Guide
Water fed pole window cleaning, and how well it works
A water fed pole scrubs the glass with purified water pumped up a telescopic pole and leaves it to dry without spots. It reaches upper floors from the ground, which is why most window cleaners now use it instead of a ladder.
How it works
Ordinary tap water is passed through a purification system, usually reverse osmosis followed by a deionising resin, which strips out the dissolved minerals. Cleaners measure what is left with a meter that reads total dissolved solids, and for window work they want it at or near zero.
The purified water is pumped from a tank in the van, or from a filter connected to a tap, along a hose and up a telescopic carbon fibre or fibreglass pole to a brush with small jets in it. The cleaner scrubs the glass and the frame, rinses everything down with pure water, and moves on without drying anything.
Why the windows look wet when they leave
Spots on glass are the minerals tap water leaves behind when it evaporates. Pure water has nothing in it to leave, so it dries clear without a squeegee or a cloth. Windows that are dripping when the cleaner walks away are not unfinished, and an hour later they should be clean and spot free.
The exception is a rushed rinse. If dirt from the frame or the top seal runs back down the glass after the cleaner has finished, it dries as streaks. A careful cleaner rinses from the top down and finishes on the glass.
The same logic explains why the brush is worked over the frames as well as the panes. Dirt left in a frame is dirt that the next shower of rain will carry down onto clean glass, so a pole clean that skips the frames tends to look worse a week later than one that includes them.
The safety reason behind it
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require work at height to be avoided where that is reasonably practicable. The Health and Safety Executive's guidance on window cleaning gives water fed poles, and cleaning windows from the inside, as the examples of how to do that. Ladders are still acceptable for low-risk, short-duration work on houses, but a cleaner on a pole is standing on the ground.
That matters to a householder too. A fall from a ladder at a first floor window is serious, and it is far less likely to happen on your property if nobody has to climb one.
Water fed pole or ladder and squeegee
| Water fed pole | Ladder and squeegee | |
|---|---|---|
| Upper floors | Reached from the ground | Needs a ladder at each window |
| Frames and sills | Cleaned as part of the job | Wiped on request |
| Finish on the day | Wet, dries clear | Dry and polished immediately |
| Inside glass | Not suitable | The standard method |
| Paint, plaster or sticker residue | Needs scraping first | Removed with a scraper as it goes |
| Access needed | A clear line to the window from the ground | Firm, level ground for the ladder |
Where it falls short
A pole is not the right tool everywhere. Old timber windows with flaking paint or failing putty can let water into the frame. Glass behind a conservatory roof or a flat roofed extension may be impossible to reach from the ground. Heavy limescale from a garden sprinkler, or residue left by builders, is a restoration job that needs scrapers and specialist products before any routine clean.
A first clean on windows that have only ever been squeegeed can also disappoint. Years of dirt in the frames and seals runs onto the glass as it is rinsed, and it usually takes a second visit before the frames are clean enough to stop it.
What to ask a window cleaner
- Is the water pure, and do you check it? A cleaner who carries a total dissolved solids meter can confirm the water will dry clear.
- Are frames and sills included? With a pole they should be.
- Do you have public liability insurance? It covers damage to your property and injury to anyone else while they work.
- How do you get to the back? Gates need to be unlocked on the day, and some rounds charge for a wasted visit.
- What happens if a window is streaky? A cleaner on a round will usually redo it next time they are in the street.
- Is the inside included? Almost always priced separately.
What it costs
On a round of every four to six weeks, a terraced house costs about £10 to £18 a visit, a semi-detached £14 to £25 and a detached house £20 to £45. A one-off clean usually costs half as much again or more, because the cleaner is making a special trip, and a conservatory roof is £40 to £90 on top. Inside glass for a typical house is £25 to £60.
A one-off price below those figures often means the cleaner already has a round nearby and can fit the house in. A higher price for a regular round usually reflects unusual access, a lot of glass or windows that need restoring first.
Common questions
Can I use a water fed pole myself?
Yes, and kits are sold for householders, but the pole is only as good as the water. Tap water through a brush leaves spots as it dries, so a home kit needs a filter or deioniser, and the resin has to be replaced as it runs out.
Does pure water damage windows or frames?
No. It is water with the minerals taken out. The risk on older timber windows comes from gaps in the paint or putty, and that is about the condition of the frame rather than the water.
Can it be used in the rain?
Many cleaners work through light rain with a pole, because rain leaves far less behind than tap water does. Heavy rain and high wind stop most rounds, and freezing weather stops all of them.
Why do some cleaners still use ladders?
Ladders remain legitimate for short, low-risk jobs, and some customers prefer a squeegee finish on ground floor glass. On upper floors that a pole can reach from the ground, a ladder is the riskier choice.