Cleaning Windows in the Rain

By Pure4clean, 19 October 2026

Living in Yorkshire, we get asked this one a lot: “Is there any point cleaning my windows when it's raining?” It's a fair question. The short answer is yes. With a pure water system, a bit of rain doesn't spoil the clean, and it's why we can keep your round going through most British weather. Here's how it works, and when we do stop. In short, we'll happily clean in normal rain showers, but we won't come out in torrential rain with high winds.

What is pure water window cleaning?

Instead of a bucket, soap and a squeegee, we use a long, lightweight pole with a soft brush on the end. Purified water runs up the pole and out of little jets in the brush. We scrub the glass and frames, then rinse everything off with more pure water, all while standing safely on the ground.

The water is the clever part. Ordinary tap water carries dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium. When tap water dries on glass, the minerals stay behind, and that's what leaves white spots. A pure water system filters those minerals out until there's next to nothing left. Because there's nothing in the water, there's nothing to leave behind, so the glass simply dries clear, with no soap and no smears.

Why rain doesn't ruin a pure water clean

Most people think the spots they see after a shower are rain marks. In fact, rainwater is naturally quite soft. The marks usually come from rain landing on glass that's already dirty, or picking up dust and traffic film, then drying in blotches. When we clean with pure water, we take all of that dirt away and leave no soap behind, so rain on a freshly cleaned window usually just runs off and dries clear. Light rain can even help, keeping the glass wet while we work.

When rain can cause problems

In heavy rain, water can wash dirt off roofs, blocked gutters and brickwork onto clean glass. If your gutters are overflowing, we can help with gutter cleaning. Now and again, rain carries fine dust that can mark any window. And in a real downpour it's hard to see the glass properly, so we'd rather come back and do the job right. If the weather is going to stop us doing a proper job, we'll let you know and rearrange.

Safety comes first

We work from the ground, so there's no climbing ladders on wet rungs. Even so, we always stop in thunder and lightning, in strong winds where we can't fully control the pole, and on frosty or icy days. We always look up before raising a pole, keep well clear of overhead power lines, and treat every wire as live.

Keeping your round on track

If window cleaners stopped every time it drizzled, your windows might go weeks without a clean. Because pure water works well in normal showers, we can stick to your 4 weekly or 8 weekly schedule through most of the year. If storms, high winds or ice stop us, we'll move you to the next suitable day.