The Joy Of Clear Glass

Mr. Savadian said that since his company invented the Winbot, he no longer does his own windows. Behind his triumph, I thought I detected a hint of regret.

The Joy of Clear Glass: Spring is just around the corner, and that can mean only one thing: spring cleaning. Actually, spring means lots of things—trees budding, birds singing, more hours of daylight—with cleaning ranking pretty far down the list, at least at our house. I'm just trying to make this column sound more timely because, truth be told, the desire I'm here to address can strike me at any season and at almost any hour.

It's not what you think. I'm referring to cleaning my windows. There are few things that annoy me quite as much as a dirty window, as having to observe the world through a layer of filth. And the great thing is, I can do something about it. I'd go so far as to say that little in life delivers greater satisfaction than transforming a window stained with dust and dirt into a perfectly transparent surface through which to admire the planet.

As a brief aside, a while back I visited 30 Rock to interview Chuck Scarborough, the veteran local NBC News anchorman. As impressive an individual as he was, I couldn't believe how dirty his office windows were. The view was great—overlooking Rockefeller Center and the ice-skating rink—but you could only dimly perceive it through the grime. He told me the landlord didn't clean them and he sounded helpless to do anything about it. "Damn it, man," I thought and probably declared, though slightly less strenuously, "you're Chuck Scarborough. You deserve clean windows."

One more almost totally unrelated point regarding the subject of window cleaning: I used to attend a writing group that met occasionally at a Central Park West apartment. The bathroom faced the park. People pay millions of dollars for views of the park, yet the bathroom window was frosted. Why? There wasn't another person who could see the occupants when they showered any closer than Fifth Avenue. And any voyeur would still have to use a high-powered telescope.

My bathroom window has no such view. Yet, when it was installed, I had the manufacturer make the bottom pane of glass frosted for privacy, but the top pane clear so that I could see the world—the clouds scudding by; the seagulls circling. I bet people don't realize there are seagulls circling the city, high in the air, all the time. I wouldn't have, either, if I hadn't insisted on a clear pane.

I offer the Chuck Scarborough outrage and my custom-made bathroom window as proof that I take window cleanliness seriously. So it made sense that when Nick Savadian, executive general manager of Ecovac Robotics, was in town recently I'd seek an audience. Ecovac manufactures the Winbot, a window-cleaning robot.

Given my passion for clean windows, you might think that I'd regard Mr. Savadian and his product as saviors of a sort. No way. Here's why: As much as I love clean windows, 50% of the pleasure—no, 75%—comes from polishing them myself. Like everybody else, I delay gratification. I tell myself they're not that dirty; it can wait; there are more productive things I could be doing with my time.

No, there aren't.

There are also elements of risk involved. My windows in the city open inward for easy cleaning. Nonetheless, I sometimes get carried away and extend my brass squeegee so far outside that I risk tumbling nine stories to the ground. (By the way, I'm not recommending those who live in buildings with old-fashioned windows purchase a harness and straps and hang out over the street for the satisfaction of clean windows; please leave those to professionals.) And my windows upstate have storm windows over them. So, for every window, you're effectively cleaning two windows. Indeed, one could spend the whole day cleaning windows, a temptation I resist.

But when the chore is completed, I never regret it. I may regret a smudge I missed or a streak from the squeegee that shows I could have done a better job. But few things fill me with the same sense of well being as the ability to see the world through clear glass. It's almost as if the sense of control you possess over your immediate space extends out infinitely. You become a god.

So, obviously, it was with no small amount of skepticism that I listened to Mr. Savadian as he touted his window-cleaning robot. He explained that it joins other domestic robots manufactured by his company, including the Deebot, which does floors, and the Atmobot, which chases down pollutants while playing your favorite music. For example, you could be sitting there smoking a Cohiba when all of a sudden you have company; it'll suck in the smoke and serenade you with something by Nirvana. Whether you want company is another matter.

The way the Winbot, which I borrowed for a week, works is that it attaches itself to a window, like a tick, and then scuttles back and forth, its brain somehow mapping the window's dimensions and remembering the area it has already covered. It has certain limitations. It probably won't conquer caked-on grime if you don't wash your windows regularly. And it will only clean windows in the vertical position. Since mine in the city angle for cleaning, the Winbot wouldn't work on them. I suppose I could just attach the device to the outside of the window in its upright position—it comes with a large suction cup to prevent it from falling—but I don't think I'd want to suffer the legal consequences if it somehow lost suction and plummeted nine stories onto the head of an unsuspecting pedestrian.

"Go and enjoy your life," the personable Mr. Savadian told me. "When it's finished, it will play a song and move to the other pane."

Actually, you have to move it. As talented as it is, it can't unsuction itself, climb down, cross the room, pause for a beer, and start on the next window. It still requires a human handler.

But that's not the point. The point is that for some perverse reason, I enjoy cleaning my own windows. (Did I mention that it also saves money? Professional window cleaners can set you back hundreds of bucks.)

"You're the second person in the world" who likes cleaning his own windows, Mr. Savadian told me.

"Who's the first?" I asked.

"You're looking at him," he said. "I'm a clean freak. Clean windows are like clean vision. The sunlight comes in differently. It changes you mood. These are medically proven facts. You have an improved outlook towards life—healthy and happy."

So why deny us obsessive-compulsive types the small pleasures in life? He mentioned do-it-yourself problems such as streaks and dirty water dripping onto floors and carpets. Details.

We even compared notes on our squeegees. He has the two-sided variety, sponge on one side, squeegee on the other. I prefer the classic one-sided squeegee, which I apply after washing the window with a separate sponge soaked in soapy water. Streaks and hard-to-reach corners are promptly addressed with a small towel, just like the pros do.

Mr. Savadian said that since his company invented the Winbot, he no longer does his own windows. Behind his triumph, I thought I detected a hint of regret.

My Favorite Way To Clean Windows Is To Write A Check

The only thing missing from Mike Fantucci's bucket is Dawn and Joy detergent (back in the truck), both of which he typically adds to water to wash windows. One of his favorite tools is his large, natural sponge.

Don't Do Windows? These Experts Share Their Secrets: Are streak-free windows obtainable? Yes, say area homeowners and professional cleaners, who share their favorite ways to wash glass. Wow. There’s never a dull moment when it comes to the fine art of polishing glass! I found this out when I recently asked friends and acquaintances to share tips about their favorite ways to wash windows successfully. And there are as many cleaning tool suggestions – paper towel, rag, steel wool, microfiber cloth, newspaper, etc. – as there are windows in my house. After being queried about their washing ways, many laughed, saying their No. 1 tip is to call a professional.

“I have no hints,” said Kathie Ninneman, director of special events/volunteers for The Community House in Birmingham, “but would love to have some.”  Toni Grinnan of Bingham Farms is all about ease. “My favorite way to clean windows is to write a check,” the attorney said with a laugh. Priscilla Eggen of Pleasant Ridge agreed. "My favorite way to wash windows is to hire it done," said Eggen, a potter whose studio is in Ferndale. "Of course, I don't get them done very often." 

Others, like Barbara Deyo, talked about old family secrets. “My dad (William Deyo) swears by a mixture of vinegar and water in a spray bottle. You just spray and wipe it down with a cloth,” said Deyo, a beauty expert who owns Deyo for Face and Body in Birmingham. “He likes to follow up with a balled-up newspaper for polishing and then uses steel wool to remove small specs without scratching." The window and the steel wool must be dry for this step. Deyo warns not to use this technique on mirrors, though, or it will take off the finish.  “I’ve tried the vinegar or sudsy ammonia solution with newspapers and it’s stinky, but OK for outside windows,” said artist Fran Wolok of Bloomfield Township.

Professional window cleaner Mike Fantucci, owner of Royal Oak-based A Window Washing, shows how to zap pesky streaks. "I use lint-free towels that I buy, as well as natural sponges, which are not only great for glass but also help to pick up dirt and grime from screens," he said.

Professional window cleaner Mike Fantucci, owner of Royal Oak-based A Window Washing, won’t go anywhere without his favorite “women,”  Dawn and Joy. Seriously, he adds a little bit of Dawn or Joy dish detergent to water and then uses natural sponges to wipe down windows before finishing with  his trusty squeegee.

This glass guru, who cleans windows everywhere from Metro Detroit homes to Beaumont Hospital, Troy, has been washing glass for nearly 40 years and says he's never met a window he couldn’t clean. Sometimes he has to use a bit of trisodium phosphate or even oven cleaner for the grimiest of windows. “But we don’t see a lot of grime these days,” he noted. “People are living healthier lives and there’s not as much cigarette smoke build-up on windows now."

Mary Bester of Troy turns over the squeegee to her husband, Steve, owner of  Educated Garage Systems. “Steve always uses a squeegee, ammonia and water,” Bester said. “Me, I hate doing windows.” If she has to do them, Bester, a marketing specialist with Digitas, prefers using Sprayway: World’s Best Glass Cleaner (available at many ACE Hardware stores). “It’s ammonia-free and streakless. Plus the people of Sprayway support breast cancer research with a donation from the sale of every can.”

Abby Miller, a student at the International Academy in Bloomfield Hills, washes windows at her home in Troy. "I swear by Sprayway glass cleaner," she said.

Abby Miller, also of Troy, agreed with Bester. "Sprayway is the absolute best and the only thing we buy for window washing," said  Miller, a sophomore at International Academy in Bloomfield Hills. She often helps with window-cleaning around the house because  the product is "quick and dependable." As for paper towel or newspaper, it's a toss-up in the Miller household. "My dad uses newspaper," said Miller, "and I like paper towel."

Artist Laura Whitesides Host of Birmingham shared that her husband, Brad, learned from a professional window washer that his company, like Fantucci’s, mixes a tiny bit of lemon Joy dish detergent with a lot of water. “My cousin tried that and said it worked like a charm,” Host said.

The front door of the Miller home gets a rub-down with Abby Miller's favorite window cleaning agent, Sprayway. "And I like to use a paper towel," she said.

Second-story challenge: Beyond the challenge of creating or purchasing the perfect solution, it’s also difficult to get to the exterior of second-story windows, homeowners said. That’s where hoses come in extremely handy. Home Depot sells a Windex product for outdoor window cleaning that easily attaches onto a garden hose. Called Windex Outdoor Multi-Surface Concentrated Cleaner, it’s perfect for hard-to-reach windows. “You just screw the bottle onto your hose,” said Bill Young, an assistant store manager at the Commerce Township Home Depot. “The hose’s water spray mixes with the Windex solution and can reach up to second stories. You let the solution settle for a while and then go back later and spray with just water from your hose. It’s a great way to get dirt and grime off your windows.” He said customers like to use it on patio furniture as well.

Young also recommended Unger cleaning products that include squeegees, brushes and more. “Unger products are like those that a professional would use,” Young said. Indoors at his own home, Young prefers using a paper towel or reusable microfiber cloth. “Those types of cloths don’t leave a lint residue,” he said.