· Michael Blair
Window cleaning is one of the most common reasons homeowners get on ladders, and ladder falls are among the more frequent causes of serious injury at home. The saving is modest and the downside is not.
Ground level is fine
Single-storey windows reachable from the ground or a low step are straightforward, and an extension pole with a squeegee handles a surprising amount without leaving the ground.
Water-fed pole systems reach second-storey glass from ground level and are what most professionals now use.
Where it gets risky
Second storey on uneven ground, on a slope, or where the ladder has to lean against gutter or siding. Any position where you would need to reach sideways.
The rule is that your belt buckle stays between the ladder rails. Reaching is what causes the fall.
- Extension poles reach more than people think
- Ladder on firm level ground, tied off at the top
- Never lean a ladder on a gutter
- Belt buckle between the rails — move the ladder instead
- Two-storey work is worth handing over
Ladder basics
Firm level footing, the correct angle, extending above the contact point, and tied off where possible. Never against a gutter, which deforms and slips.
Middle Tennessee clay is soft after rain, and a ladder foot sinking on one side is exactly how a fall starts.
The honest calculation
A professional two-storey clean is not expensive relative to a fall. Most people who do it themselves once decide the saving was not the point.
If you do it yourself, do it with someone else present rather than alone.