8 window cleaning tips and hacks

Do the bright summer colors look kind of dull in your windows? Do the sun rays have hard time coming to your house through them? Do you feel like you can’t even see properly through the windows in your house or office area? Maybe, it’s time to clean them? I know, window cleaning is a tough task everybody prefers to put off for as long as possible. And that’s why I’ve compiled a couple of window cleaning tips and hacks that will help you make the process easier and its results – much better. Check them out, defeat the dirt and take a fresh look at the outside world through your freshly washed windows.

Window cleaning tricks to try out

1. Regular window cleaning involves a lot of water applied to the glass. And, it’s normally removed from windows with a squeegee. Your handy squeegee will usually leave water drips on glass edges near the window frame. Those don’t look nice once they’re dry. They may mess up the whole window cleaning work you’ve just carried out. That’s why it is nearly impossible to wash a window without having to wipe the edges. Even window cleaning pros normally have to do this! That’s where the microfiber cloth comes in. It is great for getting rid of those water marks anywhere on the glass. Use a dry one. Have a couple of such cloths on you. You can just put it in the washing machine when one of them gets too wet or dirty, take the other one and reuse them to clean the windows next time.
2. Start washing your windows from the inside, as they’re usually not as dirty there as on the outside. That’s why you don’t want to get your water and cleaning tools get too dirty before proceeding to washing a cleaner side. Don’t forget to protect your ceilings from dirty dripping water with a rag or a piece of plastic cloth.
3. Having hart time with streaks? Use a high quality squeegee. Move it vertically on one side of the window and horizontally – on the other side. If end up leaving streaks and marks, it will be easier for you to determine which side they’re on. Conquer them with a microfiber cloth or a piece of crumbled up newspaper not to apply cleaning solution and wipe the window with squeegee all over again.
4. Need to get your office windows cleaned? Do your house windows desperately require a throughout wash you have no chance to conduct? Hire a reliable professional window cleaner. How to find one first try? Go to HireRush.com and post a window cleaning task to get reached out by local window cleaners or call a couple of local providers. No matter which way you get in touch, make sure to ask a provider if he or his company has license and insurance, if he guarantees his work and if he provides residential or commercial window cleaning services (depending on what you need). A proved insurance and a set price range are 2 good signs of a reliable window cleaner. Ask him to give you a price estimate according to job details you’ll give. Don’t be shy to ask about special offers and discounts. Set the price range the worker won’t exceed. Agree on time and make the final deal. Keep the cleaner’s contact info just in case you’ll want to hire him again. Post a task here
5. How to remove hard water stains off your windows. Rain, water from your sink or outdoor water sprinkler may leave those ugly water marks on your windows and turn them into quite gross surfaces you can hardly see through overtime. Hard water spots are quite difficult to get rid of using a normal window cleaning technique. They require a special approach. The way to conquer them is to prepare special tools and cleaning solution. Luckily, you may make it at home out of 3 simple ingredients you surely have somewhere in your kitchen. You’ll need a spray bottle, regular vinegar, dish soap and lemon juice. You may make as much cleaner as you need, but to prepare the entire bottle, fill it half full with vinegar and fill the rest of it with equal amount of your dish soap and lemon juice. So, the proportions are 2 parts of vinegar, one part of dishwashing soap and one part of lemon juice. When your hard water cleanser is ready, spray it all over the windows and let it do its magic for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a bucket with water, grab a window-safe brush with stiff bristles and start cleaning. Rinse your window with clean soap-free water to remove the cleanser and get water off the windows using a squeegee or window washer and finish your regular window cleaning routine. This method will work great for larger window areas affected by hard water.
6. Save money on commercial window cleaners that consist of pure chemicals by making homemade window cleaning solutions. Homeguides.sfgate.com has a number of window cleaners’ recipes for you to try out. Believe me, they work wonders. Homemade cleaners will clean even with the most difficult spots. For instance, another homemade window cleaning solution that will cope with hard water spots is baking soda and water mixture. However, you should refrain from rubbing windows with a brush if you choose this cleanser. Use a towel instead. You may also mix four parts of water with one part of rubbing alcohol and clean the windows with hard water stains with it. This cleaning solution may remove mild water spots, and it’s great for window maintenance. However, this mix is not likely to help you get rid of more serious and old hard water spots.
7. How to clean window screens. Those accumulate more dust than you can imagine. So, they get really dirty without you noticing it. That’s why it’s better to clean them along with windows or in the beginning and in the end of season. It’s better to take screens off windows to clean them, but you may skip this step if it’s too hard to perform. Just take your vacuum cleaner, install a smaller dust brush and go over the screen to suck in the dust, spider webs and other debris. Then, pour a little bit of all-purpose cleaner or dish soap into a bucket with slightly warm water and use a rag or a sponge to wash both sides of your window screens. Wash them with clean water after that. Finish the cleaning session by drying the screens with a towel and setting them back in place. A quick tip: remove dirty window screens prior to window wash not to dust up your freshly clean glass.
8. How to clean frosted glass. Frosted glass adds to room decor and becomes more and more popular interior design decision. Moreover, it provides more privacy when used as the window glass. (Bathroom windows, ha?) While frosted glass windows actually require minimal care, stains and dirt can certainly worsen their look and feel of the room they are used in. Depending on where the glass is located, regular cleaning as well as polishing will certainly help minimize your overall effort. However, if you want to achieve better results, you need to use a little bit different technique and tools to clean frosted glass windows or doors.
   In order to clean frosted glass, equip yourself with an abrasive sponge, a piece of old newspaper or a clean cotton rag, ammonia-based window cleaning solution and rubber gloves. Put the gloves on, apply your window spray and wipe the surface with a cloth or a newspaper. Remove stains and spots from frosted glass by scrubbing them with the abrasive side of the sponge. When that’s done, apply glass cleaner once again and wipe down the window till dry. Polish the surface with the help of a lint-free rag to achieve a better look.