Spring Cleaning Tips for Washing Windows
by Amy Sardone
on Apr 30, 2024
What’s the quickest way to improve the appearance of the room in one fell swoop? Wash the windows! Very few things impact how you feel about a room more than the quality of the sunlight coming through the windows. Once they’re clean, you’ll be amazed how happy you feel about the room. For more tips on spring cleaning, check out our ebook.
Tools we recommend:
- Squeegee with 1 or more channels, and a scrub sleeve
- A double bucket (or a standard one)
- 10 cotton cleaning cloths
- Cleaning solution (see below)
- 1 wide paintbrush
- 1 variable extension pole if you need to reach long distances
- Your cleaning apron stocked with a razor-blade holder with sharp blade, toothbrush, and 2 plastic bags as liners with clips.
Cleaning Solution options: Cascade dishwashing detergent works well as a window cleaner too! It has the chemical ingredients that help it rinse off the glass surface without streaking or leaving spots and it evaporates slower than an ammonia solution giving you more time to work.
Add 1 tablespoon of liquid or powder to a bucket of water. Clear non-detergent ammonia. Be sure to buy non-sudsing ammonia to avoid the nuisance suds. Just a dab will do you—2 tablespoons per bucket of water.
Getting started: Before you start cleaning the windows, be sure to dust the interior windowsills first.
Fill a bucket or one side of your double bucket with cool water.
Start with the interior of the windows and if possible start where the windows are shaded or save this task for a cloudy day so the solution doesn’t evaporate before you can squeegee it off.
Drape a cleaning cloth over one shoulder and have a razor ready in your apron in case you run across something you need to scrape off.
Put the bucket to the left of the window if possible or anywhere it’s out of the way so you won’t step in it.
THREE STEP PROCESS:
1. Apply cleaning solution from top to bottom. Use the web scrub sleeve by itself if you can reach all the window to save time slipping on and off the squeegee. Transport just enough cleaning solution to the window to cover it completely. The window should be wet enough so it doesn’t dry before you finish squeegeeing.
2. Squeegee blades must be dry and started on a dry surface for each and every stroke to work correctly. Dry a starter strip of window by hand at the edges of the window with your cloth, and wipe the blade dry. Place the squeegee blade down in the dry strip at the top of the window. Use a steady and light pressure to draw the squeegee down for your first stroke. Don’t grab the handle like a hammer, but hold it with your fingers and thumb. Stop the squeegee stroke a few inches from the lower window frame, wipe the blade, and continue wiping down, overlapping your first stroke by 25%.
3. Move all the way across the window using the techniques in step 2. All that should be left to clean is a wet strip at the bottom of the window, which you should now clean by squeegeeing from side to side.
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