Window Cleaning at Waterside I at Bay Beach. Salt film? Disavowed.

Waterside I is the original 1997 tower of Waterside at Bay Beach, a gated group of high-rises at the quiet southern tip of Fort Myers Beach, near Lovers Key. MLS records describe it as a ten-story concrete-block-and-stucco building with on-site management and a shared elevator. Typical units open onto screened lanais through sliding glass doors, and many have electric hurricane shutters. Some residences look out over both Estero Bay and the Gulf, so salt is the main thing we fight on this glass.

Electric shutters: helpful in a storm, messy on glass

A recent Waterside I listing describes its windows as “Sliding, Shutters Electric.” Roll-down shutters protect the slider in a storm, but the box above each opening collects salt, pollen and dead insects. When the shutter comes down, the slats drag that grime across the glass, and after a rain the guide rails drip a dirty line down each side of the door. During a visit we wipe the shutter box face we can reach, clean the side rails and the bottom bar, and then do the glass, so the first time you lower the shutter afterward it does not undo the work.

If your shutters stay down all summer while you are away, expect a heavier film when they go up in the fall. That first cleaning of the season usually takes longer than a regular maintenance visit, and we quote it that way.

Screened lanai, sliders and the screen itself

The lanai screen catches most of the blowing sand from Bay Beach Lane and the beach path, but it also holds salt and fine dust that rinse onto the sliders every time it rains or the lanai is hosed. A lanai screen that has not been cleaned in a year can make freshly cleaned sliders look dull within weeks. We brush and rinse lanai screens on request, then clean the sliders and the bedroom doors that open to the same lanai. Slider tracks here tend to collect sand at the outside corner where the door stops; we vacuum that pocket and clear the drain slots.

Estero Bay mornings, Gulf afternoons

One listing describes a northeast-facing Waterside I residence with “direct views of Estero Bay, the gulf.” Northeast glass gets the low morning sun off the bay, which shows streaks and water spots in harsh detail at sunrise. Afternoon sea breezes carry Gulf salt across the island, so the same glass gets a second dose later in the day. For most Waterside I owners on the water side, that combination means monthly to every-six-weeks visits in season; units facing the pool or the interior of the property can usually go longer.

Ten floors: what we reach and what the association covers

We clean every pane reachable from inside the unit and from the lanai: both faces of the sliders, the inside of every window, lanai railings and screens. A building of ten stories puts most fixed exterior glass out of reach of a ground-mounted water-fed pole, and outer-face cleaning on the upper floors generally calls for rope access or a powered platform. That is the association’s job and its contractor’s, scheduled for the whole building. We never anchor to the roof or work over the edge.

Working with on-site management

Waterside I has on-site management, which makes coordination simple. We email our certificate of insurance before the first visit, confirm which entrance and elevator contractors should use, and ask whether the building has quiet hours or a cart policy for the elevator. Because the complex is gated, we also need to be on your gate list for the day. If you are not on the island, management or a neighbor can let us in, or we can meet a caretaker who holds your key.

After the storms

Fort Myers Beach went through a long recovery after Hurricane Ian in 2022. A 2026 Waterside I listing says the building has completed its post-hurricane work and passed inspections. Even so, units with replaced doors, new screens or new shutters often still carry construction residue: sticker adhesive, caulk smears, stucco and paint specks. We remove those carefully with the right blade or solvent for the glass type, and if you have new low-E or impact glass we confirm the manufacturer’s care instructions first.

What to do between visits

Rinse the lanai screen with fresh water after big wind events, keep the shutter rails free of leaves, and wipe slider handles with a damp microfiber after beach days. Report sticking shutters or cracked glass to management; anything that affects the exterior envelope runs through the association.