Reference · Bend, Oregon
Window Cleaning Glossary: Terms Bend Homeowners Should Know
From argon fill to weep holes, window cleaning and glass repair have a vocabulary that shows up on quotes, inspection reports, and glass-shop invoices. This glossary covers every term you are likely to hear from a cleaner, a contractor, or a glass shop in Central Oregon — with the Bend-specific context where it matters. Just moved in? Start with the new homeowner window checklist.
✓ Every term on our quotes explained
✓ Glass-shop terms included
✓ Bend context where it matters
✓ Linked to the full guides
How to use this page
Why the vocabulary matters before you get a quote
A window cleaning quote in Bend can include terms like restoration, patch test, WFP, DI rinse, and seal check. An inspection report adds IGU, spacer bar, and Low-E. A glass shop invoice adds argon fill and tempered. None of these are hard, but a homeowner who does not know them cannot compare two quotes or evaluate a report. This page is the reference.
Terms are grouped three ways: cleaning tools and methods, glass and window construction, and damage types. The most important distinction for Bend homeowners is between surface damage that cleaning fixes and seal damage that it cannot — the failed seals guide covers that in depth.
Where a term has a full guide on this site, it is linked. Where Bend conditions change what the term means in practice — hard water, high UV, freeze-thaw — that context is included with the definition.
Cleaning tools
Six tools and methods that appear on every quote
What each one is, what it does, and when we use it on a Bend home.
Squeegee
A rubber blade in a brass or stainless channel, pulled across wet glass to remove water and suspended dirt in one stroke. The primary hand tool. Sizes: 6-inch for divided-light panes, 10 to 12-inch for standard residential, 18-inch and up for storefront.
Strip washer (T-bar)
A T-shaped handle with a microfiber or lambswool sleeve. Floods the glass with soapy water and lifts grit into suspension before the squeegee touches the surface. In Bend this step is what prevents volcanic grit from scratching.
Water-fed pole (WFP)
A telescoping pole that pumps purified water to a soft brush head. Cleans exterior glass from the ground up to 30 to 50 feet with no ladder. Dries spot-free because the water has no dissolved solids. Cannot be used indoors and cannot lift bonded mineral.
Deionized / purified (DI) water
Water filtered to 0 parts per million dissolved solids. Leaves nothing behind when it dries. Used as the final rinse on pole work and on solar panels where a squeegee cannot follow. Bend tap water is soft but still leaves faint spots without it.
Restoration
Removal of bonded mineral deposits from glass using a buffered compound and a polishing pad, applied by hand. Different from cleaning — cleaning removes surface dirt, restoration removes deposits that have bonded to the surface. Always preceded by a patch test.
Patch test
Applying restoration compound to a single pane or section before quoting the full job. If the deposit lifts, restoration is quoted per pane. If it does not lift, the mineral has etched and restoration cannot help — you are told before paying.
Glass construction
Four terms that show up on inspection reports and glass-shop invoices
Knowing these lets you read a seal report and compare a replacement quote.
IGU — insulated glass unit
The sealed assembly of two or three glass panes with a gas-filled gap between them. The IGU is the replaceable component when a seal fails — the frame, sash, and hardware stay. In Bend, IGUs last 15 to 25 years, less on sun-exposed elevations. Failed seals explained →
Low-E coating
A microscopically thin metallic oxide layer on an inner glass surface that reflects infrared heat. Present on most Bend homes built after 2005. Identified by a colored reflection when a flashlight is held to the glass. Degraded by ammonia cleaners over time.
Argon fill and spacer bar
Argon is the inert gas sealed between panes for insulation. The spacer bar is the metal or foam strip that holds the panes apart at the edge — it often carries the manufacturer stamp used for warranty lookup. Escaped argon is the first sign of seal failure.
Muntin / divided light
The bars that separate small panes in a craftsman or French-style window. True divided light is structural; simulated divided light is a snap-in grille over a single pane. Common in Old Bend, NW Crossing, and Sisters. Cleaned with a 6-inch squeegee.
Damage types
Three kinds of damage and which one cleaning fixes
The single most useful distinction on this page. Surface damage is cleanable. Bonded damage needs restoration. Seal damage needs a glass shop.
01
Hard water stain
White mineral deposit — calcium, magnesium, silica — left when water evaporates on glass. In Bend, from untreated canal or well irrigation. Surface-level for weeks, bonded within a season, etched after a freeze. Lifted by restoration if caught before etching.
02
Etching
Permanent surface damage where mineral or acid has attacked the glass itself. Looks like haze that does not change wet or dry and does not respond to restoration. Caused by leaving hard water through a freeze, or by using vinegar or CLR on mineral spots. Fix is glass replacement.
03
Seal failure
Breach of the perimeter seal on an IGU. Gas escapes, humid air enters, moisture condenses between the panes. Not cleanable from either side. Fix is IGU replacement at $150 to $400 per window in Bend. Bend seals fail early due to 40-degree daily temperature swings.
If a term on your quote or report is not here, call and ask. We would rather explain it than have you guess.
How it works
From a term on the quote to the right service
Step 1
Find the term
Use the tool, glass, or damage sections above. Each definition says whether the issue is a cleaning job, a restoration job, or a glass-shop job.
Step 2
Read the linked guide
Most terms link to a full page on this site with Bend-specific detail, pricing, and what to expect.
Step 3
Send photos if unsure
A photo of the pane from inside and one from outside is enough for us to tell you which category you are in.
Step 4
Get a firm quote
One price before anyone arrives, with every term on the quote explained if you ask.
Real questions
What Bend homeowners actually ask about window terminology
Pulled from Central Oregon homeowner threads and answered for Bend conditions. No fluff — just what you need to decide.
“My quote says restoration and cleaning as separate lines. Is that double-charging?”
No. Cleaning removes surface dirt — pollen, dust, smoke film — with soap and a squeegee. Restoration removes mineral that has bonded to the glass using compound and a polishing pad, by hand, one pane at a time. They are different labor and different products. Restoration is only quoted after a patch test shows the mineral lifts, and only on the panes that need it.
“The inspector said I have failed IGUs. What does that mean and do I need new windows?”
IGU is the insulated glass unit — the sealed double-pane sandwich inside the frame. Failed means the perimeter seal has cracked and moisture is condensing between the panes. You do not need new windows. A glass shop replaces the sealed unit in the existing frame at $150 to $400 per window. Frame, trim, sash, and hardware stay. We list failed IGUs on every clean so you can prioritize.
“What is the difference between DI water and just using my hose?”
Dissolved minerals. Hose water — even Bend city water at 1 grain per gallon — leaves faint spots when it air-dries on glass. Well or canal water leaves heavy spots. DI water is filtered to zero dissolved solids, so there is nothing in it to leave behind. It is the only way to get spot-free glass where a squeegee cannot follow, which is why pole work and solar panels use it.
“My cleaner mentioned a WFP. Is that the same as pressure washing?”
No. WFP is a water-fed pole — a telescoping pole with a soft brush that delivers purified water at garden-hose pressure, 40 to 60 psi. It is a window cleaning tool for upper glass. A pressure washer runs 1,500 to 3,000 psi and breaches window seals. The two are not related, and a cleaner who uses a WFP is doing it correctly.
“What does Low-E mean and why does my cleaner care?”
Low-emissivity — a thin metallic coating on an inner glass surface that reflects heat. Most Bend homes built after 2005 have it. Your cleaner cares because ammonia-based cleaners degrade the coating over time, so the correct product is pH-neutral soap. You can check for it by holding a flashlight to the glass at night — one reflection will be a different color.
“The glass shop said my window is tempered. Does that change how it is cleaned?”
No. Tempered glass is heat-treated for strength and shatters into small cubes instead of shards — required near doors, in bathrooms, and on large panes. It cleans exactly like standard glass. The only difference is that scratches on tempered glass cannot be polished out, so the flood-before-squeegee method matters more on it.
Quick reference
Every term on this page, grouped by type
Cleaning terms, glass terms, and damage terms side by side. Full definitions are in the sections above.
Cleaning term | Glass term | Damage term | |
|---|---|---|---|
Squeegee | IGU (insulated glass unit) | Hard water stain | Strip washer |
Low-E coating | Etching | Water-fed pole (WFP) | Argon fill |
Seal failure | Deionized (DI) water | Spacer bar | Smoke film |
Restoration | Muntin / divided light | Scratch (grit drag) | Patch test |
Factory tint vs film | Weep hole blockage | Degreasing wash | Tempered glass |
Delamination (film) | Where explained | Glass sections below | Damage sections below |
Best for | Between full cleans, quick refresh | Winter (when exterior pauses) | Twice-yearly maintenance |
Rain guarantee | 7 days | n/a | 7 days (exterior) |
Term not here? Call and ask. We explain every line on the quote before you approve it.
FAQ
Terminology questions from Bend homeowners
Straight answers. Still unsure? Call and ask.
Related
Explore related services and guides
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Every term on the quote, explained.
Tell us about your property and we will send a written quote with every line explained — usually the same day, Monday through Saturday.
✓ Written scope with every term defined
✓ Patch test before any restoration line
✓ Screens, tracks, and sills always included
✓ 7-day rain guarantee on every clean
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The Window Cleaning
Bend, Oregon
The Window Cleaning Bend provides professional window cleaning for residential, commercial, and vacation rental properties across Bend and Central Oregon. Licensed, insured, and backed by a 7-day rain guarantee.
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