Cleaning awkward windows - suggestions please?

I'm after a 'gadget'!

Basically, a friend has recently moved into a small 4th floor flat and all she wants to do is clean the outside of her 4 windows. She's spoken to a couple of local window cleaners but really they're just men with a ladders and have said her flat is too high for them - although one did helpfully suggest if she pay to hire a platform he'd do it for her!!

Whilst she's able to open one window in each 'set' and thus reach round to the non-opening part, what she wants is something perhaps on a pole or stick with a flexible/bendable end to get to the outside of the opening bit. I suggested one of those magnetic thingies, but apparently they're not suitable for double glazed units owing to the vacuum and distance between the two panes of glass. We've tried straightening out a wire coat-hanger and tying a cloth or kitchen roll on the end but that merely resulted in one of us making several trips to ground level to retrieve said cloths and kitchen roll! I've also got one of those Vileda 'Bath Magic' thingamajigs (which I use for cleaning the roof of the car which saves me having to get a step stool out - or leaving an uncleaned strip down the centre of the roof) but that's not quite flexible enough.

Anyone else got awkward windows and a gadget they could recommend?

 

Winemakers bottlebrush, they are designed for cleaning out 5 gallon barrels.

A rare earth magnet would be strong enough to grip thru double glazing, but its getting the balance between one strong enough to grip & one that would just go straight thru.

The biggest one available comes with a warning, don't buy it unless you have experience as it will break your bones

 

Give HIM the windolene!!!!

 

Trouble is, there's never a Spiderman around when you want one. I'm beginning to think he isn't real

 

I've never understood why we don't have windows which open inwards, as many in France do. No need for window cleaners, and you can put shutters on the outside so that you can have the windows open on summer nights but still stay secure.

 

I'm slowly replacing the windows that tilt inwards when open in my house. Because the wind blows in around them the dirt/dust that comes in as well makes the walls in my rooms around them dirty and they have to be washed on a regular basis. Never again!

 

Tell her to look in yellow pages some window cleaners have got the long reach system where they join poles together much safer. Then leaning out the window
Other then that tell her to smash the windows & bord them up that sand them down on the inside they will look perfect from the inside :WINK1:

 

Has your friend checked with whatever management company is responsible for maintenance of the block of flats as to who's responsible for cleaning the windows to the upper stories? That's enough of being sensible - how about one of these:

 

Well, last evening I watched that programme on building The Shard into which are incorporated a number of luxury flats and realised that being on only the 4th floor, my friend's window problems are nothing - but then neither did her flat cost £4.5m.

 

OMG no
In Scotland they are called FACTORS they carry out the maintenance and bill ALL the residents for the cost
Latest was an overflow header tank, they went into the roof space and replaced the washer on the ball valve
Charge to residents £38 each (all twelve)
Next landing light on Stairwell Floor Three,1 x 60 watt tungsten bulb and fitting of said bulb
Charge to residents £17 each

It is coming up for a repaint of the exterior,
I saw the bills from a friend of mine, and thought extortionate price to pay, then it was confirmed it was not just billed to him but to ALL the residents, except the three council residents on HB the council paid theirs

Jack McH

 

Yes, she has.

There's 'Utilities Management' - they're responsible for .. well dealing with utility companies, but only in 'shared' areas. Should the gas, water or electricity company wish to dig 'an 'ole, they have to agree it with Utilities Management who, before anything can be done have to liaise with ...........

'Landscaping Management' whose job it is, is to ensure the gardens are kept tidy and roadways maintained.

Then there's 'Estate Management' - they deal with the company that paints the outside and internal communal areas, such as corridors, they're also responsible for the carpeting in communal areas, the 'dongle' controlled external doors and electronic gates to the property. Enquiries with them reveal they don't have a contract for the cleaning of windows above the 3rd floor! Why? Well, there are 3 blocks in this gated complex, each has a full compliment of flats but .... at the top of each block is a single 4th floor flat which clearly no-one thought to mention when the contract was taken out - probably because it would have been more expensive to hire a company with a 'cherry picker' that reached that high, and they weren't going to do that for the sake of 3 flats, so, (according to the men what clean them) no contract - no cleaning. And this is where we come full circle because .. these are the men who kindly said they'd clean her windows if she hired the platform!

 

I've known a few people who live in flats higher than the 4th floor and mostly they just have to live with dirty windows as they're not up-an-over windows and some even only have a skylight and nothing more!

Other than finding a friend who's an abseiling enthusiast, I'm not sure there is anything she can do!

 

Has you friend verified that she pays a lesser maintenance charge than all the occupants of the lower floors? (to ensure she's not paying a share of cost of other people's window cleaning bills)