10 Steps to Spot-Free, Streak-Free Windows
Have you ever seen professional window washers cleaning a high rise building? Did you happen to notice what tools they were using (besides their amazing rope and pulley system)? Let me give you a hint: It wasn't a bottle of blue glass spray and a roll of paper towels!The pros use squeeges for a quick and simple clean that's streak-free. It takes them a 1/10th of the time and the results are 100 times better. If you're sick of the spots, it's time you learned to clean your windows like a pro!
1. Clean When It's Cloudy
Most of us get the bug to clean our windows when the sun is shining brightly. We go to throw open our windows and notice just how dirty they are. Well, hold onto that urge for another couple of days until the skies turn grey. Why? The warm sun speeds up the rate at which your cleaning solution will evaporate. If it dries too quickly, you will have windows with dreaded streaks or milky film.
2. Arm Yourself
The right equipment is the key to easy window washing success, which includes:
- Professional 14-18" squeegee -- Get the widest squeegee you can use in your space. 18 inches are perfect for large picture windows; 14 inches is better for medium panes.
- New rubber blades -- Stock up on various sizes and be sure to have a few extras on hand, since once your blade is nicked, streaks are inevitable.
- Extension pole -- Rather than risk life and limb perched on a rickety old ladder, you can reach the tops of high windows with two feet safely on the ground... and an easy-to-use extension pole in your hand!
- Squeegee scrub sleeve -- The sleeve looks like a paint-roller cover but it has a slit for the squeegee channel. The sleeve is what you use to apply and scrub in the cleaning solution to your window.
- Bucket with handle -- Any good-size bucket will do, but we think our divided double bucket is perfect for the job. It lets you keep the squeegee and other supplies in one side and the washing solution in the other.
- Clean, dry rags -- Again, any rag will do, but we are partial to our 100% cotton cleaning cloths. They are super absorbent and lint-free.
3. Mix the Cleaning Solution
Fill your bucket with cool water. Hot water is a no-no, since it will evaporate too quickly and leave streaks. Add one tablespoon of liquid or powder Cascade, which is remarkably similar to the formula used by window washing pros. Those same chemical ingredients that rinse off your glasses without leaving spots will prevent streaking on your windows.
4. Apply the Cleaning Solution
Drop your scrub sleeve into the solution and then squeeze it out. Slip the sleeve onto your squeegee channel (or just use it like a sponge) and lightly wet your window. You want the windows wet enough that they won't dry before you finish squeegeeing, but not so wet that solution dribbles all over your window panes. (If that does happen, just grab a rag to sop it up.) Figuring out the right amount of solution may take some trial-and-error, but rest assured you will get the hang of it quickly! If you can't easily reach the top of the window, slip the sleeve over your squeegee channel and click an extension pole onto your squeegee. If the whole pane is within arms reach, just hold on to the scrubbie in your hand.
5. Cut the Water
Cut the what?! Don't panic, but this little expression is about to become your window-washing mantra. Cutting the water is how the pros do it -- and now it's how you do it, too. In order to get a streak-free finish every time, window washing pros know they have to start on a dry surface for every stroke. That's why they "cut the water" -- i.e. create a dry starter surface. It's simple: Just grab a clean, dry rag and dry a 2-inch strip across the top and both sides of our window. Then wipe off the blade of the squeegee.
6. Do the Squeegee Square Dance
Grab your partner -- er, squeegee -- and get ready to dosey doe! The 'steps' for this dance are simple -- down, wipe, down, wipe, down, wipe, across. Here's how you do it: Start from the upper left corner and make one stroke down, stopping a few inches from the bottom of the window. Wipe the blade, then make another stroke down, overlapping the first pass by about 3 inches. Wipe the blade again, and make your third stroke down. By now you should have covered the entire width of the window. The final step is a quick wipe and then a stroke across the bottom, starting from left to right.
7. Move Quickly
It is important that you move quickly through the "steps" outlined in #6. If you move too slowly, the cleaning solution will evaporate and leave streaks. If this happens, just start again by applying the solution.
8. Apply Light & Even Pressure
Light, steady pressure works best for getting a flawless finish. If you use a "death grip", you will tire out quickly -- and probably have some unsightly streaks, too!
9. Switch Sides
Now that you know how easy it is to clean your windows on the inside, you can save money and time by doing your own street-front or yard-facing windows as well. Just follow the same steps, and remember to grab an extension pole to do those second-story windows.
10. Treat the Treatments
To finish off your clean windows with flourish, take this opportunity to fully clean your window treatments. If you have blinds, our
feather duster makes for quick and easy dusting. You can also use the duster attachment that came with your vacuum cleaner. If you have fabric treatments, run them through a delicate cycle in your washing machine and line dry. (Some fabrics, including silk and wool, may need to be dry cleaned.)
That's it! In ten simple steps, you can have sparkling windows that truly let the sun shine in! Happy spring!
