Europe · Window Manufacturer
Sidey Solutions
🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Last reviewed by Justin Orloff
Quick Facts
founded
1932
hq
Perth, Scotland
primaryMaterials
PVCu, foiled PVCu, composite (doors)
glazingPartner
Own glazing production
marketTier
Mid-market
Brand at a Glance
- Founded: 1932
- HQ: Perth, Scotland (100,000 sq ft manufacturing facility)
- Market position: Scotland's largest window and door manufacturer and installer
- Frame materials: PVCu, foiled PVCu, composite (doors)
- Key ranges: Casement Windows, Tilt and Turn Windows, Reversible Windows, Vertical Sliding Windows, Patio Doors, Composite Doors, French Doors
- Glazing options: Double and triple glazed units. High performance energy-efficient glazing. Scratchguard glazing protection available.
- Where they sell: Scotland and wider UK market. Social housing, homeowners, trade, new build and developers.
- Warranty: 10-year fully insured guarantee with 100% deposit protection
- Website: sidey.co.uk
- Official care documentation: sidey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Sidey-Care-and-Maintenance-Guide-2022.pdf
Product Range
- Casement Windows
- Tilt and Turn Windows
- Reversible Windows
- Vertical Sliding Windows
- Composite Doors
Why This System
Sidey's own care guide states directly that the glass in most double and triple glazed units is easily scratched - a direct caution from the manufacturer that every cleaner must take seriously. PVCu is low-maintenance, not no-maintenance. Solvents, bleach, and ammonia-based sprays damage PVCu - and the discolouration and surface degradation they cause cannot be reversed. Foiled PVCu frames require cleaning every three months in areas of heavy industry or every six months in rural locations - a more demanding schedule than many cleaners expect. Multiple window styles each require a specific operating sequence before you can safely access the glass - Reversible, Tilt and Turn, and Vertical Sliding windows all work differently. Composite doors have additional prohibitions against abrasive cleaners, bleach, solvents, and steam cleaners, plus a regular lacquer application requirement.
Step 1 of 2: Manufacturer Recommendations
Official Care Guidance
Step 2 of 2: The Orloffs Protocol
The Orloffs Protocol
This is how I clean Sidey Solutions windows. The tools and technique below come from 25 years of daily professional work on the glass. Every step has been tested on real installations and adapted specifically for Sidey Solutions systems.
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 Sidey Solutions installation.
- 1
Operate the Window Correctly Before You Start
Get the window into its cleaning position before touching the glass. Reversible Windows: release the safety catch and reverse the sash using the PN Uni hinge. Tilt and Turn Windows: open fully inward. Vertical Sliding Windows: raise the sash and activate the tilt buttons.
Never clean through a restrictored or night-vent position.
- 2
Detail the Frame First
Wipe down the frame edges with a damp microfibre cloth and mild soapy water. For foiled PVCu frames, use a cloth with no spirit residue.
The squeegee rubber contacts the frame edge as it crosses the glass. Dirt on that frame gets dragged across clean glass as a streak. Clean the frame first, every time.
- 3
Agitate the Glass
Check your applicator cover for grit before it goes into the water. Dip the T-bar fully and apply solution across the whole glass area with overlapping strokes.
On Sidey glazing, flagged by the manufacturer as easily scratched, this step matters more than on toughened exterior glass. Fully dissolve the dirt before the squeegee touches the glass.
- 4
Detail the Frame Edge Before Squeegeeing
Run a dry corner of your cotton rag along the top and both side frame edges to remove pooled soap water before the squeegee reaches it.
Ten seconds here prevents most streaks.
- 5
The Three Squeegee Turns
Side to side: start at the top with a dry rubber. Work across in a straight horizontal line. Tilt so water spills from one side only. Wipe rubber dry after each pass. Overlap into the next line down.
Top to bottom: same principle in vertical lines. Start in the top corner with a dry rubber, tilt to direct water downward, wipe dry after each pass.
The J tune: continuous motion top to bottom in one smooth, unbroken movement. Your thumb guides the rotation at the end of each horizontal pass. Fastest method for any Sidey window size.
- 6
Edge Detailing
Fold a dry cotton rag to a clean corner and detail the bottom edge and sides in one pass.
Get your finger into the rebate where glass meets the frame seal and remove any pooled soap water. Rotate to a clean section after every few windows.
- 7
Never Clean in Direct Sunlight
If the sun is hitting the glass, the soap water dries before the squeegee can remove it - baking a mineral and soap residue onto the surface.
Work in shade, on overcast days, or in the early morning.
Pro Tips
- Sidey's own documentation flags how easily the glazing scratches - check your applicator cover for grit before every use, and remove hand jewellery before touching the glass.
- Foiled PVCu frames must not be cleaned with spirit-based products - the foil finish lifts or dulls permanently with the wrong cleaner.
- Different Sidey window types require different operating sequences before cleaning - learn the right sequence for each style before you start.
- Never force the tilt operating buttons on Vertical Sliding Windows when closing - hold the buttons in the retracted position or you can permanently damage the frame.
- Clear drainage holes whenever you open the windows - blocked drainage causes water to pool inside the frame over time.
What NOT To Do
- Do not use abrasive cleaners or scouring pads on any Sidey surface - glass, frame, or door.
- Do not use bleach on frames or doors.
- Do not use solvents - this includes white spirit, methylated spirit, cellulose thinners, acetone, and nail varnish remover.
- Do not use adhesives of any kind on door surfaces.
- Do not use high-pressure steam cleaners on any Sidey window or door.
- Do not use spirit-based glass cleaners on foiled PVCu frames - use spirit-free formulations diluted with water.
- Do not use cloths that contain grit, dirt, or dust on the glass - the glazing in Sidey units is easily scratched.
- Do not wear hand jewellery when cleaning Sidey glass.
- Do not use sharp implements to scrape mortar, cement, paint, or other stubborn deposits off PVCu or glass surfaces.
- Do not clean glass in direct sunlight - soap water dries before it can be removed, baking residue onto the surface.
- Do not leave windows in restrictored or secondary opening positions when the property is unoccupied - these positions are not secure.
- Do not force the tilt operating buttons on Vertical Sliding Windows when closing the sash - the frame can be permanently damaged if the buttons are not held in the retracted position during closing.
Bundle Kits and Tool Recommendations
Bundle Kit
Tool Recommendations
T-bar applicator with a clean microfibre cover (checked for grit before each use)
View on Amazon [coming soon]Professional squeegee with a fresh rubber blade
View on Amazon [coming soon]Bucket with lukewarm water and one drop of mild pH-neutral dish soap per litre
View on Amazon [coming soon]Cleaning Frequency
Glass and frames: 2x per year minimum (Inside and out.). Foiled PVCu frames - heavy industry areas: Every 3 months. Foiled PVCu frames - rural locations: Every 6 months. External hardware and ironmongery: Monthly wipe-down. Hardware mechanisms and keeps: Once per year (Oil or light grease.). Composite door surfaces: Monthly cleaning + lacquer every 6-12 months (Apply Konig Maintenance Lacquer 2-3 coats.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Field Notes
“Glass and frames: minimum twice per year inside and out. Foiled PVCu frames in areas of heavy industry: every three months. Foiled PVCu frames in rural locations: every six months. External hardware and ironmongery: wipe down at least once a month. Hardware mechanisms and keeps: oil or light grease once per year. Composite door surfaces: clean at least once a month; apply Konig Maintenance Lacquer every 6 to 12 months. Drainage holes: clear periodically when windows are opened.”
Justin Orloff
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