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Cleaning second-story windows yourself: the ladder numbers
How many people are hurt on ladders each year, the setup rules that stop the most common fall, and when the upper floor is a job to hand over.
Windows that tilt in or lift out can be cleaned from inside. The fixed ones on the upper floor are where people reach for a ladder, and ladders are where the numbers get serious.
| Measure | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Emergency-room visits for injuries involving ladders and stools, U.S., 2024 | 273,000 |
| All medically attended injuries involving ladders and stools, U.S., 2024 | 749,000 |
| People treated for ladder-related injuries each year (2014 data) | More than 500,000 |
| Deaths from ladder-related injuries each year (2014 data) | About 300 |
| Ladder injuries caused by the base sliding out from a wrong setup angle | About 40% |
The setup rules
They are short. OSHA says to set the base “a quarter of the working length of the ladder from the wall,” to keep three points of contact while climbing (two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand), and, when the ladder is for getting onto a roof or landing, to run it “at least 3 feet above the point of support.” NIOSH puts the angle at “about a 75-degree angle.”
- Firm, level ground under both feet. Soft lawn, loose gravel and a sloped driveway are where bases slide.
- A quarter of the working length out from the wall: for 16 feet of ladder between the foot and the top support, 4 feet.
- Three points of contact whenever you climb, which means the bucket goes on a hook, not in your hand.
- Move the ladder rather than leaning out to reach the far side of the window.
- Do not rest the top on a gutter or on the glass.
When to hand it over
When the ground is soft or sloped, the window is above a roof or a drop, the glass needs both hands and a scrubber, or the climb makes you uneasy. Upper floors are ordinary work for a window cleaner, and we clean up to three stories.
Doing it yourself anyway? What a professional cleaning includes is a good checklist, and removing hard-water spots safely covers the spots.
Sources
-
Consumer product-related injuries and deaths in the United States: estimated injuries occurring in 2024
— U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 2026
Ladders and stools are counted as one category. -
It's National Ladder Safety Month
— NIOSH Science Blog, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017
Figures based on 2014 data. - Ladder safety — National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 2024
- Portable ladder safety (QuickCard) — Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2005
- Safe use of extension ladders (fact sheet) — Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2013
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