Not all window cleaning quotes include the same things. Here's what to ask before you book anyone — from insurance to what "clean" actually means.

There's a layer of dust in most homes and buildings that never gets touched by a regular cleaning. It lives up high — on ceiling fans, exposed beams, pot lights, vent covers, and light fixtures. It doesn't fall, it just builds. High dusting is the service that deals with it properly.

After a Southern Ontario winter, your home's exterior has been through a lot. Road salt dust, freeze-thaw cycles, months of trapped moisture — and now that spring is here, all of it is coming out of hiding. Algae starts blooming on north-facing walls. Black streaks reappear on the soffits. The siding that looked fine under snow suddenly looks like it hasn't been touched in years. This is the best time of year to soft wash your home or business. This is why they call it spring cleaning! What...