Window Cleaning Schedule for Ontario Homes: How Often Is Enough?

Ontario's four distinct seasons bring four distinct types of grime to your windows — road salt in winter, pollen in spring, humidity and insects in summer, and falling leaves in autumn. Most Kitchener-Waterloo homeowners clean their windows far less often than they should, which means they're living with reduced light and accumulating mineral deposits that get harder to remove with every passing month.

Why Ontario Homes Need Regular Window Cleaning

Ontario's climate is uniquely demanding on exterior glass. Winter brings months of road salt spray from passing traffic — even homes set back from the road get salt residue carried on the wind. This salt deposits on glass and, when wet and dry cycles occur, draws moisture and can etch into window surfaces over time. The spring melt doesn't wash this away cleanly; it often just redistributes the grime.

Pollen season in the Waterloo Region typically runs from late April through June, with tree pollens followed by grass pollens coating every outdoor surface with a yellow-green film. Then summer adds a layer of humidity-driven moisture staining, spider webs, and the film that builds up from car exhaust and barbecue smoke. By the time autumn arrives and the leaves start falling, your windows may look like they've never been cleaned.

Beyond aesthetics, dirty windows block meaningful amounts of natural light. Studies in building science consistently show that a film of grime on glass can reduce light transmission by 20 to 40 percent — enough to make rooms noticeably darker and force you to use artificial lighting during daylight hours. For passive solar heating in winter, clean windows genuinely contribute to lower energy bills.

Exterior Window Schedule

For a typical residential home in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, or Guelph, the minimum recommendation for exterior windows is twice per year: once in late spring (after pollen season, typically late May or early June) and once in early fall (September, before the leaves start coming down in earnest).

The spring clean is the most important one. It removes the accumulated damage of the entire winter — road salt residue, hard water deposits from freeze-thaw cycles, and the first wave of spring pollen. Letting this sit through summer allows it to bake onto the glass under intense UV light, making it progressively harder to remove.

The fall clean prepares your windows for the long winter ahead. It removes summer buildup and the sticky residue from leaf tannins, which can stain glass frames. Clean windows heading into winter are also easier to maintain because fresh grime doesn't have old residue to bond to.

Interior Window Schedule

Interior windows accumulate different types of grime than exterior glass. Cooking fumes deposit a fine oily film on kitchen windows that attracts dust and becomes progressively harder to remove. Bathroom windows deal with humidity and water splash. Living room and bedroom windows are affected primarily by dust, skin oils from nearby curtains, and — in homes with pets — nose smears at dog and cat nose height.

For most Ontario homes, cleaning interior windows once per year is the minimum, with twice per year being more ideal. Many homeowners combine their interior window clean with their spring exterior clean, making it a whole-home refresh at the start of the warm season.

Homes with heavy cooking activity (daily frying or use of cooking sprays), multiple indoor pets, or young children who touch the glass frequently will benefit from interior cleaning every three to four months — particularly in main living areas.

Factors That Increase Frequency

Your home's specific situation may push you toward the higher end of the cleaning frequency range. Homes on arterial roads like Weber Street, King Street, or Highway 8 in Cambridge experience constant exhaust and road salt exposure. These properties genuinely need exterior cleaning three to four times per year to keep glass in good condition and prevent staining from becoming permanent.

Mature tree coverage is another frequency driver. Overhanging maples, oaks, and elms drop pollen, sap, tannin-rich rain runoff, bird droppings from perched birds, and seed pods throughout the growing season. If your windows are shaded by large trees, expect to clean them at least three times per year to stay ahead of the buildup.

Active construction nearby — whether a new subdivision, road project, or even renovation on an adjacent property — generates concrete dust, drywall dust, and general construction particulate that coats windows in a gritty grey film within days. During active construction phases, monthly cleaning may be warranted to prevent this abrasive material from etching into glass.

Signs Your Windows Need Cleaning Now

You don't always need to follow a rigid schedule — your windows will often tell you when they need attention. The most obvious sign is a visible haze or film in direct light, particularly when sunlight comes in at a low angle in morning or evening. Streaks visible from both inside and outside are another clear indicator.

White chalky spots or rings — especially on windows near downspouts, hose bibs, or irrigation heads — are mineral deposits and need prompt attention before they etch into the glass. If you can see water droplets leaving outlines rather than sheeting cleanly off the glass, the hydrophobic coating has broken down and the glass surface is attracting and holding contaminants.

From inside, if you notice that rooms seem darker than they used to be, or that you're squinting against glare through windows that used to be comfortable to look through, a film of oxidized grime may be affecting light quality. This is particularly noticeable in home offices and living rooms with southern or western exposure.

Professional vs DIY Schedule

Many homeowners tackle their own ground-floor windows but hire professionals for upper floors, large picture windows, and specialty glass. This is a sensible approach. Ground-floor windows accessible from a step stool are manageable for a careful DIY cleaner. Second-story and above windows introduce ladder risks that make professional service the safer and often more cost-effective choice when you factor in equipment and time.

Professional window cleaning services in the Kitchener-Waterloo area typically cost between $150 and $400 for a full exterior clean on a standard two-storey home, depending on the number and size of windows. For that price, you get proper equipment (including water-fed poles and professional squeegees), correct technique to avoid streaking, and the safety of someone trained to work at height.

Our professional window cleaning service covers the entire Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge-Guelph area. We handle interior and exterior glass, screens, sills, and frames in a single visit. Many of our customers set up seasonal service agreements that lock in their dates and pricing for the year ahead.

"After years of doing my own windows, I realized I was spending the same amount on supplies and equipment as a professional clean costs — and getting worse results. Now we book twice a year and the difference in our home's light and curb appeal is dramatic."

— David, D&D Home Services Co-Founder

D&D Home Services TeamExterior Cleaning Experts

D&D Home Services is Kitchener-Waterloo's trusted exterior cleaning company. We've served hundreds of homeowners across Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, and Guelph.