Follow these handy tips in a step by step guide to have a clean, clear, streak-free shine!
Winter is on it’s way out the door but left a nasty present behind… your filmy, dirty, streaky windows. Spring is the perfect time to wash old man winter away and allow springs much welcomed sunshine in. Follow these handy tips in a step by step guide to have a clean, clear, streak-free shine!
INSIDE WINDOWS AND MIRRORS
Spray windows or glass with Better Life Glass Cleaner. Use a microfiber cloth to wipe away smudges and fingerprints. If needed, spray again and use a squeegee to remove streaks.
* Do not wash windows with the sun shining through, it will be too warm and the Glass Cleaner will evaporate quickly leaving streaks.
OUTDOOR WINDOWS AND GLASS
STEP 1: Wash with a strip applicator
Picture windows call for large tools. The long cloth head of a strip applicator soaks up a lot of soapy water and knocks dirt loose without scratching the glass. For a cleaning solution, Weingard uses just a squirt of Better Life Dish Soap in a bucket of warm water - the less suds, the better.
STEP 2: Wipe clean with a squeegee
Starting at the top left, pull the squeegee over the soapy pane in a reverse-S pattern (left-handers would start at the top right). At the end of each stroke, wipe the squeegee's blade clean with a lint-free rag. Cloth diapers or old linen napkins are perfect for this task.
STEP 3: Dry off remaining drips
Remove any water remaining on the edges of the glass with a damp, wrung-dry chamois, which soaks up wetness without leaving streaks. Dry the windowsill with a rag.
STEP 4: Scrub the panes
Spray window down with Better Life Glass Cleaner. A handheld sponge or hog-bristle brush works best on multipane windows. Weingard prefers natural sponges. "They're firmer and more absorbent than synthetics," he says. Using the same solution of a
squirt of liquid soap in water, he rubs each pane from left to right, top to bottom, working the sponge edges or brush bristles into the corners to loosen dirt.
STEP 5: Wipe clean with a squeegee
Pull the squeegee down each pane in a single stroke from top to bottom. After each stroke, clean the blade with a rag so it doesn't leave streaks. (If the squeegee squeaks a lot, add a bit more soap to the water.) As above, remove any streaks on the glass with a chamois, and dry the muntins and sill with a rag.
Outdoor tips from glass cleaning pro, Joe D'Agnese of This Old House magazine.