36 years, one philosophy: do the work right and let it speak for itself. John still answers the phone and still runs the routes.
John Speaks started Speaks Window Cleaning in 1990 after learning the trade from an old-timer named Ralph. He's based in Woodinville and still runs routes himself, serving Woodinville, Bothell, Kirkland, Redmond, Seattle, north to Everett and south to Tacoma and Federal Way. The business is built on one refusal: Speaks will not pressure wash a roof, ever.
Long before Speaks Window Cleaning existed, John learned the trade from an old-timer named Ralph. Ralph taught him more than how to clean glass. He taught him how to build a business without waiting for the work to find him: stop at the job site, walk up to the new construction project, notice the storefront with dirty windows, and ask who cleans them.
John took that lesson with him when he went out on his own, with just an '86 Isuzu Trooper, a ladder rack, and the same willingness to walk up and ask for the job. One of those early stops was the Rite Aid at 130th and Aurora. That conversation eventually turned into cleaning most of the Rite Aid locations in the Seattle area for about two years, until corporate wanted to cut John's rate to a number that no longer made sense. He walked away rather than compromise somewhere else to make the numbers work.
Some of John's customers today go all the way back to those early years, more than three decades after he first walked up and asked for their business.
John will be the first to tell you there's no secret equipment or special formula behind Speaks Window Cleaning. What 36 years on the job gives him is judgment. He knows what he's looking at, what will actually fix it, and when the right answer is to tell a customer no.
Roof cleaning is probably the best example. Speaks will not pressure wash a roof. John removes the heavy moss with a soft-bristle brush, treats what remains, and tells homeowners upfront that some low-profile growth will still be visible while the treatment does its job. If someone insists on having the roof pressure washed, John would rather turn down the work.
The same experience carries into windows, gutters, and pressure washing: when mineral buildup can be removed and when hard water has etched the glass, when a skylight needs a different setup, and when something deserves a closer look before anyone promises a result.
Why We Won't Pressure Wash a Roof →"Great job (roof, gutter and window cleaning)! Good value. Highly recommend."
"No streaks from Speaks! It was a big job (2 stories, larger home) and they left every window spotless. The windows are truly spotless inside and out."
"John and his guys are great! They just cleaned all of our windows inside and out. Very pleased with the quality and attention to detail. Fair price and great work!"
5.0 stars on Google. Read every review →
(206) 228-5069. He picks up, and if he is on a ladder he calls you back the same day. Or send the form and he will reach out.