How often should Melbourne homes clean their windows?

The honest answer

There is no single correct interval. A home in Altona facing the bay and a home in Kew behind a hedge are not dealing with the same conditions, and cleaning them on the same schedule wastes money in one case and leaves the other neglected.

Two to four professional cleans a year covers most Melbourne homes comfortably. Three-monthly is the common choice for exposed or high-glass properties. Six-monthly works for sheltered homes with modest glazing.

What makes windows dirty in Melbourne

Salt and wind near the bay

Bayside and waterfront suburbs cop a salt film that is invisible until you look at the glass side-on. It dulls reflections and holds dust, and it returns within weeks of a clean on an exposed elevation.

Pollen in spring

Melbourne's spring pollen coats glass and settles into frames. It also sticks to sills and screen mesh, which is why a spring clean tends to take slightly longer than a mid-summer one.

Road and construction dust

Homes on arterial roads, and anywhere near ongoing construction, collect a fine grey film that shows up sharply in low afternoon light. It builds steadily rather than suddenly.

Rain, which is not a window clean

Rain rinses some dust off and deposits the rest as spotting. If your windows look worse after rain, that is the dust being redistributed rather than removed.

A rough guide by property type

• Single-storey home, sheltered street: six-monthly is usually enough
• Single-storey home, exposed or near the bay: three to four months
• Two-storey home with large rear glazing: three to six months, with attention to the glass you actually look through
• Home with a pool, deck or big entertaining area: three months, because glass facing those areas is noticed constantly
• Rental property: at least between tenancies, and often annually
• Home about to be sold: before photography, not after

Inside versus outside

Exterior glass gets the weather. Interior glass gets cooking film, condensation, fingerprints, pets and children. Most homes need exterior glass two to four times a year and interior glass once or twice.

If you have never had the inside done, the first interior clean is often the one that changes how a room feels — particularly rooms with large windows facing a garden or view.

Signs your windows are overdue

• The view looks slightly dull rather than crisp
• Reflections in the glass are hazy, especially at dusk
• Frames feel gritty to the touch
• Sills have a visible line of dirt
• Exterior glass has spotting that does not rinse off with rain
• You have stopped noticing the dirt, which is usually the real signal

The cost argument for a regular cycle

There is a practical reason not to wait until glass is heavily soiled: heavy build-up takes more time, more passes and sometimes a separate treatment, so each clean costs more. Regular visits keep the job quick, which keeps the price down per visit.

It also protects the frames. Dirt and salt left on powder-coated or timber frames for long periods do more damage than the glass.

What about gutters?

If you are booking windows on a home with trees nearby, gutters usually need attention on a similar rhythm. Combining both in one visit is cheaper than two separate call-outs, and it means the roof debris is cleared before it stains the glass below.