Roughly one in three UK homes is a flat, and a good chunk of those are on the 4th floor or above. Which means a lot of people are looking at the outside of their windows through layers of rain spots, pollen, and city dust — with no safe way to clean them.
Hiring a professional window cleaner for a flat costs £30–80 per visit and they need to schedule abseilers. So most people just live with dirty windows. Here's how to get them sparkling clean yourself, from indoors, with no risk to life or limb.
The problem with the usual methods
If you've tried any of these, you'll know they don't really work:
- Long-handled squeegees are unwieldy past a 1.5m arm reach, and you can't see what you're missing.
- Leaning out the window is what UK Health and Safety statistics quietly call "falls from height in a domestic setting" — still the second-highest cause of accidental home injury for adults.
- Ignoring it works until you have guests, then suddenly the rain-spotted window is all you can see.
The magnetic method
Magnetic window cleaners use two cleaning pads stuck together through the glass by powerful neodymium magnets. You hold one pad on the inside, and the other pad sits on the outside, locked to yours by magnetic force. Wipe the inside — the outside gets wiped in the exact same motion.
Done properly, you get streak-free glass on both sides in about 90 seconds per window. From your living room. Wearing slippers.
How to use one (the right way)
- Open the window first and clip the safety tether to the outside pad. This is non-negotiable — the tether catches the outside pad if it slips off when you're working near the edges.
- Spray both pads with a glass cleaner or just warm water and a drop of washing-up liquid.
- Place the outside pad first, hanging it from the tether so you don't drop it. Reach round and stick it to the outside of the glass.
- Bring the inside pad close to the glass on your side until the magnets snap together.
- Close the window. Now you're working entirely indoors.
- Wipe in long S-shapes, top to bottom. The inside pad cleans your side, the outside pad mirrors the motion on the other side.
- Finish with a dry microfibre on your side to remove any final streaks.
What glass thickness can it handle?
Standard UK double-glazing is 4mm + air gap + 4mm = 24mm total. A good magnetic cleaner can pull through anywhere from 5mm to 24mm. If you live in a Victorian flat with single-pane glass, even better — the magnets are far stronger.
The mistakes to avoid
- Don't skip the safety tether. The number-one cause of dropped outside pads is the homeowner thinking "I'll just be quick". Wind gusts and an unexpected snag can pop the pads apart in a split second.
- Don't separate the pads at the window edges. Always keep them firmly together until you've finished and brought the outside pad back to the opening.
- Don't use abrasive cloths. The pads come with microfibre faces specifically because they don't scratch glass.
The SwiftFix tool for this
Our Magnetic Double-Sided Window Cleaner works on glass between 5mm and 24mm (covers most UK double-glazing) and ships with a safety tether plus replacement microfibre pads.
See the SwiftFix Magnetic Window Cleaner →
FAQs
Does it work on tinted or laminated glass?
Yes — the magnetic field passes through the glass regardless of any UV tint or laminate.
What about Velux skylights?
Yes, if the skylight glass is in range (most are 4–6mm). Open the skylight, follow the same method as a regular window.
What if I'm on the ground floor?
You don't need this — a regular rubber squeegee will do the job faster and cheaper. Magnetic cleaners are specifically for windows you can't safely reach the outside of.
UK delivery, 14-day returns. Email swiftfixstore@gmail.com any time — real reply within one working day.