Pure Water Window Cleaning in York Region
Ladder-free exterior window washing using water-fed poles and RO/DI purified water — serving Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Markham, Aurora, Newmarket, King City, Stouffville, East Gwillimbury and Georgina.
Pure water window cleaning uses water that has been stripped of its dissolved minerals by reverse osmosis and deionization, then fed up a telescopic pole to a soft brush head. The brush lifts the dirt, the purified water rinses it away, and because there are no minerals left in the water and no soap on the glass, it evaporates without leaving spots or streaks. No ladders, no detergent, no residue.
How does a water-fed pole actually work?
A water-fed pole system has three parts working together:
- Purification. Ordinary tap water carries dissolved solids — calcium, magnesium, salts. Those minerals are what dry into the white spots you see on a sun-baked window. We run our water through a reverse osmosis membrane and a deionizing resin, which strips those solids out before a drop ever touches your glass.
- The pole. A lightweight carbon-fibre pole extends from the ground, with a hose running up its centre. Modern poles reach roughly six storeys — far past anything a ladder can safely serve on a residential property.
- The brush. A soft-bristle head agitates the dirt on the glass and the frame, while jets flood the surface with purified water to carry it away.
We then leave the glass wet. That sounds wrong the first time you see it — but it is the whole point. Because the rinse water is chemically pure, there is nothing dissolved in it to leave behind. It sheets off the glass and air-dries clear.
Why doesn't it streak?
Streaks and spots are not water. They are what was in the water, or what was left on the glass. Tap water in the GTA typically carries somewhere in the range of tens to a few hundred parts per million of total dissolved solids. Evaporate that off a pane in direct sun and every one of those particles stays behind as a visible deposit. Purified water is measured in single-digit parts per million or lower, so evaporation leaves nothing to see.
Traditional soap-and-squeegee cleaning has the opposite problem: detergent film is sticky. It attracts airborne dust within days and it is why some windows look worse two weeks after a wash than they did the day before.
How often should windows be cleaned in Ontario?
Twice a year is the standard for exterior windows — once in spring and once in fall. Interior glass is cleaned as needed, which for most households means once or twice a year alongside the exterior service. Properties near a busy road, under heavy tree cover, or beside active construction generally need three exterior cleanings a year.
In York Region there are two specific reasons the twice-a-year rhythm matters more than it does in milder climates:
- Spring: road salt and winter grime. Everything thrown up off Highway 404, Yonge Street, Highway 7 and the concession roads over five months of winter ends up filmed on your south- and west-facing glass. Salt residue is mildly corrosive and holds dirt against the pane.
- Fall: pollen, seed and construction dust. Maple samaras, cottonwood fluff and a spring-and-summer of pollen bake onto glass through the hot months. Clearing it before winter means you spend the darkest months of the year looking through clean glass, which matters more than people expect.
What about winter?
Exterior window cleaning is a spring-through-late-fall service in this climate. Once temperatures sit reliably below freezing, water on glass is a hazard rather than a finish. We schedule the last exterior rounds of the year before that window closes — booking a fall clean in September or early October is the safest way to be sure you get one.
What does window cleaning cost in York Region?
Every quote depends on window count, storeys, access, and whether you want interior glass done as well. As a starting frame of reference, these are the ranges commonly published for the Toronto and GTA market:
| Service | Typical GTA range (CAD) | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior only, bungalow | $150 – $200 | Window count, screens, sunroom or solarium glass |
| Exterior only, two-storey | $170 – $300 | Height, walkout basements, obstructed access |
| Interior + exterior, two-storey | $300 – $400 | Interior time is the bigger cost — furniture, blinds, stairwells |
| Per pane, exterior only | $3 – $8 | Georgian/muntin bars raise per-pane time significantly |
| Screens | $2 – $5 each | Removed and washed vs. brushed in place |
| Tracks and sills | $1 – $3 per window | Usually an add-on, not included by default |
Ranges reflect commonly published GTA market pricing and are for orientation only.
Want a real number instead of a range?
Call 905-288-8901 or send us your address and we'll quote your property specifically.
Pure water vs. traditional squeegee cleaning
| Pure water / water-fed pole | Traditional soap & squeegee | |
|---|---|---|
| Ladders required | No — worked from the ground | Yes, for anything above the first floor |
| Chemicals on your home | None — purified water only | Detergent, sometimes ammonia-based cleaners |
| Frames & sills | Cleaned as part of the same pass | Usually wiped separately or skipped |
| Risk to landscaping | Minimal — plain water runoff | Detergent runoff into beds and lawn |
| Interior glass | Not suitable — done traditionally | The right tool for interiors |
| Result after rain | Holds up — no residue for dirt to stick to | Soap film can spot when it rains |
The honest answer is that neither method wins everywhere. Water-fed poles are the right choice for exterior glass, especially at height. Interior windows still get done the traditional way, by hand, inside your home. A complete service uses both.
My windows still look hazy after a wash. Why?
Haze that survives a proper clean is almost never dirt. It is one of two things, and they are easy to tell apart:
Hard water deposits
Mineral scale from sprinkler overspray or years of rainwater running off a roof edge. The test: wet the glass. If the haze disappears while wet and returns as it dries, it is a surface deposit. These can usually be removed with a dedicated restoration treatment — though if they have been through enough wet/dry cycles they can permanently etch the glass, so the sooner they are dealt with the better.
A failed thermal seal
If the fog is between the two panes of a double-glazed unit, no amount of cleaning will touch it — the moisture is sealed inside. Wetting the outside will not change how it looks. That is a glass replacement job, not a cleaning job, and we will tell you so rather than sell you a wash that cannot fix it.
Serving north York Region
We work north of Highway 7 across York Region and into south Simcoe and north Durham:
Vaughan (Maple, Kleinburg, Concord) · Richmond Hill · Markham (Unionville, Cathedraltown, Angus Glen) · Aurora · Newmarket · King City · Nobleton · Whitchurch-Stouffville · East Gwillimbury · Georgina (Keswick, Sutton, Jackson's Point, Pefferlaw) · Bradford · Brechin
Frequently asked questions
Do you clean the inside of my windows too?
Yes, if you book interior service. The water-fed pole is an exterior tool only — interior glass is cleaned by hand with squeegees and microfibre, inside your home. Many customers book exterior twice a year and interior once, which is usually the right balance.
Do you clean window screens?
Screens are handled as part of the service on request. They can be brushed and rinsed in place, or removed, washed and reinstalled — the second is more thorough and takes more time. Tell us which you want when you book, since screens left dirty behind clean glass will streak the pane the next time it rains.
Do you clean tracks and sills?
Frames and sills are cleaned as part of the water-fed pole pass on exterior windows, because the brush and rinse cover them naturally. Deep track cleaning — the grit and dead insects that collect in the bottom channel of a slider — is a separate add-on and is done by hand.
Does rain ruin freshly cleaned windows?
Not with pure water cleaning. Rain is itself relatively pure, and because we leave no soap film on the glass there is nothing sticky for dirt to bond to. Windows cleaned with detergent are the ones that spot in the rain, because the residue is what holds the dirt. We do reschedule if there is heavy wind or a thunderstorm on the day — that is a safety call, not a results one.
How high can you reach without a ladder?
Modern water-fed poles reach roughly six storeys. On residential properties in York Region that covers essentially everything, including three-storey homes, gables, and glass above a two-storey foyer that no ladder can safely reach.
Do you use my water and my outdoor tap?
We can work from a tap or from our own supply. Either way the water goes through our filtration before it touches your home, so the mineral content of your municipal supply doesn't affect the result.
Are you insured, and do you have WSIB coverage?
Yes. This matters more than most homeowners realize: under Ontario's Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, a homeowner can be held responsible for medical costs and lost wages if an uninsured worker is injured on their property. You can verify any Ontario contractor's standing yourself — a WSIB Clearance Certificate is free and takes a couple of minutes at wsib.ca. Ask us for ours, or ask any contractor you're considering.
How long does a typical house take?
An average two-storey home, exterior only, is usually a two to three hour job for a crew. Interior work roughly doubles it, because the time goes into moving furniture, handling blinds, and protecting floors rather than into the glass itself.
Is pure water cleaning safe for Low-E and coated glass?
Purified water and a soft brush are about as gentle as glass cleaning gets — there are no ammonia-based cleaners and no blades or scrapers involved, which are the things window manufacturers actually warn against on coated glass. If your windows are under a manufacturer warranty with specific cleaning requirements, send us the documentation before we start and we'll work to it.
How far in advance should I book?
Spring (April–June) and fall (September–October) are the two busy windows, and fall is the tighter of the two because the season ends when the freezing does. Booking two to three weeks ahead is comfortable; booking a fall exterior clean in late November usually is not possible.