If you want to brighten your home, consider window cleaning from a professional. There are countless tips available online on home window cleaning, from the old newspaper trick to making window cleaning solutions with vinegar.
Over time, windows get dirty naturally from dust and pollution in the air, and they deserve to be cleaned inside and out at least once every month, if not twice. However, the simple, relatively easy job of window cleaning becomes a bit like art to get a streak-free professional cleaning result.
A smeared glass is enough to ruin your image of having a beautiful, bright window, and nothing is quite like disappointing. Windows cleaning is different from dusting shelves or cleaning kitchen counters, and with the wrong, unplanned cleaning routine, you’ll want to make your windows look worse, if not better.
So how do you clean your windows like a professional? We’ll explain what a professional window cleaner does.
You can easily clean your windows using a dusting or microfiber cloth and wipe off slight dirt smudges or smears. However, giving your windows a proper cleaning treatment is recommended every three months. And if you want to know professional windows cleaning tips, start with the equipment, gears, and tools you need. We are listing them below:
With proper equipment you’ll get the streak-free professional windows cleaning experience.
Here’s a step-by-step explanation of how professionals clean windows.
1. Remove curtains and drapes
Take down curtains, drapes, and blinds for streak-free window cleaning. It is better to wash off curtains and drapes with a fabric freshener. Sweep away dust or cobwebs and any dirt from the windows and the windowsills using a dry brush, broom, or dusting rods. You can also use a vacuum cleaner for convenience. But a broom will work well.
2. Make home-made cleaning solutions
Using ready-made window cleaning solutions is recommended, but if you want to avoid buying one, you can make the best window cleaning solution at home. Here is the recipe:
Two tablespoons of white vinegar
Two tablespoons of baking soda
1 tablespoon of detergent
A small bucket of warm water
Mix them all, and your best window cleaning solution is ready.
Vinegar is an incredible natural option to clean windows. Unlike chemical-based solutions available in the market, they will not fill your home with fumes or make you allergic.
Vinegar with a little bit of soap is a perfect combination. But avoid using too much detergent or soapy liquid as it may leave marks if it gets dried. Start washing windows glass using a non-grainy sponge.
We recommend taking care of the water when cleaning windows. Opt for purified water as it does not contain minerals like sodium and calcium. People often use a damp cloth and tap water to clean windows. But professionals refrain from using tap water to get a streak-free finish and avoid leaving ugly marks on the window.
So mark these words
“Make sure the water you use to wash windows is purified, and tackle a filthy window with care for a streak-free finish.
Pro tip: If you want to try, there is a quirky tea bag cleaning hack. Apparently, it has been tried and tested that cold tea is the secret ingredient to gleaming, glowing streak-free windows. Use a kitchen towel, dip it into a cold black tea, and try the tea bag cleaning hack at home. Wipe the towel over the window surface and then buff dry with a lint-free, clean, soft cloth.
3. Begin with the frames
Begin your window cleaning with frames first. It is necessary to prevent dripping dirty water on clean glass panes. You can wipe them off with a wet sponge or squeegee, which should do the trick, but if frames are grubby, you can use the detergent solution on the wood. You can also use a specialist cleaner.
Professionals wash frames with plenty of warm, clean, soapy solution and then wipe them off with a dry, clean, soft cloth. Now it all depends on what type of windows you have.
If you have uPVC frames with decorative finishes, be careful with the equipment you use, as they may cause damage to the frame’s decorative surface.
4. Clean the glass panels with an S-shaped motion
The next step is to clean the glass panes by sponging them down with the home-made solution (warm water, soap, vinegar, baking soda). Dip a foam or sponge into the solution, squeeze it out to remove the excess, and rub the glass gently. Use an S-shaped motion to clean the window thoroughly, as professional window cleaning experts advise it. You can do it with your microfiber cloth. Move your sponge in the S shape to get into every bit of the pane and prevent the smears from being made.
5. Prevent streaks by wiping off excess cleaner
You can use a squeegee in an S-shape motion for a streak-free finish. Wipe the glass panes with a squeegee blade and then on a clean rag to prevent dirt from smearing around. Remove excess remaining water with a damp microfiber cloth. Soon after that, you can dry the windowsill. Do not use paper towels, tissues, or regular clothes. It might leave lint on the glass pane.
Pro tip:
Professionals who have also worked in a hair salon filled with mirrors often use scrunched-up newspaper to clean the glass. Use crumpled newspaper to buff your windows and give your windows a sparkling finish. The newspaper absorbs excess cleaning fluid, leaving the glass surface streak free.
To wipe off dirt, always rub in a circular motion, then switch between vertical and horizontal strokes until the cleaning liquid has vanished.
6. Clean the edges of the window
You have cleaned the windows; now it’s time to finish. Wipe off excess fluid or suds from the window’s edges and windowsill. Use an absorbent dry sponge or cloth. Perform the process on the windows outside and the inside.
Most window edges gleam after you wash them with cleaning solutions. However, if your windows have white PVC edges, professionals use white polish products or cream-based cleaners to keep them looking like new ones. For your convenience, you can use toothpaste. Apply it, rub gently and leave for a few minutes to do its magic and see the bright whitening frame.
7. The right time for window cleaning
Washing windows on a sunny day may seem ideal, as the sunlight highlights spots and smears. But in reality, it’s best to do it on a cloudy day. Sunlight can create glare on the glass window, making it harder for you to see how clean the windows are.
Are You Busy Enough To Fully Take Care Of Your Windows Cleaning? Hire Professionals from Illumination Window Cleaning In East Jordan And Charlevoix, MI
Get Streak-free Window Cleaning
Remember the tools for removing tough and dried-on dirt so you can enjoy a clearer view. A professional window cleaner uses robust window cleaning gears that can be used for heavy use. So if you are wondering why professionals come up with streak-free windows cleaning, they use everyday objects you can easily find at any hardware store or even from your home. We have mentioned them above. Others of them are:
If you use a squeegee to clean your windows, we bet you’ll never look back to the cleaning tools you have probably used to clean your windows, like paper towels, newspaper, and spray bottles. Squeegees are best when killing off streaks, and it is really convenient to use them compared to cleaning with paper towels. You can clean windows faster and more effectively using squeegees. The good thing is that you can also use squeegees for cleaning varnished, stained woodwork.
Professional window cleaners use squeegees having a stable rubber blade on edge. Get an additional two or three rubber blades for backup. Change the rubber blade with every wash as if they get to wear and tear with usage, you’ll need help to clean effectively with it.
Window mop and vipers
Window mops and viper have two pieces: the PVC t-bar and sleeve. You can wash the sleeve when it gets dirty by detaching it from the t-bar. Buttons or Velcro attach it. Opt for 14 or 18 inches as it is an ideal length.
The sleeves have different versions:
Regular
Porcupine – It has little plastic bits throughout to support scrubbing off tough dirt marks.
Scourer – It has a scouring strip on one side.
But we will recommend you go for the one with Water Retention. It is handy and does not require it to be returned to the bucket to dab more water on it. The handles can be fixed and swiveled as well. The swivel handle is easier on your wrist and provides better support when using a pole.
Windows scraper
Windows scraper helps treat tough marks and has replaceable metal blades. You can eliminate stubborn stains and marks like varnish, paint, or insect marks. A handy pocket scraper is generally enough for your regular home windows, and you can perform most maintenance jobs. But larger ones are good for scraping giant windows, and you can also fit them onto the pole’s end.
Bucket
Professional window cleaners prefer buckets wide enough to fit the mop and squeegee. Usually, you can find the one in hardware stores easily if you want, but you can also use a regular one available at home.
Well, that’s a wrap. We have explained how professionals clean windows, and we are summarizing it with a few more helpful tips below:
Remove paint stains and specks with a razor blade. Always change a blade to prevent scratches on the glass.
Always wet the window first before pushing the blade across the glass pane.
Rinse the blade before repeating the next section. It will remove debris under the blade that could harm the glass surface with scratches.
Never try a razor blade on tempered glass.
Remove bug droppings or tree pitches with a fine nylon scrub pad. First, wet the glass, then rub it in an unobtrusive area to ensure the glass is not scratched.
Tough glass stains and built-up mineral deposits can also be cleaned using pressure shower heads. Or else you can use mild household abrasives as well.
Use a glass cleaning solution of 1/2 cup of ammonia per gallon of water. It will help you remove greasy dirt from the window.
Suppose your windows have labels or tape on them, loose sticky residue left by soaking with a cleaning solution. Scrape them off later with a razor blade.
If you find it tough to fully take care of your windows, hire professionals like Illumination Window Cleaning In East Jordan And Charlevoix, Mi.
