Gaulhofer

Quick Facts

Brand at a Glance

Product Range

Why This System

Step 1 of 2: Manufacturer Recommendations

Official Care Guidance

Glass

• ✓Use mild soapy water and a soft cloth.
• ✓No solvent-based cleaning products on any surface.
• ✕No ammonia-based window sprays - this rules out most commercial glass cleaners.
• ✓No bleach on any surface.
• ✓No abrasive cloths, steel wool, or stiff brushes.
• ✓No sharp tools near the glass, frames, or seals.
• ✓No high-pressure water directed at frame joints, drainage channels, or hardware.

NATURELINE - Pure Timber

• ✓Use only a soft damp cloth with mild soapy water - nothing abrasive, nothing with ammonia.
• ✓Painted and oiled surfaces scratch and stain easily.
• ✓Wood exterior surfaces need additional skilled care depending on weather exposure - contact your Gaulhofer installer for wood-specific maintenance products and intervals.
• ✕The 30-year warranty requires maintenance at the intervals specified by your installer - do not skip.

FUSIONLINE & INLINE - Timber/Aluminium

• ✓Aluminium exterior: soft cloth with mild soapy water - handles regular cleaning without issue.
• ✓Timber interior: mild soapy water and soft cotton cloth only - no harsh products.
• ✓Gaulhofer describes the aluminium exterior as practically maintenance-free - regular mild cleaning maintains the appearance.

ERGOLINE - uPVC/Aluminium

• ✓Soft cloth and mild soapy water on both uPVC interior and aluminium exterior.
• ✓Rinse thoroughly after cleaning to prevent residue buildup in the profile channels.
• ✓No solvents - they degrade uPVC surfaces and damage rubber gaskets.
• ✓No ammonia - damages uPVC and seal materials over time.
• ✕No bleach - discolours uPVC and weakens the frame material.

Hardware

• ✓Oil approximately once per year.
• ✓Contact your Gaulhofer specialist partner for this work - Gaulhofer recommends specialist servicing for hardware adjustment and lubrication.

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 Gaulhofer installation.

1. 1

   Detail the frame before touching the glass

   Before the T-bar touches the glass, wipe the window frame edges with a cloth dampened in mild soapy water. This removes dust, pollen, and grime from the frame surface. When the squeegee reaches the edge of the glass, the rubber contacts the frame. Any dirt sitting there gets picked up and dragged across the clean glass as a streak.

   NATURELINE: soft damp cloth only - no abrasives, no ammonia near the painted or oiled timber.

   FUSIONLINE and INLINE: soft cloth with mild soapy water on the aluminium shell.

   ERGOLINE: soft cloth with mild soapy water - rinse profile channels after.

2. 2

   Agitation

   Dip the T-bar completely into the soapy water on both sides. Apply the solution across the entire glass surface with overlapping passes - up and down, or side to side.

   The goal is to fully dissolve and release every deposit. If the dirt is not fully dissolved, the squeegee transports it across the glass as a smear rather than removing it.

   On Gaulhofer's larger FUSIONLINE and INLINE panels, cover the entire surface with overlapping strokes before picking up the squeegee. For stubborn marks like insect deposits, re-apply the solution and agitate again. More soap water, not more pressure. Never use a razor blade or sharp tool on any Gaulhofer surface.

3. 3

   Detail the frame edge again before squeegeeing

   Once the glass is agitated, run a dry corner of your cotton rag along the top edge and both side edges. This removes pooled soap water sitting on the frame surface so the squeegee will not pick up dirty residue and drag it back across the glass.

4. 4

   The three squeegee turns

   Side to side: start at the top edge with a dry rubber. Work across in a straight horizontal line. Tilt the squeegee at a slight angle so soap water spills from one side of the channel only. Wipe the rubber dry after each line. Overlap slightly into the next line down.

   Top to bottom: same motion in vertical lines. Start in the top corner with a dry rubber. Tilt to direct water to the lower side. Wipe dry after each line. Overlap into the next line across.

   The J tune (continuous motion): one smooth unbroken movement from top to bottom with no stops. As you complete a horizontal pass, rotate the wrist so the squeegee turns and continues down. The fastest and most consistent method for any window size once it is in your muscle memory.

   On large FUSIONLINE or INLINE panels: top-to-bottom with an extension pole for the upper section beyond arm height, then side-to-side from arm height down.

5. 5

   Final edge detailing

   After squeegeeing, there is always a thin line of water at the bottom edge and along the sides where the rubber cannot completely close out. Take a dry cotton rag, fold to a clean corner, and detail these edges in one smooth pass.

   Get your finger into the edge where glass meets the frame seal. Remove any pooled soap water. Left to dry, it leaves a residue mark that shows clearly in direct sunlight.

   Rotate the rag to a clean section after each pass. Replace the rag every few windows.

Pro Tips

• ★ Identify the range before you start - NATURELINE, FUSIONLINE, INLINE or ERGOLINE. Frame care differs.
• ★ Clean the frame first, every time. Most streaks come from dirt the squeegee picks up at the frame edge.
• ★ More soap water, not more pressure - Gaulhofer prohibits razor blades and sharp tools on every surface.
• ★ Ammonia-based glass sprays damage every Gaulhofer frame material. Mild soapy water only.
• ★ On NATURELINE, follow the installer's wood-care schedule precisely - the 30-year warranty depends on it.

What NOT To Do

Bundle Kits and Tool Recommendations

Cleaning Frequency

Glass: 2× per year minimum (Spring after winter grime, autumn before the cold months. Quarterly in Austrian cities.). Timber/alu and uPVC/alu frames: 2× per year (Mild soapy water removes pollution deposits from exterior surfaces.). NATURELINE pure timber exterior: Per installer schedule (Follow the maintenance schedule your Gaulhofer specialist provided - the 30-year warranty depends on it.). Hardware: 1× per year (Oiled and inspected by your Gaulhofer specialist partner.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Field Notes

“Glass: 2× per year minimum, quarterly in Austrian cities with pollution, pollen, and construction dust. Timber/alu and uPVC/alu frames: twice-yearly mild soap wipe-down keeps exterior surfaces clean. NATURELINE pure timber exterior: maintenance per installer's schedule - 30-year warranty depends on it. Hardware: annual oiling and inspection via Gaulhofer specialist partner.”

Justin Orloff