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How to Prepare Your Home for a Window Cleaner’s Visit

In Oxfordshire’s villages, where homes carry age and character, even routine services require a touch more care. Window cleaning is no exception.

While we handle everything on the day with minimal disruption, a little quiet preparation ensures our visit is smooth, safe, and respectful of your space.

1. Unlock Access Points

We always work discreetly, but we do need access.

If there are gates, side paths, or garden doors that are usually kept shut, please unlock them in advance. This is particularly helpful in older properties where access routes may be narrow or indirect.

If you're not in during the visit, just let us know how to access key areas—many of our clients in Great Rollright and Stoke Row leave notes or provide gate codes for the day.

2. Clear Window Sills (Where Possible)

Interior sills don’t need to be pristine, but if we’re cleaning inside your windows (or you’ve requested internal panes), clearing sills of ornaments, frames, or plants makes all the difference.

Village homes often have deep stone sills or narrow ledges—valuable display space, but vulnerable to slips if not cleared first.

If we’re only doing the exterior, this step isn’t needed.

3. Move Vehicles if They Block Access

Cottages with tight driveways or shared lanes can make positioning ladders or pure water systems more difficult if a vehicle is in the way.

We’ll always work around what we find—but if your car is directly under or in front of key windows, moving it for the morning is helpful.

Homes in Ewelme, Sutton Courtenay, and Shipton-under-Wychwood often have narrow lanes or shared drive spaces—our clients there usually leave a note on the car, or shift it briefly before we arrive.

4. Secure Pets Indoors

Many of our clients have dogs that enjoy a garden wander. Others keep chickens, cats, or the occasional curious goat.

To ensure both safety and calm, it’s best to keep pets indoors or in a secure part of the garden during the visit. We’re used to working quietly—but ladders, hoses, and movement can easily spook animals.

If there’s anything unusual we should know—like a back gate that doesn’t latch—just tell us ahead of time.

5. Let Us Know About Any Vulnerable Fixtures

Old trellises near a window. Loose paving by the conservatory. A climbing rose you’d prefer we don’t brush against.

We know what to look for, but every home is different—and every client has their own priorities. If there’s anything delicate, recent, or temperamental near the glass, just let us know.

We often walk the property first with homeowners in places like Long Hanborough or Whitchurch-on-Thames, just to understand what matters most.

Not Required—But Always Appreciated

You don’t need to provide water, cloths, or equipment. We bring everything. We don’t need cups of tea, conversation, or company either (though we’re happy to say hello).

Just a clear path, a secure space, and a little notice if anything's changed.

If it’s your first time booking with us, see What to Expect From Your First Visit With Garden & Glass for a full overview.

Window cleaning in a village home is never just another task. It’s a quiet collaboration between care, respect, and rhythm. A little preparation keeps it exactly that.

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