Sash & Polish focuses exclusively on heritage window cleaning across Melbourne's inner-east (Toorak, South Yarra, Armadale, Malvern, Hawthorn and Kew). We work on Victorian, Edwardian and Federation homes. The leadlight panels, timber sash frames, hand-poured glass and colonial-bar fanlights that define this housing stock each have specific care requirements that a general window cleaning service won't know to ask about, and we've built everything around getting those details right.
There is no shortage of window cleaners in Melbourne. There is a significant shortage of window cleaners who understand what they're looking at when they stand in front of a Federation leadlight panel or a double-hung sash window with original timber frames and hand-poured glass.
The inner-east suburbs hold the highest concentration of Heritage Overlay-listed properties in Victoria. Victorian terraces in Armadale, Edwardian doubles in Hawthorn, Federation bungalows in Kew. The windows in these homes were made by hand, cannot be replaced like-for-like, and are routinely cleaned with products and methods that cause cumulative damage most owners never see coming.
Sash & Polish exists because that gap is real and the consequences of it are permanent. Lead came corroded by ammonia-based cleaners. Original glass etched by hard water deposits left untreated too long. Sash locks jammed because tracks were never cleaned, only the glass. These are problems that build quietly over years and show up as expensive restoration work, or as irreplaceable windows that can no longer be repaired.
We work in six suburbs. We ask questions before we quote. We assess before we clean. That's the model, and it's the only one that makes sense for this kind of work.
Sash & Polish is a specialist heritage window cleaning service operating across the City of Stonnington and City of Boroondara. We hold current Working Safely at Heights certification and carry public liability insurance. Certificates of Currency are available on request prior to any booking.
We work exclusively on residential heritage properties. Not commercial buildings. Not new construction. The focus is deliberate: the windows in Victorian, Edwardian and Federation homes require a level of specific knowledge (about glass types, frame conditions, lead came, putty, original hardware) that comes from working on nothing else.
Every heritage window job begins with an assessment, not a quote. The condition of the lead came, the integrity of the putty around a leadlight panel, the presence of hard water staining and whether it's surface-level or etched into the glass. These details change the approach, the products, and what we're able to promise at the end of the job. We'd rather know before we begin than discover something mid-work.
Some hard water staining has etched permanently into original glass. Some lead came has corroded beyond what cleaning can address. Some sash frames have damage that requires a glazier, not a window cleaner. When we find these things, we say so before we proceed. We'd rather give you an honest assessment than complete a job that leaves a problem unaddressed.
Pre-sale bookings get written confirmation and a day-before call. Biannual clients get consistent scheduling that fits the seasonal rhythm of inner-east homes (pre-spring, pre-Christmas). If you have a photography deadline, an agent's checklist, or a specific window you're concerned about, tell us. The job is planned around what you actually need.
Six suburbs. One service category. That's the scope, by choice. Working within a defined area and a defined specialisation means we understand the housing stock, the Heritage Overlay context and the specific window types we're likely to encounter. A wider net means a shallower service. That's not a trade we're willing to make.
Certificates of Currency available on request.
Current certification held for all upper-level work on double-storey period properties.
Ammonia-free solutions for leadlight, pure water systems for exterior glass, hand-cleaning for heritage timber fly screen frames.
Most of our clients are one of three kinds of person.
Typically in Toorak, Malvern or Armadale, managing a Victorian or Edwardian property that requires consistent, trusted trades. She's not looking for the cheapest option. She's looking for someone who knows what leadlight is, turns up when they say they will, and can be trusted inside a $4 million home without supervision.
Often in Hawthorn, Kew or South Yarra, working against a photography deadline with a selling agent's checklist to complete. The leadlight is a selling feature. She needs confirmed availability, written booking confirmation, and no ambiguity about when we arrive or what we do.
In Kew, Hawthorn or Malvern, often for the first time. He's noticed something on the upstairs leadlight (a hard water stain, possibly, or maybe damage) and genuinely doesn't know which. He wants someone who will explain the difference and tell him what his windows actually need, not just quote the job and start cleaning.
All three need the same thing: a service that understands heritage glass and can be trusted to handle it correctly.
If you're not sure whether your windows need specialist care, or what a job like yours typically involves, get in touch and we'll give you a straight answer. Fill in the form and we'll come back to you. Or call us directly.
