How to Clean Glass Windows at Home

Cleaning your windows at home doesn’t have to be hard.

All you need to do is follow a few proven expert tips and tricks and utilise the proper cleaning tools and techniques, and you will achieve sparkling-clean results in no time.

Let’s find out all about it below!

How to clean glass windows at home

First, you need to ensure you have all the needed tools and supplies.

Nowadays, many pro tools are available online or in stores, which is very good news because they can speed up the process and not only provide sparkling results but save you lots of time and effort.

Here are some great options and expert tips on how to do it:

• To have streak-free windows, use a squeegee, preferably with a smooth, rubber edge. Try drying a 1-inch spot on the top left corner, and always start from there. Fewer streaks are done when you start on dry glass.
• It’s best to use two different scrubbers–one for outside and one for inside–so you don’t carry any pollutants and bird excrement indoors;
• Use 100% biodegradable soap to protect the health of your kids and/or pets, who will likely put their mouths on the windowsills.
• To avoid mildew, wash the window frames with a bleach-detergent solution. Mix bleach with laundry detergent in a 2:1 proportion and add a sip of water.
• To protect your skin, always use rubber gloves while cleaning.

Another alternative would be the microfiber towel. It’s a very potent cleaning tool, and so long as it’s high quality, its effectiveness is practically guaranteed. A good thing to know is that when you use it for cleaning, you want to wash windows using top-to-bottom S-motion.

Here are some additional tips and tricks:

• Use an antiseptic spray for the blinds. This will help keep them dust-free for a longer period. Just apply it after you’ve cleaned them.
• Apply a coat of floor wax on your outside windowsills to keep them clean. They are exposed to the outside nature elements and get dirty easily. Protect them with a coat of clear floor wax.
• Change your heating and cooling system’s filter. This is done only if your windows get dirty too fast. Modern homes tend to trap more dust and other participles than ever before, and the filter’s job is to trap them. It should be changed every month or two, or anytime you can’t see the light through it.
• Use ammonia solution to avoid smoke stains. Nicotine film gets stuck to the windows if you smoke in the room. To keep them clean, mix one cup of lemon-scented ammonia in 2 gallons of water and use this for a cleaning solution.

How to clean windows using white vinegar

Many people resolve to clean glass with white vinegar, as it has relatively the same pH level as ammonia.

However, unlike the latter, vinegar is a natural product, and if you don’t mind the smell, you can achieve sparkling results in no time.

One quick warning, though: never combine white vinegar with ammonia (or bleach or regular house cleaners), as it creates chlorine, which is toxic and dangerous when inhaled.

To create your own DIY cleaning solution:

• Mix equal parts hot water and white vinegar;
• Add 1-2 tablespoons of 100% biodegradable soap;
• Use the mixture to clean the windows, preferably with a squeegee or microfiber towel.

Make sure you choose a time of the day when the sun is not directly shining onto the windows, for it may cause the solution to dry quickly and cause streaks. Ideally, you want a cloudy day, or if it’s in the summer, then it’s best to do it early in the morning on a less hot day.

How to clean glass windows with newspaper

This is an old and tried technique, and, as most of them, they work because they have been tested by many people and withstood the test of time.

It isn’t necessarily the most effective method, yet it’s still better than using paper towels or old rags.

However, newspapers may leave black ink smudges, which are rather difficult to clean, so that’s one caveat. In truth, that doesn’t happen that often, but when it does, it is rather unpleasant.

Not to mention that nowadays, lots of people no longer receive newspaper subscriptions, as almost everything has transferred online, and paper has gotten a bit more expensive.

Still, it is a viable cleaning technique, and it has worked for decades, so if that’s your chosen method, more power to you.

Here’s how cleaning with newspapers works:

• First, prepare your materials. You need a few sheets of old newspaper and a cleaning solution.
• Prepare your cleaning solution. If you use your own DIY solution, you can always add 1-2 teaspoons of liquid soap to ensure you have difficulty with streaks.
• Spray or rub the solution on the glass. You can use a spray bottle or a sponge. Wash everything from the glass to the panels.
• Dry with the newspaper. Start rubbing the sheets of newspaper over the solution in long circular motions. It would take more time than with a squeegee, but the end result will be a perfectly transparent glass window most would mistake for not being there at all.

How to clean frosted glass windows

Prevention is the best remedy, as they say, but as you know, it’s not so easy to prevent your windows from getting frosted when we consider nature is not always on our side.

• Reduce the condensation. Low humidity and low temperatures are the first steps you must take to reduce the condensation in your home. Cooking, washing the dishes, and showering increase the humidity levels, leading to window condensation.
• Always run the bathroom vents after bathing. This will reduce humidity. Also, never let hot boiling water on the stove or in the bathroom because moisture on both of the window sides will freeze.
• Use caulk on the exterior of the windows, for it will help fill in small cracks and holes where cold air comes in from. Avoid caulking the steam of the window where it opens and shuts because you can accidentally seal the window, and you won’t be able to open it.
• Use weather stripping. Better choose the self-adhesive ones because they are easier and faster to use.

Knowing how to keep your windows clean and well-maintained will undoubtedly increase the value of your property.

However, we all lead busy lives and sometimes, there simply isn’t time to do it ourselves. That’s when it becomes more convenient to just rely on professional window cleaners and leave all that extra housework in capable hands. That way there’s more time left for the more important things in life, like family.

Sometimes it may even be required in your lease, so your landlord could give you a pass during a rental inspection, or, it may give them an excuse to keep your security deposit for themselves when you’re moving out.

That’s why it’s important to clean your windows regularly and to ensure they remain in pristine condition.

Conclusion

Cleaning your windows regularly will ensure your home always looks good, not only from the inside but the outside.

Using any of the techniques mentioned here will result in just that, so maybe next time you clean your windows, give some of these tips a go and see the difference.