Can You Clean Windows in Winter in Boise?
Yes. We clean windows year-round in Boise and the Treasure Valley, and we just keep an eye on the weather. If it’s too cold, we move your cleaning to a warmer day.
Can windows be cleaned when it’s freezing?
Not well, and not safely. Window cleaning is wet work. Below freezing, water on the glass can start to ice up before a squeegee pulls it off, and that leaves streaks, smears or a thin frozen film. Drips on the frames and sills can freeze too.
The ladder is the other problem. Frost, ice and packed snow make the ground and the rungs slick, and nobody should be climbing on that.
What we do on cold days
We clean year-round and keep an eye on the weather.
- Too cold: if it’s too cold to clean well, we call you and move your cleaning to a warmer day.
- Rain and wind: light rain doesn’t stop a cleaning. Heavy rain, or wind that makes ladder work unsafe, moves it to the next good day.
- Rain the same day: if it leaves spots, we come back for free, for every customer. Monthly and Quarterly members also get our 7-day Rain Guarantee.
A winter cleaning is the same full job as any other time of year. Outside, we clean the glass, frames and sills, and we take every screen off and put it back. See exterior window cleaning.
How cold does Boise get in winter?
Cold at night, milder by the afternoon. National Weather Service normals for Boise put the average high at about 39°F in December and January, with average lows around 25°F. By February, the average high is back up to 46°F.
So on a typical winter day, the morning starts below freezing and the afternoon climbs above it. A cold snap can keep a day below freezing from start to finish, and those are the days we move.
What winter leaves on your windows
- Inversion haze. On inversion days, cold air gets trapped in the valley under warmer air above it. Idaho’s Department of Environmental Quality notes that in winter, inversion conditions trap pollutants near ground level. Smoke, exhaust and dust hang in the air instead of blowing away, and outside glass slowly turns dull and gray.
- Snowmelt and rain streaks. Melting snow and winter rain run down dirty frames and screens and carry that dirt onto the glass. Clean frames and sills mean fewer streaks.
- Overflowing gutters. When gutters are packed with leaves, melting snow spills over the edge instead of draining. It can run down onto the windows below or freeze along the roof edge. Late fall, after the leaves come down, is the time for gutter cleaning.
- Dusty screens. Screens hold a season of dust, and wind blows it back onto the glass. Screen cleaning on our XERO machine is an add-on to any window cleaning.
Winter is a great time for inside windows
Inside glass isn’t out in the weather, so the cold doesn’t matter. And the low winter sun shines straight through it, lighting up every fingerprint, pet nose print and streak. Short days make you want every bit of light you can get.
For an interior window cleaning, someone needs to be home to let our tech in. You don’t need to move furniture, and we bring everything we need. Low morning sun is the toughest test for clean glass:
“I waited until the next morning to post this. I wanted to see if there were any streaks coming in the windows from the morning sun. Nothing. No streaks at all. Terence was very professional, courteous, and efficient. And his skills washing windows are impressive. …”
Here’s what an interior cleaning includes.
Hard water spots in winter
Winter is a quiet season for hard water. The sprinklers are off, so new mineral spots stop landing on the glass, and last summer’s spots aren’t getting fresh layers on top. Light spots get worked on during every cleaning. Heavier spots take extra work, so they’re priced on site, and Monthly and Quarterly members get hard water removal on up to 5 panes every visit at no charge. Here’s how to get hard water spots off your windows.
Cleaning your own windows in winter
You can do it. A few things make it easier:
- Start inside. Inside glass is easy any day of the winter, with no ladder and no cold hands.
- Pick a mild afternoon for outside glass. Wait for a day above freezing and work in the warmest hours. In winter, sunny glass is less likely to ice up.
- Use less water. A damp scrubber, not a dripping one.
- Squeegee fast and dry the edges. Wipe the frames and sills dry with a lint-free cloth when you’re done, so nothing freezes there overnight.
- Skip hot water on cold glass. A sudden, big change in temperature can crack it. Lukewarm water is plenty.
- Stay off the ladder on frost, ice or snow. Set a ladder only on firm, dry, level ground, and leave high windows for a warmer day or a pro.
Should you wait until spring?
You don’t have to. If your windows look gray from the inversions, you have holiday guests coming, or the low sun is showing every streak, a winter cleaning is worth it. Spring is still the big reset after the pollen and cottonwood fluff. Our Quarterly membership is a cleaning once a season, winter included. Here’s the best time of year to clean windows in Idaho.
Storefronts and offices don’t get a winter break: customers see the glass every day. See commercial window cleaning.
We clean windows all winter across the Treasure Valley, from Boise and Meridian to Eagle, Nampa, Caldwell and Emmett. Want your roofline lit for the holidays? We do Christmas light installation too. Get a free quote, or call or text (208) 484-5207, Monday through Saturday, 8am to 7pm.