Why Clean Windows This Season?
Fall in the Shuswap brings a specific and underappreciated threat to windows: leaf tannins. As deciduous trees — birch, cottonwood, maple, and the ornamental cherries common in Salmon Arm residential neighbourhoods — drop their leaves, tannin-rich decomposing matter contacts wet glass during morning dew and rain events. Tannins are acidic and leave a brownish, difficult-to-remove film that bonds to glass over the winter months. A fall clean before leaf-fall peaks (typically mid-October in Salmon Arm, slightly later in lower Blind Bay) removes the summer residue and prevents tannins from adhering to dirty glass. Fall is also when the Shuswap's birch-heavy properties shed significant debris into gutters, making the window-and-gutter bundle our most requested fall package. Gutters need to be cleared before the first significant snowfall — clogged gutters in the Shuswap's wet-snow November and December events lead to ice dam formation, which backs water under rooflines. The Shuswap's elevation means hard frost arrives earlier than many homeowners expect: Salmon Arm regularly records first hard frost in early to mid-October, and Sicamous and Chase can see it even earlier. Wet window cleaning below freezing is neither safe nor effective, so the practical fall clean window runs from Labour Day through mid-October.
What We Do This Season
- Full exterior window scrub targeting summer film, early tannin deposits, and post-harvest dust from surrounding agricultural areas
- Gutter cleaning — cleared, flushed, and downspouts confirmed flowing before freeze-up
- Screen removal and storage prep — screens left through winter are damaged by ice and freeze-thaw cycling
- Final interior clean option for homeowners who want a completely fresh start before spending more time indoors over winter
Pricing
Fall window cleans from $169 exterior-only residential. Gutter cleaning from $189 (assessed on-site). Bundle a window clean with gutter service and ask about combined scheduling on the same visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I get windows cleaned before or after the leaves fall?
Before is better for the glass, but timing is tight. If you clean before peak leaf-fall (late September for most of Salmon Arm), your glass is clear before tannins start depositing. If you clean during or just after leaf-fall, you catch everything in one pass but should also do gutters. We typically recommend booking mid-October for a combined window and gutter service that closes the season in a single visit.
What's the latest date you can do exterior window cleaning before winter?
We work as long as overnight temperatures stay reliably above zero — typically through mid to late October in Salmon Arm, slightly earlier in higher-elevation communities. We monitor forecasts closely in October and will flag if a booking is cutting close to the freeze window. If a frost event is forecast within 24 hours of your clean, we'll proactively reschedule rather than risk a compromised result.
Why bundle gutter cleaning with window cleaning in fall?
Efficiency, mostly. We're already on-site with ladders and equipment for the windows. Adding gutter cleaning in the same visit saves you a separate booking and typically means faster scheduling. Fall is our highest-demand period for gutter work because Shuswap gutters fill fast with birch, cottonwood, and conifer needles through September and October. Bundling ensures both are done before the first snow event.
Do you remove and store screens as part of a fall service?
We can clean and remove screens during a fall visit — this is a good practice for the Shuswap winter because freeze-thaw cycling stresses screen frames and spline seals. Screens left in through winter often arrive at spring with bent frames and degraded mesh. We remove, clean, and stack screens for you to store in a garage or shed. This is an add-on; mention it when booking.
Book Your Fall Clean
Serving the Shuswap region from Salmon Arm. Book online or call us.