The Benefits of New Windows

Posted on: 20 January 2016

If you're a neat freak, the sight of a streak on a window right after you clean it will leave you frazzled. You are tempted to clean it again and again, but you only get the same results. Here are some tips to get that streak-free interior window you want.

Gather Tools

For this project, you need:

• squeegee with rubber edge
• sponge or scrubber
• old towel
• micro-fiber towel or cloth
• bucket
• cotton swab
• dish soap, lemon juice, ammonia or white distilled vinegar
• rubber gloves if cleaning with ammonia

Tools can make a difference in whether or not your windows streak. Avoid using paper towels or terry cloths that only spread dirt and lint particles.

Some people have some success using newspapers for streak free windows, but the newspapers could leave print on your hands and the glass. For single-pane windows, use a 12-inch squeegee, and for multi-window panes, use a 6-inch squeegee.

Make the Cleaning Solution

The cleaner you use can also make a difference in a streak-free window. Mix a teaspoon of dish soap into a gallon bucket of warm water. Don't be tempted to use too much suds, since it makes the cleaner sticky. 

If you prefer a natural solution, mix four tablespoons of distilled white vinegar or two tablespoons of ammonia in the water instead of dish soap. Lemon juice is also effective for cutting through grime on glass. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice to a quart of warm water.

Clean the Window

Don't clean windows in direct sunlight, since it will cause the cleaning solution to dry before you can remove it, leaving streaks. Clean on an overcast day, and spread an old towel on the window sill to catch drips. Clean dirt from corners of the windows with a cotton swab.

Dip the sponge or scrubber in the solution, and wring excess water out. Wipe the entire glass pane in a circular motion followed by vertical and horizontal strokes for extra shine.

To dry a multi-pane window, move the squeegee from side to side starting at the top, keeping one inch of the rubber at an angle on the glass. Dry a single-pane window using a reverse-S motion with the squeegee, starting at the top left corner.

Begin the next pass on dry glass to prevent streaks. Soak excess water from the squeegee with a damp micro-fiber towel or cloth after each pass because a dry towel may skip areas on the glass.

Your windows should now be streak-free to satisfy the neat-freak in you. If you need exterior windows on upper stories of your home cleaned, or nothing works, hire a professional window cleaning service like Clear View, Inc.