Professionally Clean Windows: What You’ll Need
Cleaning your windows truly is simple once you know the best way of going about it, but you will need the right tools. Below is a short list with a brief description of some items that will make your window cleaning a snap. We intentionally selected products that are easily available to consumers. At the end of this post, we’ll include links to where you can find them.
Bucket
If you have a longer mop like the one seen in the video, you could get a special bucket designed to accommodate the entire length of the mop, but it isn’t necessary. We like the dual basin because you’ll want to rinse the mop with clean water occasionally, and this bucket allows for you to have one side soapy and the other clean for rinsing. Of course, you could always rinse your mop with a hose if you have one handy and use both sides for your cleaning solution.
Mop & Squeegee
A soft mop is essential for scrubbing the glass and breaking loose all the dirt and grime accumulated on your window. The squeegee alone won’t do the job against dirt baked on by the sun. Many people make the mistake of thinking that they can spritz and squeegee the window, but it will take some elbow grease to get it done right. The soft mop will lift away that abrasive sand that can end up scratching your glass, and you don’t want that!
Rags
You have a couple of options: pick up a package of microfiber towels (as seen in the video) or a box of t-shirt rags from your local hardware or paint store. What we’re looking for here is lint-free rags, and both of these options are. Don’t use paper towels. They will leave your windows covered in lint. The microfiber towels will absorb more and last longer as you clean your windows, while the t-shirt rags get saturated quickly, and you’ll go through more as you clean your windows.
Belt & Holster
If there’s anything on our list that is optional, it would be the belt and holster. You could carry an additional tote to keep your other tools handy. Still, you’re not going to regret that investment in a belt and holster that will keep your hands free and prevent you from bending over throughout the window cleaning process repeatedly.
Before You Begin
Pro Tip #1 – Cleaning Solution
While plenty of products out there are marketed as window-cleaning solutions in our fifteen years of experience, we’ve found that dish soap, specifically Dawn dish soap, will deliver results that are as good (if not better) as other commercially available products.
You don’t need much! We use 1/3 tsp per 1 gallon of water.
Pro Tip #2 – Rotate Those Rags
Whichever lint-free rag option you choose, you’ve got to keep rotating them to get the best result. The method we like is keeping three rags in the mix. Your cleanest and driest rag will be for the spot cleaning and touch-ups, your last step. You’ll use the damp rag for initially wiping down the frame and cleaning up the excess water from squeegeeing. The wettest rag will be used to wipe down the squeegee. Once any one of them becomes too wet or dirty, introduce a clean rag and cycle them all one spot.
Clean Windows In Five Easy Steps
Before you get started on the cleaning of the windows themselves, remove all of your screens. I like to lean them up against a wall and hose them all off; this is usually all the cleaning they’ll need. While you’re cleaning your windows, they’ll be drying and will likely be ready to reinstall once all of the windows are finished.
Step 1: Wipe Frames
Wipe down the window frames using a damp rag to remove built-up dust, pollen, and cobwebs.
Step 2: Scrub The Glass
Scrub the glass with your mop. Start at the top and work your way down. If your home is two stories, you’ll want to begin with the top floor so you don’t have dirty water dripping onto the clean windows below.
Step 3: Squeegee
Again, starting at the top, squeegee excess water horizontally, wiping the blade of the squeegee after each pass.
Step 4: Wipe Up The Excess
The dirty water will have accumulated at the bottom of the window. Use a rag to wipe up the excess water.
Step 5: Dry Edges & Detail
With your cleanest, driest rag, wipe the edge where the glass meets the frame around the window’s perimeter and spot any blemishes that remain on the glass.
Links To Supplies
The Window Experts
We sincerely hope you have found this video and post helpful. If you’d like to learn more about windows and doors, you can find videos here. We have hundreds of videos we’ve produced, all with the intent of educating you!
If you’re looking to replace the windows in your home, check out The Window Experts, and maybe we can connect you with a window replacement company near you. If you’re in the Greater Houston area, come to see us at Houston Window Experts, we’d love to help you out.
