How to clean a VELUX window
One of the great things about VELUX windows is that they are quite possibly the easiest windows to clean in your entire house. You won’t need a window cleaner with a 50ft water fed pole and fancy Reach & Wash system, or even bother with ladders to climb up the side of your house. All you need is a small step ladder, some basic cleaning supplies, and a bit of elbow grease. That’s because, unlike most other windows, VELUX are design to rotate and flip, meaning you can access the outer pane from inside your house. Here’s how it’s done.
If your beautiful views are being obscured by a grubby or dirty window, then don’t worry – we’ll have it clean in no time with the following guides.
What to use to clean the a VELUX window?
Before we explain how to reach the outer pane, ensure you use the right materials to clean your VELUX windows to ensure a longer-life and no damage.
As guided by VELUX, we recommend using a soft and clean lint-free cloth, chamois leather, or a gentle and non-abrasive sponge. You can also use a (non-metal) window squeegee too. Because VELUX windows use a special Easy-To-Clean technology, you’ll typically find water will be enough to get them clean. However, you can also use some gentle and natural window cleaning fluid for an extra sheen.
In hard water areas, we recommend adding a small amount of detergent to your water. This is because hard water can often leave a bit of chalky residue on the windows.
Important notes for cleaning your windows
Cleaning is very simple, but do be careful! To prolong the life of your window as much as possible, we recommend that you…
- Don’t use damaging or abrasive chemicals for cleaning the window
- Don’t use any cleaning devices that could scratch the pane
- Avoid contact from silicone with the pane
- Remove jewellery and watches – a small slip and you could scratch your window pane.
- Scale up your cleaning fluids – always start with water as it’s the least damaging! With stubborn dirt, if you need to graduate to a window cleaning fluid, use something natural and non-chemical.
Cleaning Centre-Pivot VELUX windows
Cleaning a centre-pivot VELUX window is really easy. That same centre-pivot you use to open the window can be used to tilt the window inwards, allowing you to clean the external pane.
Simply pull down the handle at the top, open the window as normal. At the very top of the window, where the handle is, you’ll notice a barrel bolt on the right-hand side. If you look at the bottom-right area of the frame, you’ll see a hole or ‘bushings’ for the barrel bolt.
Note the small barrel bolt hole in the bottom-right of the frame. You’ll find the respective barrel bolt at the top of the window, so that it can be locked into place.
Now continue to rotate the window sash until the external pane is facing you. You should be able to slide the barrel bolt that you found at the top of your window into the hole that’s in the frame.
From there, the window will be simple to clean. As mentioned, the window pane uses an Easy-To-Clean technology developed by VELUX, meaning the cleaning process is quick and easy.
Once the window is clean, simply slide the barrel bolt back, and swivel the window sash back into place.
Cleaning a top-hung VELUX window
Cleaning a top-hung VELUX window is only slightly more complicated. It mostly works the same was as a centre-pivot, but first you have to put the window into a centre-pivot orientation.
This might come as news to you, but in just a few seconds you can change the way your top-hung VELUX opens and closes, turning it into a centre-pivot window. Please note that it’s not designed to use this regularly – only for cleaning and maintenance.
You’ll find a bar at the top of your top-hung VELUX window, allowing you to shift it into centre-pivot temporarily.
Simply release the bottom handle so that it’s in the open position, but don’t open the window itself. Now look to the top of the window – grab the bar and pull it down. It should unlock, at which point you can pull down on the bar further and the window should begin pivoting.
As with above, you’ll notice that there is a barrel bolt on the top-right of the window, and its respective hole in the bottom-right of the frame in the roof.
Continue to pivot the window so that the external pane is facing you. Just as with the centre-pivot window, get it into a position where you can slide the barrel bolt into the hole to secure the window in place.
Now you can clean the window easily. These windows will also use Easy-To-Clean technology, making the process quick and simple.
When the window is clean, you can unslide the barrel bolt, and pivot the window back into place. Be sure to close the top handle too before operating the window as normal again.
Enjoy the view!
That’s it – simple, eh? As mentioned, a big benefit to VELUX is how easy they are to clean. We recommend cleaning it a few times a year – not only does it keep the window in the best condition, but you’ll also get the most of the views and sunlight pouring into your home.