Who does not love squeaky clean glass? However, getting clean, sparkling glass is a monumental task if you employ the wrong tools from the start. No matter how much you wipe them up and down, using the wrong tools will make the surface look grim with dirt and scratches. In addition, the sparkle dies down with age, weighing down on the interiors. However, with the right set of tools and methods, here is how to get those sparkling clean glass surfaces back!
Use Vinegar!
The most common multi-purpose thing that rules our home is vinegar. Vinegar solutions are a perfect cleaning solution for your window and other glass surfaces. While preparing mixes, it is essential to go by the right proportions. Though some swear by the one-to-one ratio of vinegar to the water, others also add other products like dishwashing liquids. The white vinegar is the best for cleaning purposes, though all of them will work fine!
Grab A Magic Eraser
Magic erases do a fine business on your windows. These erasers are a quick escape route for easy cleaning whenever you are too lazy to start the whole cleaning business. Use the magic erasers for all the occasional cleaning. Use the pads to rub the screens and keep the grime in check.
Make Your Soap
Making your solutions might give you the best window/ glass cleaning solutions! Though the commercial ones are tried and tested, you can save some bucks by deploying your kitchen and household essentials for the cleaning sessions.
Dilute the dish soap with water until you find the right mix for your windows and mirrors. Then, fill the solutions up in the spray bottles to wipe the stains goodbye. Vinegar, baking soda, and even lemon juice are all effective home remedies you can use to tackle the grime of the windows and glass surfaces for years.
Dust The Dust Off!
Before jumping on to clean the window, take a closer look at the frames. If you don’t wipe them off beforehand with a clean, dry cloth, they become more stubborn when the water joins them. Hence, make sure to remove as much dirt as possible using either a vacuum or a clean, soft brush. If the grime persists, spray some soap solution and use a toothbrush to wipe them off.
Clean Up The Streaks
If streaks are what is worrying you, then try these two solutions.
First, if your homemade soap solutions are leaving behind stains, swap the tap water with distilled water. Distilled water is free of salts and minerals that are otherwise present in regular tap water. Therefore, using pure water may help you in reducing the stains. However, if the streaks are still persistent, then there is something amiss in your soap solution.
A good lather is not always desirable. When the soap quantity is more, there is a high probability of leaving behind streaks. Hence, use only a minimal amount of soap in the solution. A little soap is enough to clean the dirt away with enough scrubbing.
A general tip to avoid streaks is to wash the windows when the sun is not high. On a sunny day, with evaporation being at its peak, the cleaning solutions are bound to dry up fast, leaving behind their smear. Hence, clean the windows when the sun is not shining brightly.
However, the streaks are only visible when light falls on them. Hence, to ensure your cleaning results in the sparkling window, rub off the streaks using rubbing alcohol.
Banish Papers: Paper And Glass Are A Big NO
Papers seem to be lying around anywhere and everywhere and are perfect for getting some quick cleaning done. But for glasses, they are a big NO. Papers are a good absorbent, and they dry surfaces fast, but with glasses (or mirrors), the papers are not the ideal stuff to clean as they leave a lot of lint behind. They may also leave streaks along with the motion of the wipe, giving the glasses (and mirrors) a dirtier look! Using a lint-free cloth is the best way to dry your windows because they have high absorbent power and don’t leave stains behind.
Check Out A Squeegee Instead
A squeegee gives you a spotless window without any stains. As the blades move over the soap solutions, they clean everything giving sparkling windows without streaks. However, you must know how to wipe with a squeegee to avoid leaving behind stain marks.
Wash the dirty window with a wet cloth dipped in the cleaning solution. Now run the squeegee over the surface from one corner to the other horizontally. While repeating the motion, make sure to overlap an inch or two. Don’t forget to dry the edges/frames of the windows with a clean cloth after finishing.
Extra Tips
- Keep a separate set of tools for the window surfaces. The outdoor surfaces are susceptible to more dirt like bird droppings. Hence, using even the same set of squeegees or cloths will carry over the dirt from one surface to the other.
- Check whether you are leaving behind stains. If yes, it is your call to change the motion.
- Don’t wait for too long before cleaning the glass surfaces. Once the dirt occupies its place, they are hard to clean and would require harsher abrasives. Harsh chemicals, though they may effectively clean the dirt but destroy the surface shine.
- Always work your way from the top of the windows to down. You should refrain from drenching the windows with water. Instead, while wiping the screen, make sure you have squeezed off the excess water so that the squeegee or cloth can absorb the remaining water.
- If you can’t find a microfiber towel at your disposal, try out an old t-shirt for the cleaning.
Conclusion
Cleaning windows is not a laborious task, but getting them sparkling clean is one. However, with these tips and steps, you’ll know how to tackle the stubborn streaks and grime that find their way to your windows. Use these cost-effective and safe ideas to give your windows a royal treatment.
