Indoors or outdoors, window cleaning is literally and figuratively “a chore”! But we’ve got a bunch of great tips for cleaning your windows both indoors and for that twice-a-year outdoor window cleaning you’re probably not looking forward to.
A Few General Window Cleaning Tips
- Believe it or not, cleaning your windows on a sunny day can leave streaks. Try cleaning when it’s cloudy instead.
- Don’t forget the window screens when you wash your windows. Keeping your screens clean and well-maintained will help you in the long run.
- A fun and handy window cleaning trick is to use condensed bottles of air to blow out debris from crevices, corners, and window tracks. You can get them at most stores, including office supply shops because they’re often used for computer keyboard cleaning. Just be ready for the debris to fly in every direction! You can also try suctioning debris with your vacuum hose first.
- Start with the window frames, window sills, and tracks first. You’ll be cleaning away spider webs and dead bugs, debris of unknown origins, and dust before going to the glass so that you don’t inadvertently track this grime back onto your glass while wiping.
- Check the clean frames and sills for black mold spots caused by condensation and leaks. If you find mold, you’ll want to find ways to remedy that immediately with better ventilation and humidity control appliances.
- Wet the window with your solution of choice. By now you have your favorite glass cleaner in mind, but just in case, you don’t always need to use a store-bought brand. You can use white vinegar diluted with water in a spray bottle, or a few drops of dishwashing liquid like Dawn in warm water works wonders.
- If you’re the lucky one, you have tilt in windows for easy cleaning. We are jealous!
- Start with the window frame area first, and always start on the highest windows and work your way down to ground level.
- Wet the window with your solution of choice, either with a spray bottle or a cloth from a bucket. As mentioned above, you probably have a favorite store-bought glass cleaner already, but it’s worth trying other things to see what you like as well. You can use white vinegar diluted with water in a spray bottle or bucket, or a few drops of dishwashing liquid like Dawn in warm water works wonders.
- It’s so easy to use a squeegee on exterior windows, then continue to use a cloth or wadded up newspaper to get into the corners and tight spots that the squeegee misses. Buff those windows dry with another cloth (lint free, of course!) and check for streaks! Nothing is worse than finishing the job, putting the ladder away, and noticing streaks. You’ll either put up with streaks for another six months or have to get back on the ladder.