Do I need to remove window screens before power washing a house?
Leaving screens in risks damaging old aluminum frames and seals, but removing them can be nearly impossible when stubborn tabs and tight tracks require taking extra parts apart. This leaves homeowners stuck between risking water damage or breaking fragile, decades-old hardware.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
Do I need to remove window screens before power washing a house?
- 1Taking the screens off and cleaning them separately with normal hose water pressure.Did this help you?
- 2Pulling the screen frame up to clear the window edge, pushing it to the side to release the bottom and one side, and then bending the frame slightly to pull it out.Did this help you?
- 3Coating the exterior windows with a light oil, WD-40, or cooking spray so the eggs slide offDid this help you?
- 4Setting up motion-operated sprinklers to deter the vandalsDid this help you?
- 5Installing security cameras to capture evidence for the policeDid this help you?
- 6Calling the non-emergency police line to request extra neighborhood patrolsDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“We're a corner house and it's almost that magical time of year when we get egged 3 times a day for 2 weeks (and then on til January). Does anyone know if there's something I can put on my windows to stop the egg sticking or at least make it easier to clean off when we finally get round to it?”source ↗
“Last year they got some on the stairs window and there was a tiny bit that we just couldn't reach, plus my partner's just had surgery and I'm scared of ladders so not really something I want to do this year.”source ↗
“I have an old aluminum screen probably from the 1980s. There’s only one tab on the bottom and I’ve managed to pulled it upwards with a lot of effort. There doesn’t seem like there’s any room for it to be removed without possible taking more parts out which I don’t know how to do either.”source ↗
“Should I remove the window screens or is it ok to leave them in?”source ↗
Where this came up
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