Windows bring in the sunshine, fresh air, and a view of the world outside. But, if your windows are not clean and shiny, you might miss out on these pleasures.
Keep up on window cleaning by following these tips to make the chore easier and faster.
Tips for Fast and Easy Window Washing
Spend a few minutes to gather the needed window washing supplies and tools, and put them together in a bucket, so they’re ready to go on window-washing day.
- 2-gallon bucket
- One or more rubber squeegees
- Spray bottle filled with a window-washing solution
- Roll of paper towels, newspaper, or clean rags
Rubber squeegees come in a range of sizes. Having a couple of different sizes lets you clean window panes from small to large with ease.
Many squeegees have a handle allowing for adding an extension for reaching higher.
You can buy a commercial window washing solution, or you can make your own with one of these two recipes:
- Mix a quart of warm water and a teaspoon of dishwasher soap, or
- Mix equal parts warm water and white vinegar with an optional few drops of liquid dish soap added.
Start by wetting the glass with the sprayer.
When cleaning larger windows, start in a top corner and draw the squeegee across the pane horizontally. When you get to the other side, move the top side of the squeegee down to just above the clean line, and go back the other direction.
Finish cleaning the edges of the glass with a clean rag, a wad of newspaper, or a paper towel. Don’t forget to wipe up any liquid that runs down onto the window sill or drips on the floor.
Cleaning the Outside of Windows
If your house is one level and you don’t have plants in the way, you might be able to clean the outside of your windows from the ground or by standing on a step ladder.
However, if you can’t easily reach the outside of windows for cleaning, you may be able to flip the window inward so you can clean the glass from inside the house.
Windows that flip inward have small tabs on the top for releasing the frame on the top end. Then, the window folds down toward the interior, giving you easy access to the exterior surface.
