Cleaning Storm Windows

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keriamon
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 1:39 pm

Cleaning Storm Windows

Post by keriamon » Wed Feb 28, 2007 1:47 pm

I live in a 20 year-old single-wide mobile home (Fleetwood, I think). I don’t think the windows have EVER been properly cleaned in those 20 years.

We have regular “trailer” windows, where the bottom pane can be taken out of its track, but the top window is permanently attached. And, on the outside, we have permanently installed storm windows. The lower storm window raises, but I have not been able to remove it from its track.

What’s more, how in the heck is anyone supposed to clean between the top window and top storm window panes? There’s no way (that I can see) to remove either section in order to get to their insides. They are full of spider webs and other nastiness and really need to be cleaned. Any thoughts? Everywhere I look for window cleaning tips, they are all for regular houses, which seem to have storm windows that are add-ons, rather than being like ours and permanently built in.

Thanks.

Keri in TN

rmurray
Posts: 1086
Joined: Thu May 25, 2006 6:49 pm

Re: Cleaning Storm Windows

Post by rmurray » Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:38 pm

To get inside..yoiu will have to find a helper with very thin arms to reach inside or remove the whole storm window assemby...The frame of the storm will be attached to the wall with screws..remove them all and the whole window will come off...

Thin armed guy seems easier to me..

keriamon
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 1:39 pm

Re: Cleaning Storm Windows

Post by keriamon » Thu Mar 01, 2007 1:47 pm

I'm afraid that's not helpful, seeing how my husband is a blacksmith and has the accompanying beefy arms! Lol. I can't even get my arm very far up in between. Do you think a professional window washing service would be able to handle it? That was what I was considering doing anyways, but thought I would ask here to see if anyone had any secret info on getting the window panes out that I hadn't been able to see. I'm afraid to try and unscrew the window and take the whole thing out. I'm afriad it won't go back in or we'll not get it back in good and the drafts around the windows will be even worse.

admin
Posts: 327
Joined: Thu May 25, 2006 6:36 pm

Re: Cleaning Storm Windows

Post by admin » Fri Mar 02, 2007 6:41 am

I was in the repo recovery and renovation business for many years and we had to deal with all kinds of cleaning challenges. Taking the windows apart can be very time consuming. Finding a scrawny window cleaner couold be very difficult and you will probably feel like you should to be feeding, not working anyone that skinny.

First use a flexible vacuumed cleaner tube and suck out all the spider webs and other solid gunk Then use the kind of windshield cleaner on a short pole that you see in gas stations. They have a spongy side and a squeegee side. Use Windex in a bucket or hot soapy water and change the liquid in your bucket often as it gets very dirty very fast.

While these type storm windows are a pain to keep clean they do add a huge amount of heating and cooling efficiency to your home and are defiantly more than worth the effort to keep them in place.

They can develop draffy spots over time from settlement and normal loosening with age. Caulking around the interior of the frames is an inexpensive fix that can make them allot closer to air tight again and increase their efficiency.
David Oxhandler
mailto:[email protected]

keriamon
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 1:39 pm

Re: Cleaning Storm Windows

Post by keriamon » Fri Mar 02, 2007 3:19 pm

Thanks! That does seem like a workable idea (I looked again last night, and decided that even a thin-armed adult couldn't get between the two windows). I had never thought of using a squeegie on house windows, but that sounds a lot easier and faster than paper-towel-and-Windex, even on the easy-to-reach insides. Not to mention you waste a lot fewer paper towels.

I've actually been discouraging my husband from closing the storm windows in the winter (I guess they should be closed when we turn the air on in the summer too) because they're so dirty, they're hard to see through and I hate looking at that all the time. Maybe now I can get them clean and can use them for their original purpose again.

stircraz
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2015 10:19 am

Re: Cleaning Storm Windows

Post by stircraz » Tue Jun 02, 2015 10:30 am

I had the problem as everyone else about cleaning mobile home windows. I couldn't get my hand far up in between the panes to properly clean. My solution was a long narrow dusting wand with an attachable extension pole. It's made of microfiber and I just spray with window cleaner and put in between windows to clean them. This works perfectly! Got the whole thing at Home Depot.

stircraz
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2015 10:19 am

Re: Cleaning Storm Windows

Post by stircraz » Tue Jun 02, 2015 11:46 am

I had the problem as everyone else about cleaning mobile home windows. I couldn't get my hand far up in between the panes to properly clean. My solution was a long narrow dusting wand with an attachable extension pole. It's made of microfiber and I just spray with window cleaner and put in between windows to clean them. This works perfectly! Got the whole thing at Home Depot.

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