When is the best time to have my windows cleaned?

Spring is finally here and our busy season is underway! The most common question we receive is “When is the best time to have my windows cleaned?”, so here is some information to help you make that decision. 

Living in the mountains brings many different weather patterns that affect how long windows will stay clean. Of course there are other factors that affect it as well such as living close to a dirt road, how exposed your house is to the elements such as wind and dirt, if there are trees close to the house and what kind of trees they are, if your house has large overhangs that protect the windows from the elements, and if your gutters are clean or overflowing with debris. Dirt, debris and hard water mineral deposits are usually what gets windows dirty in our area. All of these factors and the weather affects how long you can expect your windows to stay clean. 

The saying that spring showers bring May flowers can more likely mean snow showers here and lots of it! So what about snow, does snow get the windows dirty? Not usually. Typically in the winter months, your inside windows are dirtier than the outsides from forced air furnaces, wood stoves, and humidifiers. Rain is common from April to Nov with warmer temperatures, but our real rain season is during the summer when we get monsoons. 

Many people who have lived here a while remember that the pollen flies every June and is sometimes so significant that their windows are covered in the fine yellow dust that sticks to everything. This one particular event makes July our busiest month of the year. Is that the only time the pollen flies? No, it’s not, but the ponderosa pollen in May/June is the one that everyone remembers. 

But is July the best month to have your windows cleaned? It depends. The monsoon season follows pollen season. When it rains, does the rain usually hit your windows? If it does, then your window cleaning probably won’t last very long. A nice clean rain won’t spot the windows, but a mud rain will, or a rain with wind that hits the trees and then your house. However, the lowest wind speeds are during the summer months with higher winds in the spring, winter, and fall. 

Our customers who have their windows cleaned twice a year normally go with a spring and fall schedule which keeps the windows clean for most months of the year. 

In Evergreen, every month has a reason to clean or not to clean your windows. There isn’t a quick easy answer for everyone. We often have customers who want us to make the choice for them, but there are so many factors that are unknowns. Without living in your house, we don’t know which season will affect your particular situation the most. So we hope this summary can help you make the right decision for your house. 

Most glass manufacturers and window companies recommend cleaning your windows at least twice a year to extend the life of your windows and for general maintenance. Some require regular cleanings for the warranty to remain in place. 

Here are the specifics if you are interested in weather details:
The windier part of the year lasts for 5.7 months, from November 8 to April 29, with average wind speeds of more than 7.6 miles per hour. The windiest day of the year is January 16, with an average hourly wind speed of 9.6 miles per hour.
The calmer time of year lasts for 6.3 months, from April 29 to November 8. The calmest day of the year is August 10, with an average hourly wind speed of 5.7 miles per hour.
The wetter season lasts 5.2 months, from April 2 to September 7, with a greater than 19% chance of a given day being a wet day. The chance of a wet day peaks at 32% on July 22.
The drier season lasts 6.8 months, from September 7 to April 2. The smallest chance of a wet day is 6% on December 17.
Rain alone is the most common for 7.2 months, from April 2 to November 6. The highest chance of a day with rain alone is 32% on July 22.
Snow alone is the most common for 4.8 months, from November 6 to April 2. The highest chance of a day with snow alone is 7% on April 1.
Weather data comes from NASA’s MERRA-2 Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for 1980-2016.