Comments on How to Clean Windows

Instead of paper towels, use a chamois - it works better. Keep chamois clean. Use it to wipe off squeegee and any streaks on window. For bigger windows, use a strip wand. Also, don't clean windows in direct sunlight.

We have 12-foot ceilings with windows way beyond our reach. While using a squeegee with an extension, I still noticed some streaks. This was quickly eliminated when I wrapped a slightly damp (clean) towel and around the squeegee.

After you've washed the window, have a vinegar rinse prepared. Mix about 1/2 cup vinegar with a gallon of water. Blend well. Rinse the window with this solution. It will prevent spotting. Then squeegee the window.

Mix 1 cup of sudsy ammonia, l pint rubbing alcohol, l Tbsp. dishwashing liquid and l gal. water. This can be used for every cleaning job in your house: windows, mirrors, floors. I put mine in a spray bottle. It is wonderful! I got this from the newspaper.

Forget cleaning chemicals! The new microfiber towels are unbeatable for streak and lint free windows - and you only need use water on the window.

Use 1 quart of cold water, l tbsp. of alcohol and a squeegie. Squeeze out sponge and clean window and then squeegie, wiping squeegie off after every swipe. Be sure you overlap your swipes. Change water often.

What you use to clean with is less important than how you clean. Streaks are the result of left-behind cleaner thicker in a line than on the rest of the window (it is impossible to remove all the cleaner solution, glass is hydrophilic). Scrubbing with a sea sponge or horsehair brush will easily remove almost anything that is water soluble, a heavy microfiber towel is less messy for indoor use, and a strip washer (those things you see most professionals using) is an absolute must for pole work. A squeegee is the fastest method of removing the cleaning solution and can also be the most frustrating to learn. It's not all that difficult, but holding the squeegee at too great or shallow an angle against the glass will result in skipping and uneven removal of the fluid, resulting in streaks either immediately or shortly after the job is finished. Pressing too hard will also result in skipping over the fluid since it will force the edge of the rubber away and use the flat of the blade against the glass (a frequent problem in learning pole work). The easiest stroke to earn is the draw stroke, sometimes called the janitors stroke, where you start from one side and go across the glass in a single stroke, wipe the squeegee blade dry and start a new stroke next to the first. I've known a number of professionals that use this stroke exclusively, so don't worry if this is the only stroke you ever learn. Always wipe the edges with a dry, lint free towel. For extremely dirty (but not stained) exterior glass, a muriatic acid solution with a bit of liquid dishwashing is best, but it has to be very weak. Perhaps 1 or 2 ounces per gallon of water is sufficient (be extremely careful in mixing and using acid solutions, ask someone with experience if you are unsure how to do this). Do not attempt to remove hard water stains with the stronger acids that are used by professionals (such as hydrofluoric acid, or Ammonium biflourite) as these are extremely dangerous to yourself, your home, and the environment and require specialized knowledge to use safely (even the pro's kill or maim themselves with this stuff occasionally). If you are trying to remove cigarette smoke deposits, try adding a half ounce or so of TSP per gallon of water. This stuff will wash clean streaks on the walls if you accidentally let it run down, so be careful and save yourself a wall washing job. Probably the most common detergent used by professionals (in spite of hundreds of cleaners available through supply houses) is plain old Dawn dishwashing detergent. The most common problem when using dishwashing detergent is using too much. If you are getting a lot of sudsing on the glass you are using way too much.

Don't clean windows when the sun is shining on them. The cleaners dry so quickly. Do windows when they are in the shade.

We have 12-foot ceilings with windows way beyond our reach. While using a squeegee with an extension, I still noticed some streaks. This was quickly eliminated when I wrapped a slightly damp (clean) towel and around the squeegee.

Eureka!! I finally found the winning combination for non-filmy, streak-free windows! Windshield De-icer and Solvent (I used "Ice Off" brand) and newspapers (black and white sections only). I put the windshield solvent (full strength) in a spray bottle, and used a new quarter-section piece of newspaper for each window. With newspapers you can afford to use a new section each time. I have attempted to clean windows with a squeegee in the past, as so many recommend, but had little success with this method; not to mention how time consuming it is to wipe the rubber blade after each pass. The solvent and newspapers worked like a dream! What a joy it is to have sparkling clean windows in my sunroom. 22 windows total in that room alone! Now I will happily tackle the rest of the house.

Spray on Windex, and use yesterday's sports section newspaper (one sheet is best), and wipe dry. If a second touch is needed, use a very light mist and wipe again. Beats all other methods. Newspaper leaves no streaks or fuzzies.

The man who came to professionally clean our windows back in the '70s said he always uses Palmolive liquid dish soap for streakless windows. So with any other recipe using liquid soap, try his brand name recommendation. (It cost him a job with us)!

I used professional-strength Windex, soap and water, and then decided to use a solution of vinegar and water. Sure enough, it cut right through the grime. The windows at the hall are beautiful now. Everyone noticed.

Use an old newspaper. Apply window cleaner, then wipe off with a full page of newspaper. Guaranteed not to leave a streak.

If you do not have ammonia, substitute plain white vinegar.

Make sure that the window to be cleaned is not in direct sunlight as the sun will dry your window before you can, leaving horrible streaks.

To get my windows clean, I pay someone else to clean them.

Use a 1-gallon empty milk jug. Fill 3/4 full of warm water. Add rubbing alcohol to warm water and shake to mix. Store in sealed container. This is a cheap and no-fail way to clean windows. I saw this done in Florida.

Use newspaper to avoid streaks.

I do windows like you, but use a tea towel wrapped around a window mop to get any streaks since I have very high windows.

You can purchase ammonia already mixed with some soap. It is called "Sudsy Ammonia" and works like a charm!

Use large coffee filters instead of paper towels. Gets windows squeaky clean and no lint!

Wax your windows with a product called Gel-Gloss, which is used for polishing fiberglass tubs. You can purchase it at a Home Depot. It's also great on mirrors - no need to Windex; just wipe spots off.

I use 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a bucket of warm water. Dip a rag or sponge in the water solution and wash window. Follow with a clean dry towel to dry. No streaks. Works great on glass and mirrors inside the house also.

Spray Windex on glass. Use newspaper to clean with. Your windows will sparkle.