Eurofenster

Quick Facts

Brand at a Glance

Product Range

Why This System

Step 1 of 2: Manufacturer Recommendations

Official Care Guidance

Glass

• ✓Lukewarm water with mild soap or a dedicated glass cleaner. No ammonia near PVC seals or frames.
• ✓Microfibre T-bar on the wash, professional squeegee on the pull. Fresh rubber.
• ✓Confirm glass specification - Austrian mid-range windows commonly include low-E coating. No razor blades without confirmation.
• ✓Wipe the frame perimeter after squeegeeing - squeegee drips on Austrian white PVC dry visibly.

Frames

• ✓PVC: damp cloth with pH-neutral cleaner. No bleach, no solvent, no ammonia. Rinse thoroughly.
• ✓Aluminium: pH-neutral aluminium-safe cleaner, dried immediately to prevent mineral deposits.
• ✓Clear drainage slots at every clean. Austrian condensate volumes make this essential.
• ✓No abrasive pads on any Eurofenster frame surface, PVC or aluminium.

Hardware

• ✓Wipe hardware with a damp cloth and dry immediately.
• ✓Operate each window through the full tilt-and-turn range at every visit. Note any resistance.
• ✓Lubricate all moving hardware points annually - hinges, tilt-and-turn mechanisms, locking bars.

Step 2 of 2: The Orloffs Protocol

The Orloffs Protocol

Pro Tools

My daily tool list. This is what I carry to every job.

Follow these steps in order. Each one builds on the last. This is the same sequence I use on every Eurofenster installation.

1. 1

   Preparation

   Identify the frame material on each window - PVC or aluminium. On Eurofenster installations, the two materials sometimes appear on the same elevation (aluminium on ground floor commercial areas, PVC on residential floors above).

   Check drainage slots before washing. Austrian residential windows can have significant condensate accumulation particularly in winter - the drainage slots need to be functional before any water is added.

   Confirm the glass specification with the building manager or from documentation if available. Austrian mid-range glazing commonly includes low-E coating.

2. 2

   Glass wash

   Apply soap solution with the T-bar in overlapping passes. On Austrian tilt-and-turn windows, the sash opens inward - on an upper floor, clean the outer face from outside using standard access equipment.

   On sliding systems, keep solution out of the track channel during the wash phase.

   Allow dwell time on windows with road or industrial soiling. Austrian urban windows in traffic areas accumulate a mix of dust and diesel particulate that needs agitation.

3. 3

   Squeegee and edge detail

   Edge detail before squeegeeing - run a damp cloth along the rebate groove. On PVC, pay attention to the co-extruded foil edge at the rebate corner if the window is colour.

   Squeegee with fresh rubber. Side-to-side passes, directing the bead toward the drainage slot.

   After squeegeeing, wipe the frame perimeter with a clean damp cloth to remove squeegee drips.

4. 4

   Frame wipe-down

   PVC frames: pH-neutral cleaner on a damp cloth, top to bottom, rinsed and dried. Pay attention to the welded corners.

   Aluminium frames: pH-neutral aluminium-safe cleaner, dried immediately after rinsing. Do not leave water on aluminium in hard-water areas - mineral deposits require specialist treatment to remove.

   On sliding system sill tracks, brush clear at every clean. Austrian winter brings grit and road salt into sliding system tracks - this accelerates threshold seal wear significantly.

5. 5

   Hardware check

   Operate each window through the full tilt-and-turn range. The Austrian tilt-and-turn sequence (handle down to close, handle horizontal to tilt, handle up to turn) should operate with consistent resistance at each position.

   Note any window where one locking point is stiffer than the others - this indicates hardware wear or misalignment, not just lubrication need.

   Lubricate all moving points at the annual service. On Maco and Roto hardware, a single drop of light machine oil on each hinge knuckle and locking cam is sufficient.

6. 6

   Final check

   Walk the elevation after cleaning. Austrian residential clients have high visual expectations - any missed drip or frame mark will be noticed.

   Check all drainage slots are clear after the wash.

   Document any hardware, seal, or frame issues and provide to the building manager or owner.

Pro Tips

• ★ Austrian tilt-and-turn hardware operates through a specific sequence - if a Eurofenster window resists switching between tilt and turn positions, the multi-point lock may be partially engaged. Close fully, re-engage the lock, and try again before reporting a hardware fault.
• ★ Co-extruded colour foil on Eurofenster PVC is more durable than laminated foil but the corner edge is still the most vulnerable point - inspect corners on colour installations at every visit.
• ★ Hard water is common in many Austrian regions. An aluminium-safe limescale remover used quarterly on aluminium Eurofenster installations prevents build-up that becomes difficult to remove if left for a full year.
• ★ On Austrian sliding system tracks in winter, road salt brought in on shoes and from adjacent surfaces accumulates in the track channel. This is more corrosive than standard grit - brush and rinse the track at every winter visit.
• ★ Austrian residential properties often have external roller shutters or Raffstores above the windows. Clean the shutter guide rails and the window frame top rail in the same visit - solution from the shutter rails drops onto the window frame if the window is cleaned first.
• ★ On Eurofenster aluminium windows in darker powder-coat colours, fingerprints from the cleaning process are visible - a final dry buff with a clean cotton cloth on dark aluminium frames is part of the professional finish.
• ★ If an Austrian tilt-and-turn window will not close fully after cleaning, check that no cleaning cloth or brush has been left in the rebate groove. The multi-stage seal compresses completely when the sash closes - any obstruction in the rebate prevents full close.

What NOT To Do

Bundle Kits and Tool Recommendations

Cleaning Frequency

Glass: 2x per year minimum (Spring and autumn. Urban and high-traffic locations: quarterly.). Frames: 2x per year (Same visit as glass.). Drainage slots: Every clean (Austrian condensate volumes make this essential at every visit.). Hardware lubrication: Once per year (Tilt-and-turn mechanisms, hinge points, and locking bars. Spring or autumn visit.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Field Notes

“Austrian residential clients have consistently high expectations of cleaning quality - the professional standard in this market is high and the visual inspection after cleaning is thorough. Eurofenster installations in alpine locations experience more severe weather cycling than urban lowland installations - drainage maintenance and seal condition monitoring matter more in these locations. Tilt-and-turn windows cleaned from the inside (upper floor, inner face) are a significant part of the Austrian residential market. The inner face of the outer glass surface is often the dirtiest on tilt-and-turn windows that are regularly tilted - reach this face from outside, not from a tilt position inside.”

Justin Orloff