How do you clean window grilles?

How to clean window grilles and tracks

Work from inside the flat, remove dry dust before you use water, and never reach further than you can with both feet on the floor. You need only a vacuum with a narrow nozzle, mild soapy water, a few clean cloths and an old toothbrush.

These steps are practical advice, not an agency rule.

1. Clear the area. Close every window you are not cleaning and move pots and loose items off the sill and any ledge you can reach from inside. Open the window you are working on only as far as you need.
2. Vacuum the track. Run a narrow nozzle along the track to lift dust, sand and dead insects. Doing this dry stops dust turning into mud.
3. Wipe the grille bars. Wipe each bar from its upper end downwards with a cloth dipped in mild soapy water and wrung out well. Dirt then falls onto parts you have not cleaned yet.
4. Scrub corners and slots. Use an old toothbrush on the track corners and drainage slots, where grime packs in. Loosen it, then wipe or vacuum it out.
5. Rinse and dry. Go over the bars and track with a cloth dipped in clean water, then dry everything with a fresh cloth.
6. Stay within reach. Clean only as far as you can reach with both feet on the floor. If a section is out of reach, leave it.

Regular window track cleaning also makes problems such as loose screws, cracked parts or missing pieces easier to spot. Do one window at a time, so only one is ever open while you work.

Safety first in a high-rise flat

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) says windows deteriorate with wear and tear from wind and rain, and it gives homeowners three steps: check, clean, change. If you are not confident checking your own windows, BCA advises engaging an approved window contractor to inspect them. See BCA's window safety page.

To clean windows safely in an HDB flat, treat the open window as the main risk. As practical advice:

• Never lean out, sit on the sill or stand on a ledge, chair or stool to reach further.
• Keep children away from any open window, and close it as soon as you finish.
• Keep tools indoors when you are not using them, or tie them to a tether so nothing can drop.
• Do not hang cloths, sponges or buckets on the grille or rest them on an outside ledge.

For a closer look at the condition of the window itself, read the guide on window safety inspection.

Check the window while you clean

Cleaning is a good time to look at the frame, hinges and stays. HDB asks you to check your windows once every 6 months to make sure they work smoothly and have no loose or worn-out parts, because windows that deteriorate can fall and cause serious injury to passers-by. HDB also notes there are penalties for home owners if a window falls through lack of maintenance. See HDB's home care guide for windows.

If a window is in danger of falling, HDB says to take precautions to secure it and engage a BCA-approved window contractor listed with HDB to replace or repair it. On retrofitting, BCA explains that approved window contractors replace all aluminium rivets at the casement window stays with type 304 stainless steel rivets.

As you wipe a casement window, look at the stays (the arms that hold it open) and their rivets. If anything looks loose, worn or missing, stop using that window until it has been checked. When you compare companies on the door and window repair page, ask whether the work on your window needs an approved window contractor.

Grille rules

HDB's renovation guidelines for window works say that as a flat owner or occupant, you are responsible for the upkeep of the windows in your flat. They also cover grille permits. Internal metal grilles of any design at windows and the balcony parapet need no permit. For flats handed over before mid-2007, grilles must be fixed internally and cannot protrude from the building facade. For flats handed over from mid-2007 onwards, grilles at the service yard or balcony parapet need a permit and must be of HDB-approved designs, which are shown in the renovation factsheet or on MyHDBPage.

If you are deciding between invisible or traditional grilles, the comparison sets out how the two differ. For other common questions about windows, see the windows and doors FAQ.

Make it part of a bigger clean

If you are cleaning the whole home, do the grilles and tracks before the floors. Dust and drips from the bars then fall onto a floor you have not washed yet, so you only need to wash it once. In each room, work from high to low: grilles and windows first, then shelves and furniture, then the floor.

To plan the rest of the job, use the spring cleaning checklist.

Questions