How to Clean a Balcony or Loggia in One Evening

Balconies get cleaned less often than any other space, and not out of laziness: it is unclear where to start, because there are belongings, street dust, cobwebs in the corners and glazing that does not wash like a window. The answer is the order of work — from the ceiling down, and from the belongings to the surfaces.

What you need

• Floor cleaner — matched to the surface
• Glass cleaner — or 1 teaspoon of detergent per litre of water
• Baking soda — for marks on tiles and concrete

• Broom and dustpan, or a vacuum
• A mop with a wringer
• A rubber squeegee for the glazing
• A long-handled brush for the ceiling and corners
• Rubbish bags

Time: 90 minutes for a medium balcony.

Step by step

1. Take everything out. Completely: sorting is easier indoors and cleaning is easier on an empty balcony. It is the longest step and the biggest saving later.
2. Sweep the ceiling and corners. Long-handled brush, cobwebs and the dust along the joints.
3. Do the walls and railings. Damp cloth top to bottom; rusted spots get treated separately.
4. Wash the glazing. Detergent solution and squeegee, from the inside. The outer face at height is not washed — that is rope-access work.
5. Clear the drainage holes. In the bottom of the frame and in the floor if the balcony is open: blocked, they leave puddles after every rain.
6. Wash the floor. Twice: the first pass takes the bulk of the dust, the second what settled after sweeping.

Method 2 — an open balcony

Without glazing everything the weather brings joins the dust: sand, leaves, the aftermath of rain. Here the sequence is sweep, wet, brush, rinse, and it is better to wash from a bucket than a hose: water off a balcony ends up on the neighbours below, which becomes a dispute quickly. Concrete with marks gets a soda paste and twenty minutes of dwell time.

Method 3 — the things stored for years

A balcony is the main place for whatever might come in useful one day, and that is exactly what makes cleaning it endless. A simple rule: if you have not taken something out for two seasons running, it is not being stored, it is taking up space. Sort into three piles indoors: stays on the balcony, moves into the flat, goes to the tip. Only put back what tolerates temperature swings and damp.

What to avoid

• Hosing the glazing. The water goes to the neighbours below and seeps into the lower profile.
• Abrasives on aluminium frames. The anodising scratches and corrosion starts underneath.
• Storing damp items. On an enclosed balcony they produce mould on the walls within a season.
• Washing the floor before the ceiling. All the dust from above lands on what you have just cleaned.

Keeping the result

Balcony dust comes from the street and cannot be stopped entirely, but two habits do most of the work. First, keep the balcony window shut on dry windy days: that is when the most gets in. Second, clear the floor of anything simply standing there: dust settles on objects and rises again with every movement.

Once a month a sweep and a wipe of the floor is enough — fifteen minutes that remove the need for a big clean twice a year.

When to call a cleaner

A balcony is rarely booked on its own, and rightly so: a visit for one balcony is not worth it. With us balcony cleaning costs UAH 250 and is added to a flat clean from UAH 1,550 — that is, to a visit that is happening anyway. Glazing is counted like windows, at UAH 320 per section from the inside. Sorting belongings is not something a cleaner does: those are decisions only the owner makes.

Frequently asked questions

What does balcony cleaning cost?

UAH 250 as an extra item alongside a flat clean. Glazing is separate at UAH 320 per section.

Do you wash the glazing from outside?

Only from the inside, through opening sashes. We do not work from outside the frame.

Do you sort the belongings on the balcony?

No, that stays with the owner. We clean the surfaces once the things have been dealt with.