill]

3 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

Just after a bit of advice from people who do their own upstairs windows.

 

I have just purchased a roof cleaning accessory for my Nilfisk pressure washer. The max length is 4.2m, and seems fine. It is also suitable for windows.

 

My local tap water is moderately hard, to the extent that I need to pay attention to the shower screen regularly. I do not want that on my upstairs windows, and I do not have a water softening system in the house (can get one if needed, perhaps, when I extend my utility room).

 

I will, however, have a rainwater storage setup for watering the container plants.

 

Q: Is this rainwater suitable for window washing, without leaving any noticeable residue on the windows?

 

Thanks for any thoughts.

Ferdinand

You will need to buy gallons of the finest artisan spring water. 

[Ferdinand]

6 minutes ago, Carrerahill said:

You will need to buy gallons of the finest artisan spring water. 

 

😉

 

The stuff on the shower is enough to worry me a little; I will *not* like working at height if I have to get it off afterwards.

 

Unfortnately my house was not subject to Scottish "windows washable from inside" building regs.

[SteamyTea]

Just stick some Fairy Liquid in it.

And most a video of the result.

[Ferdinand]

Certainly happy to post a vid.

[joe90]

4 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Just stick some Fairy Liquid in it.

Just a little, that’s all I use but find using a long pole hard work and not as good, I am happy to be up a ladder tho.

[Temp]

1 hour ago, Ferdinand said:

I will, however, have a rainwater storage setup for watering the container plants.

 

Q: Is this rainwater suitable for window washing, without leaving any noticeable residue on the windows?

 

Put a bucket out in the garden and give it a go. Think there is probably enough acid in rainwater to keep it streak free. 

[MJNewton]

We're in a hard water area and I use water from a water butt to clean the cars and windows. 

[Radian]

Got any AC units? The condensate from those is free of minerals.

[PeterW]

2 hours ago, Ferdinand said:

My local tap water is moderately hard, to the extent that I need to pay attention to the shower screen regularly.

Insert an ion exchange cartridge in the hose before the pressure washer - one of these would do it for quite a while. Can easily add a couple of cheap hose fittings to it as it’s threaded

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/232518514655

[Russdl]

Get a little dehumidifier to dry your clothes on the cheap through the winter, save all the condensate and wash away to your hearts streakfree content.  
 

Rain drops wouldn’t exist without dirt/dust etc so rainwater is not clean, but stored in a water butt I guess most of the dirt would settle out. 

[MJNewton]

4 minutes ago, Russdl said:

Rain drops wouldn’t exist without dirt/dust etc so rainwater is not clean, but stored in a water butt I guess most of the dirt would settle out. 

And it'd be prudent to always use a detergent so dirt should be kept in suspension. I doubt cleaning windows with water alone would be all that effective (although I must admit I've never actually tried it). 

[SteamyTea]

I find washing windows is futile, as soon as a hoolie comes in, my windows are covered in salt, and I am two miles from the sea.

If it is a sunny day, I go outside and take full advantage of the light.  When it is dark, I don't care what the windows are like.

[Russdl]

1 minute ago, MJNewton said:

And it'd be prudent to always use a detergent

Yep. I always put a little drop of washing up liquid in it. Fortunately we have inward opening windows, well most of them, so ladders rarely get used. 

[Russdl]

2 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

 

I find washing windows is futil

 

Horse for courses. I get the arse if they’re even vaguely dirty. 

[Ferdinand]

1 hour ago, MJNewton said:

And it'd be prudent to always use a detergent so dirt should be kept in suspension. I doubt cleaning windows with water alone would be all that effective (although I must admit I've never actually tried it). 

 

That's actually what my window cleaner has been doing since 2015 or os when they invested in a new van, pole and machinery, and it is fine if done regularly.

 

The extending pole comes with a tube for adding detergent, which can be set to  5%, 10% or 16% with a filter on the input. That sounds like a sales tactic for Nilfisk to sell loadsa roof detergent, but I can put it into an already diluted bucket of washing up liquid - and plug the input hose into the pumped outlet from the 1000l gardening water butt (once it exists.

 

I'm also thinking about Cleaning solar panels once a year, of which I have 35 at present.

 

But it seems to all meet the need.

 

F

 

 

 

 

[Ferdinand]

Thanks all.

 

Most useful.

[Nickfromwales]

1 hour ago, Russdl said:

Horse for courses. I get the arse if they’re even vaguely dirty. 

Slime is probably a big issue.

[Ferdinand]

Ok. First test done. Using hose water rather than rainwater, and no detergent.

 

Very happy with the Nilfisk slightly expensive (£90) 4.2m extended lance and nozzle - clearly a bit of kit that will work well if not abused.

 

Though even without the detergent feed being used (a separate tube) there is much rats' nest potential in the various feeds once the into and out of the pressure washer are in place. Careful tube managent required, and adequate space in front of the facade with the target windows helps considerably.

 

However, washing of two bats and 3-4 upstairs windows took 5 minutes once the kit was assembled.

 

I think I need a tighter set of hose-clock-joints though, as there was a bit of water leakage.

 

So far so tolerable.

 

Still waiting the Nilfisk roof-brush, and planning to have a go at the solar once that arrives. 

[Ferdinand]

On 06/10/2022 at 19:52, Russdl said:

Get a little dehumidifier to dry your clothes on the cheap through the winter, save all the condensate and wash away to your hearts streakfree content.  
 

 

I have a couple of commercial dehumidifiers, potentially for drying out tenants' houses should a roof or pipe leak. Has never happened again after the first occurrence, perhaps as I educate and have SureStop fitted everywhere, with encouragement to use it.

 

But i think DH's would not generate enough water.

 

I also have a portable heat pump I am using for gas-bill-control during solar hours this winter, which generates a surprising amount of residue water, but nor enough for this.

 

On 06/10/2022 at 19:52, Russdl said:

Rain drops wouldn’t exist without dirt/dust etc so rainwater is not clean, but stored in a water butt I guess most of the dirt would settle out. 

 

I think that will be the option (other than perhaps @PeterW's in line ion-exchange, as the plot is to have a IBC fed watering setup for container plants, which would be pump fed from the IBC. May be suitable for repurposing for windows / roof - and the pump feed in the tank would be wearing tights or similar.

 

Various options to try.

 

One thing I have not mentioned is that at some stage I plan to run CuSO4 solution (see previous threads about lichen and roofs) through the detergent feed once a year or so to keep the solar clear. It will need careful cleaning afterwards but the Nilfisk long lance has a feeding head with a mesh-filter that you just drop into the bucket of detergent. Will need thorough cleaning afterwards with clean water, which is not a problem. The solar hosting roof goes to a different gutter-downpipe than the rainwater collecting roof.

 

F