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Dirty windows can make a clean house or business look ENTIRELY unkept since it is one of the FIRST things a visitor, employee, customer, or client sees upon arrival. First impressions are what make window cleaning so IMPORTANT. While pollution levels INCREASE, more grime & dust are making their way onto our windows & sliding doors. These conditions are causing them to have STREAKS or look FOGGY which, in turn, makes them IMPOSSIBLE or hard to see through & is also keeping us AWAY from the BEAUTIFUL direct sunlight. On top of that, TONS of dirt & debris like leaves can build up over the seasons in the track & window sill, making them HARD to close or even ruining the ENTIRE window seal over time.
You DO NOT want to let passers-by know that you have a DIRTY lifestyle & that you do not RESPECT your house or business. You MUST head outside RIGHT NOW to try these TOP window cleaning methods!
But all you need to do NOW is START window cleaning. The following guide will teach you the BEST way to clean windows & will let you see what lies for you outside of the windows in their FULL beauty WITHOUT booking a professional window cleaning service.
#1: Choose A Cloudy Day!
Check the weather report! It is VERY IMPORTANT NOT to clean the windows in DIRECT sunlight! Sunlight will only cause the water & cleaning solution to evaporate MUCH faster, leaving STUBBORN steaks ALL over the window. If this happens, you MUST restart the ENTIRE job.
If you choose to clean your windows on a sunny day, MAKE SURE you use extra water, & work QUICKLY with a microfiber cloth to remove streaks as they appear once they dry, the ONLY way to get rid of them is to rewash the ENTIRE window.
If the weather IS NOT cooperating, you can always BEGIN on the SHADY side of your house or business.
#2: Start With Your Window Tracks, Window Sills & Window Screens!
BEFORE you even begin, you MUST sweep & vacuum the dirt from your window tracks & window sills. It will keep the MESS to a MINIMUM by preventing the debris from spreading all along the window. Try using a screwdriver & a wet cloth to jam down into EACH window track & then go side to side to get EVERY bit of dirt out of it. WITHOUT doing this, your window seal & track will become DAMAGED over time & shorten the overall LIFESPAN of your window. Dirty window tracks will also lead to A LOT of heat & cold air loss which will create HIGHER power bills in the future.
If your window screen looks GRIMEY or CLOGGED, you can pop it out & then wash it with a HOT, strong water stream (such as a hose), & a SOFT brush. Just flip it back & forth, brushing BOTH sides to get ALL of the dirt through the screen & out the other side. After this, rinse out the screen & let it dry before putting it back in.
To QUICKLY & EFFECTIVELY dust your blinds & shades, we recommend you go over BOTH sides with the microfiber duster. You can also open up the slats & go over EVERY single one using a damp & then dry cloth.
#3: Soak The Entire Window Surface!
Get yourself a bucket to hold water & either a cloth or a microfiber cleaner to THROUGHLY soak the ENTIRE window to begin lifting ANY dirt off the window's surface. Allow the window to SOAK for 5-10 minutes for the solution to sink DEEP under ANY debris. You will already notice that dirt is slowly sliding off the window. Remember to ALWAYS clean the cloth or cleaner after doing EACH window to MINIMIZE the dirty water pushed around. DON'T forget to dump out & refill the water bucket periodically to ENSURE clean water & clean windows.
If you are curious about the BEST window cleaner, our company uses Pine-Sol mixed with water, although water ALONE will often do the trick. Windex outdoor cleaner also works GREAT for all of the exterior windows.
https://www.uline.ca/BL_1688/Pine-Sol (For bulk Pine-Sol)
#4: Scrap Off All The Dirt & Debris!
Simply soaking the window with water & solution WILL NOT remove ALL the dust & debris. It will require you to use some EXTRA elbow grease. Start by grabbing yourself a scrapper & scrapping from side to side until you have cleaned the ENTIRE surface of the window. Repeat AS MANY times as needed until the window is SQUEAKY clean. Try running your hand along the window to see if it feels SMOOTH or if there are ANY leftover bumps or dirt.
ALWAYS remember to wet the window EACH time before you begin scrapping to AVOID scratching the window. If you scrape the window dry, you will almost CERTAINLY ruin the window. DON'T chance it!
#5: Squeegee Away The Mess!
Expert & professional window cleaning services ALWAYS swear by the squeegee, but you MUST also know how to use them CORRECTLY. Firstly just like before, start by wetting the ENTIRE window, then squeegee the ENTIRE window. The BEST way to use a squeegee is to go from SIDE TO SIDE, rather than going from TOP TO BOTTOM, since it will cause ALL of the dirty water to QUICKLY pool at the bottom of the window sill & run down the wall if you do not wipe it up FAST enough. ALWAYS remember to wipe your squeegee clean after EVERY pass to keep the dirty water to a MINIMUM.
BE SURE to wipe around the window frame with a cloth after squeegeeing. Doing so will collect ALL of the dirty water & STOP it from spreading back onto the window or back onto the floor.
#6: Finishing Touches!
You will not believe the DIFFERENCE clean windows can make the OVERALL look of your home or business. Now is the time to make these windows shine & look brand new. Take a finer microfiber cloth (the type used for TV screens & mirrors) & wipe around the ENTIRE outer frame of the window, along the window, as well as ANYWHERE that you may have missed a streak, dust, pieces of your cloth, or ANY fingerprints!
Just use a little PRESSURE when you are wiping with your cloth & BE SURE to go in circles until the mark is FULLY gone to see how clean your windows can TRULY be.
#7: Clean Your Windows At Least Twice Yearly!
We HIGHLY recommend doing a FULL window, track & window sill cleaning, INSIDE & OUT, twice yearly but NO LESS than once. You’d be SURPRISED by the amount of dirt & debris that can build up in just half a year due to the changes in weather such as leaves & general dirt & pollen from the air. You may be used to looking through dirty windows now, but once you give them a THOROUGH clean, you will NEVER let them get dirty again.
Why Is It Important To Clean Your Windows?
For starters, it just makes your house or business look dirty, no matter how clean it appears. As we mentioned above, it is the first thing that people see, so be sure to leave a good impression you only get one chance at a first impression! Secondly, when enough dirt builds up around your window & in your window tracks, the seal of the window begins to wear. Dirty window tracks cause loose windows, which in turn causes hot & cold air to escape & create higher bills. Most importantly, when your windows remain dirty for years at a time, the salt & dirt start to ruin, & deteriorate your windows & this will cause you to have to replace the entire window.
Doing so will GREATLY increase the lifespan of your entire window. After all, replacing windows is not a cheap job & should be avoided or prevented at all costs.
What Are Some Of The Top Window Cleaning Supplies?
Gathering this list of cleaning supplies can make the job MUCH more EASY & TIME EFFICIENT. There are PLENTY of different suppliers of these products, so do some RESEARCH on the SPECIFIC job you are currently doing to see if there is a BETTER-SUITED option for you.
You can use the following items to get clean windows:
- Waterproof rubber gloves
- Bucket (For water)
- Window cleaner of your choice
- Microfiber cleaner
- Microfiber cloth
- Finer microfiber cloth
- Squeegee
- Scrapper
- Paper towels
These are a few ways you can do your window cleaning YOURSELF. As HARD as it seems, it is not that BIG of a task because all you have to know is the STEPS of the PROCESS. You can also hire a PROFESSIONAL window cleaning company like ours to SAVE yourself the HASSLE altogether.
So now you are aware of the BEST way to clean windows? Are you READY to turn the coming Sunday into a house cleaning one?
Time to get to window washing NOW!
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