It is standard that most homes is Morris and Somerset County New Jersey have a screens on the exterior of their windows.  These screens are wonderful and add a number of benefits to any homeowner’s dwelling.  They allow one to open the windows without the fear of bugs or birds entering the home, they help cut down harmful rays from the sun that can damage and fade one’s furniture and floors and possibly most importantly, statistics show that homes that have screens covering their windows are less likely to fall prey to break-ins.  

 

Now, with any positive often comes the negative and screens have two to consider.  First, exterior and even interior screens get just as dirty as your windows.  They are exposed to the elements in the same way and though often hard to tell are typically just as if not more dirty than your windows.  This causes two problems.  One, if a homeowner cleans their windows but not their screens, the dirty screens will detract from the overall enhancement that the clean windows are providing one’s home.  Two, when rain hits those dirty screens it is going to splash that dirt right back onto your window reducing how long your windows stay clean.  

 

 

 

 

Although the above are important points to consider, what is most important to know about screens is that the majority of them are made out of metal and that can cause major potential issues for your windows.  Like any metal that is exposed to the elements, most screens rust.  This is often why most homeowner’s screens look discolored and faded.  This rusting usually starts to take place somewhere around year seven of a screen’s life in the elements. Now where this becomes important is that this rust will get on your windows and can cause a nasty stain called an oxidation stain.  These oxidation stains are unfamiliar to most homeowners but if you have ever tried to clean any exterior windows that have been covered in a metal screen and there is a coating of dirt or a layer that will not move off of your window's surface, and your windows still look filthy when you are done, you have an oxidation stain.  These stains range in all levels of severity and until somewhat recently if a homeowner had one on their glass, they would have to consider replacing all the windows in their home if they ever wanted to have perfectly cleaned or clear windows again.  

 

 

 

 

If you do have this form of stain on your windows today, do not fret. I Do Windows can take care of it and in most cases have your glass looking clearer and cleaner then when it came new out of the box.  Full disclosure, this stain removal process can be costly to correct but is a mere fraction of the cost of window replacement.  Typically, we can clear an entire home of its oxidation stain problem for less that a third of the cost of replacing one single window.  Where this comes into play with screens is that if one cleans their screens regularly, they will be helping to remove that broken down rust and reduce the possibility of getting a nasty oxidation stain or significantly limit the level the stain can worsen if one is already there.

 

 

 

 

An additional point to consider is that the standard way that most window cleaning companies will clean a homeowner’s screen is by simply brushing it down with the same solution and cleaning sleeve they use to clean the windows.  They will then wipe off any excess water and dirt around the frame with a towel or cloth.  We understand what you are probably thinking right now and you are correct, that method does not seem to make much sense and you are correct, it simply is not effective.  Glass cleaner is for glass not screens and a sleeve does not properly penetrate a screen's cross grids or break up and remove the dirt in its entirety.  Furthermore, why would anyone then put that dirty sleeve back on a window to try and clean it?  Why would that technique of cleaning be the industry standard?  The simple answer to that question is that the described method above is fast and cheap and will ensure that the job is done to "The Industry Standard," but your windows will never be professionally cleaned and get dirty faster so that that company can come back again sooner to perform their service again.

 

 

 

 

When it comes to screen cleaning I Do Windows takes a few different approaches to cleaning them than the competition.  First, we need to know the manufacturer and the materials that they are made from.  This will help us determine which process we use while cleaning them.  All screens are firsts hosed down with water to loosen the dirt on them and provide a wet surface to agitate the cleaners.  We then use a two-soap process that effectively removes the most dirt and debris possible from your screens.  All screens are then run through our screen washer or scrubbed by hand with our abrasive pads and brushes.  Once this has been completed, all screens are either run through the screen washer again or hosed off and allowed to dry.  If any dirt or mold remains, we wipe it away, ensure all screens are thoroughly dry and then install them back in their proper windows.  When it comes to screen cleaning, let I Do Windows make sure that it is done properly so that one’s home shows its full beauty and that its cleaning lasts as long as possible.