Everybody can appreciate the appearance of sparkling-clean windows. Conscientious homeowners and savvy business people invest in window cleaning because they know how important it is, and that neglect only makes matters worse!
It can surprise some people to learn just how important window cleaning is. Window cleaning helps you boost the curb appeal of your home or business, and keeps your windows working their best for longer; neglecting to clean your windows lets bugs, grime, sap, and hard water stains build up, marring the look of your property and even costing you money by reducing your window’s efficiency.
Keeping your windows clean is easier said than done, though. Not only is the job labor-intensive, time-consuming, and dependent on squeegee skills, but windows cleaning efforts have to fight against constant elemental assaults! Snow, heavy winds, and rain can all mark up your windows with hard water stains. You can spend hours cleaning your windows, only to have hard water stains build up the very next day. Even if the weather holds out, there are some common pieces of equipment fond around the home that can leave hard water stains.
So what are hard water stains, and how do we keep them from ruining our window cleaning efforts and investments?
The realities of hard water stains
“Hard” water is water that has a significant amount of dissolved minerals in it. Examples of the minerals you might find in water include calcium and silica. Hard water stains occur when mineral-rich water dries on your windows; the H20 evaporates, but the minerals get left behind. It looks ugly, and cloudy, distorts sunlight trying to warm and illuminate your home, and obstructs your view.
Over time, hard water stains can actually become part of the glass window pane itself as a chemical reaction occurs. Eventually, calling hard water stains “stains” is a misnomer; it is more accurately compared to the sun damage you see on old cars. Once it has occurred, hard water damage can’t be reversed, just as a sun-damaged car won’t look brand-new after a car wash. To reverse hard water damage, you need professional window cleaning services like Window Genie; you need people with the equipment, expertise, and restoration techniques that are strong enough to crack down on hard water window damage.
Two common household causes of hard water damage to avoid:
The two biggest culprits of hard water damage also happen to be extremely common household items. Much of the tap water in America is considered “hard” water, which makes sprinklers and pool equipment some of the biggest contributors to hard water damage problems in the United States. Window cleaning efforts need to be complemented by good window-keeping habits, and in this case, this means you should point these hard-water shooters well away from any windows.
How do I get rid of existing hard water stains?
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as they say. Regular window cleaning with the Window Genie team will keep your home or business looking great, and protect your window panes from any unwanted hard water damage. Window Genie’s 3-step cleaning process ensures your windows are clean so that hard water mineral deposits are never allowed to take hold. We offer bundled plans so that the more you use our window cleaning service, the more affordable they get; our two most popular plans are the bi-annual interior and exterior window cleaning and the quarterly window cleaning program.
Of course, if you have neglected your window cleaning duties for a considerable amount of time, then you may need a more heavy-duty restoration to restore the sparkle that you’ve lost. Don’t worry; our Window Genie window cleaning technicians are always up to the task. Simply call us and have all of your hard water window cleaning wishes granted!
