Fenster-Haus

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 dish soap or purpose-made glass cleaner. No ammonia on coated or tinted glass.
• ✓Microfibre T-bar applicator on the wash, professional squeegee on the pull. Fresh rubber on every job.
• ✓Triple-glazed units are heavier - do not lean on the open sash during cleaning.
• ✓No razor blades unless you have confirmed the glass has no soft coating.

Frames

• ✓PVC frames: pH-neutral cleaner on a damp cloth. No bleach, no solvent.
• ✓Aluminium frames and cladding: pH-neutral cleaner. No alkaline or acidic products.
• ✓Timber inner frames: damp cloth with timber-appropriate mild cleaner. Minimal moisture. Check wood finish condition first.
• ✓Clear lift-and-slide bottom tracks and tilt-and-turn frame drainage slots at every clean.

Hardware

• ✓Wipe hardware dry after cleaning - standing water on exposed steel hardware causes rust staining on adjacent frames.
• ✓Lubricate tilt-and-turn mechanisms and hinge points annually. Triple-glazed sashes need more frequent lubrication than standard.
• ✓Lift-and-slide bottom rollers should be wiped clean and checked for smooth operation at every visit.

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 Fenster-Haus installation.

1. 1

   Preparation and material identification

   Identify the material of each window before starting. PVC, aluminium, and timber-alu composites are present in the same property and need different products.

   On timber-alu windows, check the condition of the timber inner face before any water contact. Cracked or peeling varnish or paint means the timber is not protected.

   Brush down all surfaces to remove loose debris. On lift-and-slide tracks, sweep out visible debris before wetting the track.

2. 2

   Glass wash

   Apply solution with the T-bar in full overlapping passes. On triple-glazed units, do not lean weight onto the open sash.

   Dwell time of 30 to 60 seconds on any soiling before the squeegee pass.

   Rinse the T-bar cover regularly - triple-glazed units are often in high-performance builds where fine grit from new construction nearby is present.

3. 3

   Edge detail

   Run a damp cloth along the rebate groove at the glass edge before squeegeeing. Residue in the rebate deposits as a line after the squeegee pass.

   On timber-alu windows, keep the edge cloth dry on the timber inner rebate side.

   Wipe the top frame rail dry before squeegeeing.

4. 4

   Squeegee

   Side-to-side passes from the top. Cut in at the top corner and angle rubber slightly away from the rebate.

   Wipe rubber on a clean cloth after every pass to prevent frame smearing.

   Finish with a bottom-edge pass to clear the accumulated bead.

5. 5

   Frame wipe-down by material

   PVC and aluminium frames: pH-neutral cleaner on a damp cloth, rinse, dry. Work top to bottom.

   Timber inner faces on composite windows: minimal-moisture damp cloth with timber cleaner. Do not over-wet. Dry immediately with a clean cloth.

   Clear drainage slots and lift-and-slide tracks with a soft brush after all frame cleaning is complete.

6. 6

   Hardware and operation check

   Run each window through full operation. Tilt-and-turn: tilt, turn, close, lock. Lift-and-slide: open, slide full travel, close, lock.

   On triple-glazed tilt-and-turn, note any sash droop when tilted fully open - a drooping sash means hinge adjustment or replacement is needed.

   Dry all hardware and note any stiff points for the annual lubrication visit.

Pro Tips

• ★ On timber-alu composite windows, the aluminium outer face and the timber inner face are part of the same product but need separate cleaning passes with separate products.
• ★ Triple-glazed sashes are heavy enough to pull hinge screws loose from soft plaster or timber frames over time. A sash that drops when opened is usually a loose hinge screw.
• ★ Lift-and-slide bottom tracks trap grit that then gets transferred onto the roller mechanism. A track swept dry before washing lasts significantly longer than one that gets hosed out.
• ★ Warm-edge spacers around the glass unit edge are not cleaning marks - they are the edge seal system. Do not scrub them.
• ★ On colour-foil PVC, test new products on a bottom corner first. Austrian mid-range PVC commonly uses darker foil colours that show chemical damage faster than white.
• ★ If a tilt-and-turn handle is stiff on the turn function but easy on the tilt function, the locking rod guides need lubrication specifically at the corner gearbox point.
• ★ Austrian buildings often have external roller shutters on the same window opening. The shutter housing at the top of the window frame collects debris that falls onto the glass during cleaning - brush the housing first.

What NOT To Do

Bundle Kits and Tool Recommendations

Cleaning Frequency

Glass: 2x per year minimum (Spring and autumn. Alpine and rural locations accumulate pollen and organic debris - consider 3x.). Frames: 2x per year (Same visit as glass. Timber inner faces on composite windows may need quarterly condition checks.). Drainage slots and tracks: Every clean (Lift-and-slide tracks are a priority at every visit.). Hardware lubrication: Once per year (More frequently on triple-glazed tilt-and-turn due to increased hinge and tilt mechanism load.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Field Notes

“Timber-alu composite windows are the most satisfying product to clean well and the most damaging to clean carelessly. The two-material protocol adds time but prevents expensive timber remediation. Austrian mid-range windows at this tier commonly use triple glazing as standard - the sash weight catches cleaners used to lighter central European double-glazed units off guard. Lift-and-slide terrace door tracks in Austrian properties are often installed flush with the internal floor level - external debris washes directly into the track after rain and needs clearing at every clean.”

Justin Orloff