Our two technicians, Vitalii and Alex, arrived at this Etobicoke house expecting ordinary windows. They turned out to be storm windows, and in our crew's words, windows like these have to be taken apart to be cleaned.
Storm window cleaning in Etobicoke: a $350 job
Quick answer: In September 2026 DT Cleaning washed the windows of a brick house in Etobicoke, inside and outside, for $350. Two technicians, Vitalii and Alex, did the work in about 3.5 hours. The windows were storm windows, each one fastened with 8 screws, and the client says the windows are about 110 years old.
What are storm windows, and why do they have to come off?
Quick answer: A storm window is a second window, usually a framed panel of glass, mounted over the main window. On this Etobicoke house each storm window was screwed in place with 8 screws, so the glass behind it could only be washed once the panel was off. Our crew says windows like these have to be taken apart to be cleaned.
Natural Resources Canada describes them in its guide to upgrading windows: "Exterior storm windows were once very common and continue to serve a useful role in many applications."
Eight screws per storm window, and the screws are old
Quick answer: Each storm window on this Etobicoke house was fastened with 8 screws. Our crew says the screws are usually old and very easy to strip when they are taken out with a drill. Some on this job could not be unscrewed at all, so the crew drilled them out, cut a new thread and put in new screws.
"Every window is fastened with eight screws. The screws are usually old, and it is very easy to strip them. When you start taking the screws out with a drill, you can easily shear the thread off."
DT Cleaning technician, Etobicoke, September 2026 (translated from the crew's voice note)
A stripped screw matters because the screw is what holds the glass in its frame: until it is out, the panel cannot be pulled off. Where a screw was worn smooth and the drill could not turn it, the crew drilled the old screw out, cut a new thread and fitted a new screw. They replaced some of the old screws with new ones, so that the panels come off more easily next time.
How do you clean storm windows? The two-person sequence
Quick answer: On this Etobicoke job one technician took out the 8 screws of each storm panel with a drill while the second washed the panel that came off. The first then washed the inner window. The panel went back in its place and was screwed in carefully, because over-tightening can crack the glass.
- Unscrew. One technician takes the storm panel off with a drill and keeps all the screws together.
- Wash the panel. The second technician washes the panel that came off.
- Wash the inner window. The technician who took the panel off washes the inner window while the second finishes the panel.
- Put the panel back. The panel goes back where the glass was.
- Tighten with care. The screws go back in carefully: our crew says an over-tightened panel can crack its glass.
Our crew also notes that two panels come off from the outside and one from the inside, and that the panels themselves break very easily and have to be handled with the greatest care. And if a streak shows once a panel is back up, there is no shortcut: the panel comes off again, goes back down and is washed again.
Storm windows on the second floor
Quick answer: Our crew says this work is quite dangerous because there are storm windows on the second floor. The technician climbs the ladder, takes out the 8 screws with a drill and brings the panel down. After washing, he carries the panel, the drill and its bits back up and sets the panel back into its grooves.
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety notes in its portable ladder safety information that falls from portable ladders are a major source of serious injury. Our crews are Working at Heights certified; Ontario's working at heights training page explains that workers on construction projects who use fall protection devices must take the training. We would not suggest taking second-floor storm panels off from a ladder yourself.
How long does storm window cleaning take?
Quick answer: About 3.5 hours on this Etobicoke house, for two technicians. Our crew says there were not very many windows, and that a house like this with ordinary windows takes 30 to 40 minutes at most. The difference is the storm panels: taking them apart, washing both layers of glass and screwing them back, plus the stripped screws that had to be drilled out and replaced.
How much does storm window cleaning cost in Toronto?
Quick answer: $350 on this Etobicoke house in September 2026, for window cleaning inside and outside with the storm panels taken off and put back. On an earlier DT job, a downtown Toronto rental with 25 wood-framed storm windows, the storm window line was $50 per opening, $1,250 in all. These are two documented jobs, not a rate card.
| Job | Scope | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Etobicoke brick house, September 2026 | Window cleaning inside and outside; storm panels unscrewed, washed and put back; number of windows not recorded | $350 |
| Downtown Toronto rental, earlier case study | 25 wood-framed storm windows taken out, cleaned inside and outside, put back | $50 per opening, $1,250 |
| Job record | Detail |
|---|---|
| Place | Etobicoke, Toronto |
| Month | September 2026 |
| Crew | 2 technicians, Vitalii and Alex |
| Time on the windows | About 3.5 hours |
| Fastening | 8 screws per storm window |
| Age of the windows | About 110 years, in the client's words |
| Number of windows | Not recorded; our crew says not very many |
Our crew arrived expecting ordinary windows, and the voice note gives one price for the job; it does not say whether the $350 was set before or after the storm windows were found. In our crew's words, windows like these are expensive to clean because they take a lot of time, need a drill, and are dangerous on the second floor. Prices for ordinary windows by house type are on our window cleaning prices page, and the service itself is on our window cleaning in Toronto page. The rental job with 25 storm windows is part of our downtown Toronto rental case study.
Why old windows keep their storm windows
Quick answer: The client on this Etobicoke job says her windows are about 110 years old. Natural Resources Canada says storm windows or double-glazed sealed units cut the heat loss of single-glazed windows by almost half. The U.S. National Park Service advises looking at exterior storm windows whenever feasible, because they allow original windows to be kept.
Natural Resources Canada puts the number plainly: "Storm windows or double-glazed sealed units will reduce the heat loss by almost half." The National Park Service's Preservation Brief 9 on historic wooden windows says: "The use of exterior storm windows should be investigated whenever feasible because they are thermally efficient, cost-effective, reversible, and allow the retention of original windows".
Storm window cleaning across Etobicoke and the GTA
Quick answer: DT Cleaning cleans windows, storm windows included, in Etobicoke and across the GTA with 2 crews from 7 Inverleigh Dr in Etobicoke. The company has 500+ five-star Google reviews, $2M CGL insurance and WSIB, and is Working at Heights certified.
For a quote on your house, see our window cleaning in Etobicoke page and our Etobicoke service area page. We work in these areas:
Storm window cleaning in Toronto: common questions
How do you clean a storm window?
On this Etobicoke job the storm panel was unscrewed with a drill and taken off, the panel and the inner window were both washed, and the panel was put back and screwed in carefully.
How much does storm window cleaning cost in Toronto?
On this Etobicoke house it was $350 in September 2026, inside and outside. On an earlier downtown Toronto rental with 25 wood-framed storm windows it was $50 per opening, $1,250 in all.
How long does it take to clean storm windows?
About 3.5 hours on this Etobicoke house for two technicians. Our crew says a house like this with ordinary windows takes 30 to 40 minutes at most.
Why does storm window cleaning cost more than regular window cleaning?
In our crew's words, these windows take a lot of time, need a drill, and are dangerous on the second floor. Every panel has to be unscrewed, washed and screwed back.
Can storm windows be cleaned without removing them?
Not on this house. Each storm window was screwed in place with 8 screws, and our crew says windows like these have to be taken apart to be cleaned.
What happens if a storm window screw is stripped?
On this job the crew drilled the old screw out, cut a new thread and put in a new screw.
Can the glass crack when a storm window is put back?
Yes. Our crew says a panel that is over-tightened, or set in the wrong way and then tightened, can crack its glass, so the screws go back in carefully.
How are storm windows on the second floor cleaned?
Our crew describes that work in the voice note and calls it quite dangerous: the technician unscrews the panel from a ladder, brings it down to wash it, and carries it back up to set it in its grooves.
Was the inside of the windows cleaned too?
Yes. The $350 on this job covered window cleaning inside and outside.
How old were the windows on this house?
About 110 years, in the client's words.
Do you clean storm windows in Etobicoke?
Yes. This job was in Etobicoke. DT Cleaning works across the GTA with 2 crews, from 7 Inverleigh Dr in Etobicoke.
Is your crew insured and certified?
Yes. DT Cleaning carries $2M CGL insurance and WSIB coverage, our crews are Working at Heights certified, and we have 500+ five-star Google reviews.
Related window cleaning case studies
Old storm windows that have not come off in years?
On this Etobicoke job our crew unscrewed the storm panels, washed both layers of glass and put the panels back, replacing the screws that were stripped. Call for a quote on yours.
