Comments on: How to Wash Dirty Windows

on 11/30/2005 Anything you use to clean a window will leave a residue - and will attract dust, dirt, etc. Fill a bucket with hot water, and add 2 drops of dish detergent.. That small amount is only to break the water tension - not to build up suds on the window. Wash the window with a clean cloth dipped in the bucket of water, then use a sqeegee ONLY to wipe the away. Make sure you have a good quality sqeegee. Starting at the top, "squeege" from side to side, not up and down. Wipe the blade after each pass, but do not wipe the window with any cloth, paper towel, etc. I guarantee - perfect shine.

on 11/22/2005 Wipe the inside from side to side and the outside from top to bottom. If you've left any streaks, you can easily tell which side of the window they are on.

on 11/22/2005 1/4 cup of cornstarch in 1 gallon of water gets deep grime and bugs off windows. Use old T-shirts to wipe the windows clean, do not use paper towels.

on 11/22/2005 Using newspaper instead of a papertowel works really well.

on 11/22/2005 Consumer Reports magazine tested all the typical window and surface cleaning products on the market and found that their "homebrew" recipe worked as good or better than all the brands they tested! You can make a gallon for about $1.50. You'll need 1 pint rubbing alcohol, 1/2 cup sudsy ammonia, and 1 teaspoon liquid dish soap (not the dishwasher type). In a gallon jug, fill it up with good clean water. If your house doesn't have good water, buy a gallon of spring/drinking water and use it. Put the dish soap in last so the soap bubbles don't make it hard to fill the jug with water.