The brief
Some villas are a day. This one was three, and the reason was height as much as size.
The brief was every piece of glass on the property. Outside, that meant the windows and doors on every elevation, glass running well above normal ladder height, the skylights and the solar panels on the roof. Inside, it meant the other face of every window, the interior glass, the mirrors, and the shower screens in each bathroom.
Mirrors and shower glass are a different job from windows. A window gets dirty from the weather. A shower screen gets dirty from limescale and soap, and Algarve water builds that up fast. Treat both the same way and you end up with a screen that looks clean wet and streaked dry.
How we worked it
Two methods, matched to the glass. The highest exterior panes were done with a water-fed pole, washing and rinsing the glass from the ground. Where frames and edges needed hands on them at height, the very tall ladders went up and the glass was finished traditionally. Inside, the mirrors and shower glass were treated for limescale and soap film before being finished.
Exterior first, top down
Outside faces before inside ones, high before low, one elevation at a time, so nothing already finished gets run onto from above.
Water-fed pole for the highest glass
Panes beyond sensible ladder reach were washed and rinsed from the ground. It keeps the crew off the top rungs and leaves nothing on the glass to dry into spots.
Very tall ladders where hands were needed
Where frames, seals and edges needed detailing at height, the ladders went up and the work was done by hand.
Skylights and solar panels washed, not wiped
Flat and angled glass holds whatever lands on it. Skylights and panels were flooded and worked properly, so the dust and marks come off rather than spread.
Mirrors and shower glass treated for scale
Limescale and soap film need treating before glass will polish clear. Each screen and mirror was treated, rinsed and finished, with frames and seals wiped down.
Floors protected, rooms put back
Protection down before any interior work, furniture moved by us and put back exactly where it was.
What was included
- Windows and doors on every elevation, both faces
- High exterior glass, by water-fed pole and very tall ladders
- Skylights
- Solar panels
- All interior glass
- Every mirror in the property
- Shower glass, treated for limescale
- Frames, sills and tracks
- Floors protected and furniture put back
The result
Being straight with you about shower glass
Most limescale and soap film comes off. Shower glass that has gone years without proper treatment can be etched, and at that point the cloudiness is in the glass rather than on it. Cleaning improves it a lot. It will not make an etched screen new, and we will tell you which ones are which before we start.
The same goes for the outside. Hard-water spotting that has dried on the same pane for years can etch into the surface. Cleaning improves it, and we will point those panes out at the survey rather than after.
Common questions
How long does a full villa glass clean take?
This one took three days with two of us, because it covered every window on both faces, the high glass, the skylights, the solar panels and all the mirrors and shower glass inside. A smaller villa with windows only can be a single day. We give you the honest time at the survey.
What is a water-fed pole?
A long pole with a brush head that carries purified water up to the glass. It lets us wash and rinse high windows from the ground, and we use it for glass beyond sensible ladder reach. Where the job needs hands on the frame, we use ladders.
Do you clean mirrors and shower glass?
Yes. They are treated for limescale and soap film first, then finished streak free. Shower glass in the Algarve needs that treatment step, or it looks clean wet and streaked once it dries.
Can you clean solar panels in the same visit?
Yes, and it makes sense to. Panels and skylights get the same careful wash as the windows, in the same visit, so you are not paying for a second set-up.
Do you cover Vale do Lobo?
Yes. Vale do Lobo is part of our core round along with Quinta do Lago, Vilamoura, Almancil, Loulé and Quarteira.
