DIY window cleaning
I want to give you 3 tips for cleaning your own windows from a professional window cleaner. I realize that not everyone wants to pay $8-$20 per window to hire a professional to clean their windows. You also don’t want to take a spray bottle and smear the windows with a towel where it looks bad. I’ll admit that a bottle and towel is better than not cleaning them at all. Hopefully these 3 tips will help simplify window cleaning for you…
Tip #1 Just use dawn soap and water. Yes I know there’s so many options out there, and your Grandparents may tell you about newspapers and vinegar for example. That natural acid may be a good trick for hard water spots, but just a standard cleaning is best with dawn soap and water. All you need is about 1 tablespoon per 2 quarts of water mixed around. It’s ideal to apply it to the window with a t-bar and scrubber commonly found at hardware stores.
Tip #2 Use grade 0000 steel wool to help scrub out caked on dirt, and things that won’t come off easily. It’s very important to be 0000 instead of grade 00 or 000 for example as they may scratch the glass. It’s also very important to not do this on tinted windows or use it when it’s rusted. Typically, you just apply the soap then gently rub in a circular motion on the wet glass.
Tip #3 Use a window cleaning squeegee instead of towels. You may have seen professionals doing the “fanning technique” and felt intimidated by that. The truth is you can quickly learn how to do straight pulls. Just start on one side of the window, and pull the squeegee to the other side. If you’ve never used a squeegee before it does help to be at about a 30-40 degree angle, use a medium grip, and confidently move the squeegee from one side to the other side then use a dry towel to wipe the edges. I’m not saying it will be as good as professional does it, but it will be better than using a spray bottle and towels.
If you buy $50-$80 of basic tools, and at the end of the day decide it’s still frustrating then we’re always here for you. Just fill out the estimate form on our home page, and we’re happy to give you an estimate so you don’t have to spend 5 hours on a Saturday messing with this.
