How Often to Clean Windows in Minnesota

For most Minnesota homes, the answer is once or twice a year: a thorough cleaning in spring, and ideally a second one in fall. That's what most of our customers choose. But the right schedule for your house depends on what's around it, and Minnesota's seasons each leave their own kind of mess on the glass.

What each Minnesota season does to your windows

Winter. Snow and cold are only part of it. Every time a car or plow goes by, salty slush and road spray land on anything near the street. By March, lower windows, storm doors, and garage windows often wear a cloudy film. Meanwhile, the days are short, so you notice every smudge that dims what little light comes in.

Spring. As the snow melts, the salt film is still there, and then the trees wake up. Tree pollen drifts onto glass, screens, and sills, and spring rain turns it into streaks. This is the season when windows look their worst and when a cleaning makes the biggest difference.

Early summer. Cottonwood trees release their white fluff, especially near rivers, creeks, and lakes. It sticks to screens and damp glass and collects in window tracks. Summer thunderstorms splash dirt up from garden beds, and lawn sprinklers can leave hard water spots on lower panes.

Fall. Leaves, seed pods, and wind-blown dust settle on sills and tracks. Fall is also the last good chance to clean the outside of your windows before freezing weather, when working with water outdoors stops being practical.

The typical schedule: spring and fall

If you clean your windows once a year, late spring is usually the best choice. Waiting until after the heaviest pollen lets one cleaning clear winter's salt, spring's pollen, and everything else at the same time, so your windows stay clear through summer.

If you clean twice a year, add a fall cleaning in September or October, after most of the summer grime has built up and before temperatures drop. Clean glass going into winter means more natural light during the darkest months of the year, when you need it most.

When you might need more than twice a year

Some homes get dirty faster. Consider more frequent cleanings if your home:

• Sits on a busy street, where road spray and dust hit the windows all year
• Is near a lake, river, or a stand of cottonwoods
• Is under large trees that drop pollen, sap, and debris
• Is next to construction or a gravel road
• Has lawn sprinklers that reach the windows
• Has kids or pets who leave nose and hand prints on the inside glass

You might also want an extra cleaning before a big event, like hosting family for the holidays or putting your home on the market. Clean windows make rooms look brighter in listing photos and showings.

Why regular cleaning is worth it

It isn't only about looks. Dirt, pollen, and minerals that sit on glass for a long time are harder to remove, and hard water spots can etch into the surface if they're left for years. Cleaning the frames, sills, and tracks at the same time keeps dust and mildew from building up around the window, and clean screens let in more fresh air in summer.

Don't forget the screens and tracks

Screens catch pollen, dust, and cottonwood fluff all season, and every breeze pushes some of it back into your house. Window tracks collect dirt, dead bugs, and grit that make windows harder to open and close. When you plan a window cleaning, include the screens and tracks so the whole window is clean, not just the glass.

Doing it yourself vs. hiring a pro

Ground-floor windows you can reach safely are a reasonable weekend project. Second- and third-story windows are a different story. Ladders on uneven ground, especially in spring when the soil is soft, are a real fall risk, and it is hard to get a streak-free finish on glass you can barely reach.

A professional window cleaner brings the right equipment and does the whole house in one visit. At Gleam Team, we clean exterior glass with purified water from a water-fed pole that reaches up to 40 feet from the ground, so there are no ladders against your siding and no soap residue left behind. Inside, we clean the glass and detail the frames and sills.

Plan your next cleaning

If your windows haven't been cleaned since last spring, fall is a great time to book. If you're reading this in winter, plan a spring cleaning for when the pollen settles. We clean windows in St. Paul, Minneapolis, and the surrounding suburbs. You can request a free quote online, or book a free 10-minute consultation by phone or at your home, and we'll help you figure out the right schedule for your house. Learn more about our window cleaning service.