The 4 Questions I'd Ask Any Window Cleaning Company Before Letting Them Into Your Property

I've been running a window cleaning business in Dubai for a couple of years now. In that time, I've spoken to hundreds of clients, many of whom have had bad experiences with other companies before finding us. Streaky windows. Scratched glass. No-shows. Cleaners who arrived without the right equipment and improvised.

Most of those situations could have been avoided with a few simple questions asked upfront.

So here are the four questions I'd ask any window cleaning company before booking them. They're the same questions I'd want you to ask us. Because if we can't answer them well, we don't deserve your business either.

1. What cleaning method do you use and why?

This is the most important question, and most people never ask it.

There are two main methods used for exterior window cleaning in Dubai. Traditional cleaning uses detergents or soaps, applied with a squeegee or cloth. Pure water cleaning uses water that has been filtered to remove all minerals and impurities, applied through a water-fed pole system with a soft brush.

The difference in results is significant. Detergents leave a residue on the glass. This thin film that dries and attracts dust. In Dubai's climate, where dust is constant, this means your windows look dirty again within days of a traditional clean.

Pure water leaves no residue. The water evaporates completely, taking all the dirt with it. The glass dries naturally, spot-free and streak-free, and stays cleaner for longer.

Ask the company which method they use. If they say detergents, ask why. If they don't know the difference, that tells you something.

We use pure water technology on every job. It's the only method that makes sense in Dubai.

2. Are your staff trained and employed directly by you?

This matters more than most people realise.

Some cleaning companies in Dubai operate as brokers. They take your booking and send a subcontractor or freelancer to your home. The person who shows up may never have been trained by that company, may have no idea of their standards, and has no accountability to them if something goes wrong.

Ask the company: are the people coming to my home your own employees? Have they been trained by you? How long have they worked with you?

A company that employs and trains its own staff will give you a consistent, accountable service. A company that sends whoever is available will not.

At XCLEAN, every technician on our team is directly employed by us, trained by us, and has been vetted before they set foot in a client's property.

3. Are you insured?

Short question. Non-negotiable.

Accidents happen. A water-fed pole slips and cracks a balcony light. A ladder marks a wall. A technician trips and breaks something. These things are rare, but they can happen.

If a company isn't insured, you're the one left to deal with the consequences. Ask them directly: do you have public liability insurance that covers your work in clients' properties?

If they hesitate or can't give you a straight answer, move on.

We carry full public liability insurance on every job.

4. Can I see your Google reviews, and are they recent?

Reviews tell you a lot. But the date of those reviews tells you even more.

A company with 200 reviews from three years ago and nothing recent has either stopped doing good work, stopped caring about their reputation, or both. Look for a company with consistent, recent reviews, ideally within the last few months, that mention specific details about the job.

Generic five-star reviews with no text are easy to game. Specific, detailed reviews from real clients are not.

Also look at how the company responds to negative reviews. Every business gets one occasionally. What matters is whether they acknowledge it honestly and try to resolve it, or ignore it and hope nobody notices.

We currently have over 180 five-star Google reviews and we work hard to earn every one.

You can check them here.

A final thought

None of these questions are difficult to ask. A good company will welcome them because they know their answers hold up.

If a company is evasive, vague, or makes you feel like you're being awkward for asking, that's useful information too.

Dubai has a lot of window cleaning companies. Some are excellent. Some will leave your glass streakier than when they arrived and disappear before you notice. These four questions will help you tell the difference.

And if you'd like to ask us all four, we're on WhatsApp at 0585419850. We'll answer every one of them.