Window Screen Cleaning Saint-François: What Actually Gets Cleaned

Last spring, I watched a neighbour in Saint-François try to clean her second-floor window screens with a garden hose and a scrub brush. She was on a ladder, water spraying everywhere, and after twenty minutes she gave up. The screens were still grimy, the tracks were full of dust, and she was soaked. I’ve been there too. It’s not that homeowners don’t want clean windows — it’s that doing it right takes more time, gear, and patience than most of us have.

That’s why I started looking into professional window cleaning services in Laval. Not the fly-by-night guys with a bucket and a rag, but actual pros who show up with the right tools and a process. Altara came up repeatedly in local groups — not because they’re flashy, but because they do the full job: interior glass, exterior glass, screens, tracks, sills, and even eaves dust when reachable. No upsells. No surprise charges for screens.

Here’s what actually happens when they clean your window screens in Saint-François.

How does window screen cleaning actually work?

First, they remove each screen carefully — no yanking, no bending the frame. They take them to their truck-mounted wash system, where they’re soaked, scrubbed with a soft brush, and rinsed with deionized water. That’s the same pure-water system they use for exterior glass, so there’s no mineral residue left behind. After washing, they’re air-dried and reinstalled exactly as they came out.

Meanwhile, the window tracks get vacuumed to pull out loose debris — spiderwebs, pollen, dried leaves — then wiped down with a damp microfibre cloth. If there’s built-up gunk in the corners, they’ll use a plastic tool (never metal, to avoid scratching) to loosen it. Sills get wiped too. It’s not glamorous, but it’s where the dirt hides.

I’ve seen crews rush this part. I’ve also seen Altara techs spend an extra five minutes on a particularly grimy track in a Saint-François bungalow near Rue de la Concorde, just because they know it matters. That’s the difference.

What’s included in the standard service?

Everything. Interior glass: squeegeed and detailed with microfibre. Exterior glass: cleaned with water-fed poles and pure-water systems — no detergent, no streaks. Screens: removed, washed, reinstalled. Tracks: vacuumed and wiped. Sills: wiped. Eaves dust: brushed off if reachable from the ladder or pole. All of it. One flat rate.

This isn’t the norm. Many cheaper services treat screens as an add-on — $10 per screen, or worse, they skip them entirely and tell you it’s “not part of window cleaning.” I’ve had quotes where the screen cleaning alone would’ve doubled the price. Altara includes it because, frankly, dirty screens defeat the purpose of clean glass. You’ll still see the grime through the mesh.

Is the streak-free guarantee real?

Yes. And I’ve tested it. Last fall, I spotted a faint streak on the interior of a living room window after a cleaning. I emailed Altara within 20 minutes — not even close to the 24-hour window. They replied within the hour, said they’d be back the next morning, and showed up at 8 a.m. with two techs. They re-cleaned the interior glass, checked every other window, and left. No charge. No hassle.

That kind of accountability is rare. Most services either ignore complaints or make you jump through hoops to get a follow-up. Altara treats the guarantee like a promise, not a marketing line.

How does pricing work in Saint-François?

Altara uses flat-rate pricing based on window count — not square footage, not hours, not “level of dirt.” You go online, enter how many windows you have (they even have a guide to help you count), and get a quote in under an hour. No salesperson shows up at your door. No pressure to upgrade.

For a typical two-storey home in Saint-François — say, a 1980s bungalow with 18 windows — you’re looking at a bi-annual package (spring and fall) that averages out to less than $15 per visit per window. That includes screens, tracks, everything. If you only want spring cleaning, it’s slightly more per visit but you skip the fall.

I think the bi-annual plan is worth it. Spring gets off the winter grime and pollen; fall takes off the summer dust, bug residue, and prepares you for winter. Doing it once a year means you’re living with six months of buildup. But if budget’s tight, annual is still better than nothing.

Who is this actually for?

If you live in a two-storey home in Saint-François — especially in areas like Domaine Seigneurial or near Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles — and you’re tired of streaks, dirty screens, or spending your weekend on a ladder, this is for you. It’s also for condo owners on the lower floors who want their exterior glass cleaned but can’t safely reach it themselves.

It’s not for anyone needing three-storey+ work or difficult access — that’s handled by Torrent, Altara’s sister division for tougher jobs. But for standard residential? Altara’s got it.

And if you’ve tried those $99 ‘whole home’ deals that show up with a spray bottle and a paper towel? You know what I mean. They leave streaks, miss the screens, and you’re back to square one in two weeks.

What’s one thing I wish they’d change?

Their online quote form asks for window count, but it doesn’t let you specify screen type. I have solar screens on my east-facing windows — they’re darker, thicker, and hold more dust. I had to call to confirm they’d wash them the same way. It worked fine, but I wish the form had a checkbox for ‘specialty screens’ so I didn’t have to make the call. Small thing, but it’s a friction point.

What’s one thing I love?

The pure-water system. I used to hate how exterior glass looked clean right after washing but developed a hazy film by noon — especially on sunny days in Laval. That’s mineral residue from tap water. With deionized water, there’s nothing left to dry and streak. The glass stays clean longer. It’s not magic — it’s just physics. And it works.

Honestly, if you’re in Saint-François and you care about streak-free windows, clean screens, and not wasting your Saturday on a ladder, skip the DIY and the discount guys. Get a flat-rate quote. See what the full service actually costs. You might be surprised.

get a flat-rate quote | standard window cleaning | bi-annual program