How to Keep Your Windows Clean

Keeping your windows clean is an important home maintenance to-do. Get quotes from top-rated pros near you!

Start by wiping the window frame and sill with a dry washcloth. Doing this first prevents the cleaner from drying on the dirty frames and causing streaks. Read this first!

Spray a solution of water and vinegar (or commercial cleaner) onto the glass. Then wipe with a squeegee, starting from the top and working down to avoid drips. 

1. Baking Soda

Baking soda has many household uses, including making cakes rise and unclogging drains. It’s also a natural cleaner that can be less expensive than chemical cleaning solutions and is non-toxic and environmentally friendly.

Sprinkle baking soda on window tracks to lift dirt that accumulates without scrubbing. Then pour a small amount of vinegar. The fizz will help dissolve grime and leave the track clean, per the DIY Network.

If you encounter stubborn salt stains on your windows, apply a baking soda paste. Wet a sponge, dip it in baking soda, and spread the solution onto the glass. Leave it to soak for a few minutes and then scrub. Rinse with water and wipe dry with a towel. Repeat as needed to remove stubborn stains.

2. Vinegar

Vinegar is a non-toxic household cleaner that works well for cleaning windows. It's also much cheaper than chemical cleaners and is a great choice when you need to clean windows around your home or business. Adding vinegar to your window cleaning solution can also help you remove stubborn dirt and grime from window tracks that can be difficult to get to with regular cleaning products.

Use a solution of equal parts vinegar and distilled water to wash your windows. This mixture will remove dirt and grease without leaving streaks on your windows. It's important to use distilled water rather than tap water because the mineral content of tap water can leave behind mineral traces on your windows. It's also important to clean your windows at a time of day when the sun is not shining directly on them.

3. Dishwasher Soap

It may sound counterintuitive, but the same standard dishwashing liquid used in your kitchen is just as effective for washing windows. The grease-fighting ingredients break up dirt and leave windows clean and streak-free.

Start with a clean strip of the window, and make sure to draw back any drapes or blinds. Soap the glass with a non-scratch sponge, then rinse it well.

Now, wet the squeegee (it's best to use a rubber blade rather than plastic). Starting at an upper corner, pull horizontally across the window. Each stroke should overlap the previous one by about 2-in. After each stroke, wipe off the squeegee with a dry cloth. Repeat the whole window, then touch up the frames and dry the sills.

4. Lemon Juice

The acidity of lemon juice can slice through grease, and it also has antibacterial properties. This makes it an excellent addition to a natural window cleaner, which can be made from household ingredients, rather than chemical products.

You can use any kind of lemon juice for this DIY glass cleaner, but the best option is freshly squeezed. This way, you can control the volume of liquid in your spray bottle and add a bit of pleasant fragrance.

To make this natural window cleaner, you'll need water, white vinegar, dish soap, and a few drops of lemon essential oil (optional). You can use rubbing alcohol instead of denatured vodka, but it must be diluted first. You'll also need a spray bottle and a lint-free cloth or crumpled newspaper for streak-free results.

5. Water

Rather than using chemicals, some window cleaners use pure water. This is usually stored in a large tank in their van and pumped out when needed. This type of water is also known as 'de-ionized' water, and it eliminates streaks and spots on the glass.

This method of cleaning is called reach and wash (or pure water window cleaning), and it uses a telescopic pole with a soft brush head at the end. This allows a window cleaner to scrub windows without needing a ladder, and it's more effective at reaching hard-to-reach places.

To avoid leaving streaks, when wiping a window, start in the top corner and move across the glass in an S-shaped pattern. This is more efficient than a straight line, and it helps avoid the build-up of water in corners. Click here for the next blog post.