A-1 The Clear Choice Blog

Pressure washing is a great way to remove all the grime and dirt that get accumulated in the hard-to-reach areas of your house. In the San Francisco Bay Area, the exterior areas of homes are constantly exposed to pollution, dirt and weather elements like sun, rain and even fog. As a result, stains and moss […]

The first line of defense against water damage to your San Francisco Bay Area home or business is a properly functioning gutter system. Maintaining your gutters and keeping them clear of debris is an absolute “must” throughout the year. Poorly maintained gutters can result in expensive and sometimes irreparable damage. Before jumping on your roof, be prepared […]

Your gutters actually play a huge role in the structural integrity of your house, and keeping them clean is a great way to avoid the potentially costly expense of gutter repairs. Gutters have one job: to guide rainwater off your roof and straight down the drain and away from your house. Despite their importance, it […]

Undeniably, the appearance of a facility or storefront is critical for a business. Imagine walking on the streets of downtown Walnut Creek or 4th Street in Berkeley and seeing the clean windows of the boutiques. To enhance the appeal of their company, many business owners consider commercial window cleaning services a supreme solution. However, besides […]

 Solar panels are very popular in the San Francisco Bay Area and need to be cleaned. Solar panels consist of solar cells covered by a glass coating and, just like windows, the longer they are outside, the dirtier they get and require cleaning. Although most solar panels are self-cleaning, dust, bird droppings, and other substances […]

While there are multiple types, the purpose of a gutter screen (or guard) is to reduce the amount of solid material in your house gutters. The need for them, however, is not so easy to answer. Arguments for Gutter Screens When properly installed and maintained, there are many good reasons for gutter screens: The primary […]

One of the many beauties of this urban center is the easy access to nature given the vast number of parks, open spaces, and reserves maintained by city, county, regional, state, and national agencies. Summers in the San Francisco Bay Area is full of festivals, music, and other outdoor activities, frequently in these area parks. […]

You do not need a SAD (seasonal affective disorder) diagnosis to feel down in the dark. Plenty of studies correlate light and mood – if you have more light, you tend to have a better mood. Turns out that light deprivation literally kills the brain. Yet, it is important to know that not all light […]

In the San Francisco Bay Area, any season can be allergy season – it just depends on what you’re allergic to. However, as a drought state, many complain of dust, grass, and pollution allergies. Additionally, despite being a drought state, the region’s humidity can aggravate mold allergies. More Reasons to Have Your Windows Professionally Cleaned! […]

If you live in California, you’ve probably noticed the scarcity in rain lately. You probably know that the state is in a drought (again) and some emergency conservation restrictions are now in place. You may even have heard the chirpy radio commercial where the state is thanking you for keeping your car filthy, your fountains off, and turning […]

Look at what an amazing difference pressure washing can make to your pathways. Pressure washing serves as an important safety measure when moss and mold overgrowth cause slippery conditions. And, of course, it gives a striking new life to the appearance of anything from pathways to stairs, decks and house exteriors.         […]

It is an honor, once again, to be a recipient of the prestigious Angie’s List Super Service Award for our service in 2014. The award is given to select companies “for achieving and maintaining a superior serving rating on Angie’s List throughout 2014 as determined by Angie’s List members.” Thank you to all of our loyal customers for making this possible. […]

Few people ask this question, and the people who do tend to expect the answer to be somewhere around once a decade. The real answer is that, well, it depends. As window washers, we would love to see our clients trained to the same six to eight week schedule that is common in England. However, […]

Have you gone solar? If so, congratulations on all that money you are saving. Or, are you? Only recently have solar panel manufacturers and installers started to recommend regular cleaning of solar panels. Before, the misconception that rain would wash solar panels – along with windows – was the predominate philosophy in the industry. Some […]

Have you ever noticed how your car seems dirtier after it rains? Your home’s windows have the same problem. Rain and fog do not wash your windows any more than they wash your car. When you think about washing, you probably think about more than just water – why would your home be any different? […]

Gutter cleaning tends to be low on the list of most home maintenance lists, especially in the drought ridded San Francisco Bay Area. The truth is that clean gutters can prevent major home repairs in the future – most especially in areas of drought. When clear of debris, your home’s gutters collect and divert water […]

  We have a team of 5 window cleaners on Grand Ave. in Oakland today cleaning windows for a large commercial office space. The job also includes solar panel cleaning. It’s important to have your solar panels cleaned regularly to ensure peak energy output. Studies estimate that solar panel performance can increase by 25-30% when […]

You’ll find the A-1 crew personable, skilled and hard-working. Clients often have such a great experience with one window cleaner that they’ll request a team member by name the next time they have their windows cleaned. Here, Rene and Edwin are letting the sunshine in (with their squeegees and their smiles!) in Marin on Friday.

What to do when windows are too high for ladders? Sometimes coming down from a rope with a chair is an option. In this case, we used our water fed pole to make the windows sparkle on this house in Sausalito last week.  

The below email message recently came in from a satisfied window cleaning client in San Rafael. Our team members, Oscar and Edwin, cleaned the windows of her 2500+ square foot home on July 15th. “Hi – I just wanted to let you know that Oscar and his helper did an amazing job! It’s the first […]

With the California drought wearing on in the San Francisco Bay Area comes the increased risk of fires. Roof cleaning and gutter cleaning can help prevent unexpected fires on your property this season by making sure all of the dried leaves and debris are cleared away. We spent 6+ hours cleaning dry, fire-prone debris from […]

We clean windows for many real estate agents all over the Bay Area, including Berkeley, Oakland, Marin and beyond. Take a look at this gorgeous home our window cleaning team recently brought to life at 1016 Amito Drive in Berkeley!        

Insurance prices are soaring and becoming most legitimate window cleaning companies’ highest overhead expense, causing a market-wide increase in window cleaning prices. But before being tempted by the lower rates of uninsured, one-man-show window cleaners or small operations with no insurance, consider the risk you are putting yourself in. If your window cleaner does not […]

Here’s our window cleaner, Ivan (who’s been cleaning windows in Berkeley, Oakland and the San Francisco Bay Area with us for over a decade!), doing what he does best – making windows sparkle.  

… Check Their References! If you are looking for window cleaners in the Bay Area, you’ll want to make sure to find ones who have a track record for not only making windows sparkle, but also for being trustworthy, reliable and responsive. Consider checking out some of the online review resources below. And don’t forget to […]

Spring has sprung here in the Bay Area, and window cleaning is on the move once again. We here at A-1 The Clear Choice sure are happy about that, and we were delighted to receive this lovely card and hand-written note recently from one of our spring window cleaning clients. Despite the unusually dry winter, […]

Although winter is a slower season in our industry, we’ve been keeping busy here at A-1 The Clear Choice working on our marketing materials and completely revamping our website. We hope you find it informative and a great way to get to know us and the services we offer. Please check back in here on […]