How often do you sit down in your sunroom, ready to enjoy a cup of coffee and a good book, only to take notice that your windows are absolutely filthy? The sun brings light to a lot of secrets and your dirty windows are not exempt from that. Now that you’ve realized it, should you rush to get your cleaning supplies right away? If the sun is shining brightly, believe it or not, you should wait for a perfectly cloudy day. Sunny days can cause the windows to dry too quickly leaving behind streaks that loose worse than the dirty windows. Once that cloudy day hits, here’s what you need to do:
1. Materials
Make sure you have the right materials to work with. This will make the process so much easier. You will need:
- Warm water
- Spray bottle
- A soft rags, preferably lint-free
- Gentle dish detergent or glass cleaner
- Squeegee that has at least a 10in rubber blade
2. Use the Water & Soap
Add a few cups of the warm water to the spray bottle along with a tablespoon or two of the dish soap. Spray the inside of the windows with the mixture generously. You can do all of the windows at once or do them one at a time. When cleaning the outside of the windows, you’ll just need to hose them down. Do not power-wash them or use the jet stream, however. The force of the water to either get through the seals or even break the glass if it’s strong enough.
3. Scrub
With the rag, give the windows a good scrub reapplying the soap and water as needed. Dirt, debris, and other stains can bake onto the windows with the heat of the sun and they might need a little more elbow grease.
4. Use Glass Cleaner
This step may not be necessary, but if you have particularly stubborn marks or stains, the glass cleaner can really make a difference. Make sure you follow the directions of the cleaner you use for the best results.
5. Get the Squeegee
This will arguably be the most satisfying part of the process. Pulling horizontally from each edge of the pane, squeegee down the glass. Wipe off the squeegee with the rag to remove the excess water. Overlap, each time, so there are no lines or streaks. Make sure you work from the top down to avoid the water and cleaner dripping down your freshly cleaned window.
6. Dry the Windows
While the squeegee takes care of a lot of the water, there’s still going to be some on the edges. With the rag, simply wipe vertically along the inside of the frame collecting any water that’s left.
7. Open the Windows
Open up as many windows as you can to let the fresh air flow through. This will reduce whatever humidity or condensation from building up and causing more streaks from happening. Let the window finish drying and enjoy the beautiful view!
