Effective DIY window cleaning
Cleaning windows so they are crystal clear with no streaks is harder than it looks, and some who have tried with often mixed results may view the humble window cleaner with his ladder perched on the roof of his car in a whole new light afterwards. If you have a large glass conservatory you will soon find that you need to up your window cleaning game.
It’s all too easy to end up with those annoying streaks on the glass – especially noticeable when sunlight streams through. If you prefer to do it yourself rather than call in your local window cleaner, there are effective methods and a number of products ranging from the cheap and cheerful to the more expensive and sophisticated to make the task easier and effective.
The method
The key to cleaning windows is to:
- Remove the dirt and grime particles thoroughly using plenty of water
- Remove the dirty cleaning water or solution from the glass effectively
- Dry the windows leaving no residue that causes annoying streaks
The products and ‘tools of the trade’
An effective cleaning solution is the first step – and while ‘just’ water may work on lightly soiled windows, it’s likely that grime and more has established itself and may require more heavy duty removal from your glass.
Warm water with some dishwasher liquid added is very effective, but don’t overdo it. Lots of suds looks good but too much detergent could prove difficult to rinse off. You can add some white vinegar to this mixture; a liquid that has gained almost folk hero status as a general purpose ‘natural’ cleaner around the house.
The mixture of water, white vinegar and dishwasher liquid should be around quarter of vinegar to two parts water with a small squirt of dishwasher liquid.
Cleaning materials
Basic items could include a soft bristle applicator, a squeegee, a chamois leather, a sponge and a few lint free cloths or old but clean cotton tee shirts.
Use the soft-bristle applicator to apply the solution and actually clean the windows, then use the sponge to apply clean water to rinse the solution off the glass and in turn remove the ‘rinsing water’ with the squeegee. The leather and cloths can be used to mop up excess water that collects in the corners and maybe for smaller panes that the squeegee is too wide for.
You may have heard of using newspapers to clean windows effectively in lieu of cloths; this ‘old style’ method may be less effective these days due to many newspapers having coatings to stop ink coming off the paper.
Advanced items could include window vacuums, spray mops (to reach windows without a ladder), steam cleaners and more fully-featured ‘scoopy’ squeegees featuring hollow handles so the water collects in them as you move upwards.
Window vacuums – decent quality models can be bought for between £40 and £60 and can feature variable size squeegee attachments, water bottles and triggers to apply your cleaning solution directly onto the glass. It’s the definitive all-in-one window cleaning tool.
Spray mops – costing typically around £30 and designed to reach higher windows so no ladders are required, they feature a water tank and trigger to apply cleaning solution directly to the window.
Steam cleaners – they cost around the £100 bracket and some feature squeegee attachments especially for window cleaning. An ideal solution for an overall spring or heavy duty house clean as the steam cleaning of floors and upholstery along with windows could be completed in one fell swoop.
Your local DIY stores should have a selection of more advanced window cleaning equipment to choose from should you wish to take it to that level.
When you’re cleaning windows…
You may still decide to use the services of a professional window cleaner – especially for high windows where even using a spray mop could prove difficult to reach some windows effectively. If you do decide to do it yourself and save some money, then the days of a simple cloth and bucket are long gone with the range of equipment now available.