Tips and tricks for your window cleaning
It is one of those cleans that EVERYONE keeps to the last minute, every few months if not years! Window cleaning… Although it may seem like a challenging task, let me tell you that once you start on it, you try your very best to get the cleanest windows on the block! If you have lots of windows, be prepared to get this done in stages as it can get tiring. But all you need to do is follow some simple steps and have the required tools to get the job done properly.
List of Equipment required:
- Bucket
- Cold water
- Detergent (a few drops)
- Microfiber cloth
- Scrapper if needed
- Towel for wiping floor and sills
- Squeegee and wet mop/cloth
How to do it?
- Using cold water, fill the bucket to halfway or less (it will make it easier to carry)Try not to use hot water as it evaporates quicker than expected. Add a few drops of detergent into the bucket or on your wet mop/cloth.
- Wet the window pane with your mop/cloth. Make sure all the dirt/bug marks and other grime is lifted by giving it a good scrub. If needed, get the scrapper out and scrape off any difficult marks.
Hint: If the scrapper is needed (not my preferred way but for those stubborn marks),only pass the blade forward not backwards as this could drag dirt/sand across causing scratches.
- Get your squeegee ready. You will need to have this tool at the right angle, say about 45° off the glass and try to keep it this way for the next step. At the same time as keeping the right angle, you will have to apply the right amount of pressure the whole time.
Hint: Not too light as you will leave water behind and not too hard as this will make the squeegee difficult to move. Find the right middle for yourself as each person is different.
- Ready to get the water off the glass with the squeegee? From the top left corner (if you are right handed and vice versa for left handed people), work your way down the window. Go all the way to the edges. Practice makes perfect, they say! You should be able with a little practice to not leave any water in between passes.
- Now is time to get your microfiber cloths out. You can’t do windows properly without using them as you will have to wipe the edges. Even the experts do this! Us your cloth DRY! It will get rid of watermarks anywhere on your glass pane. Good thing is: you can wash and reuse them as needed. Just make sure you have a stash as they do get wet pretty quickly.
- Using the towel, wipe up spilt water on the floor and the window sills.
Hint – don’t use the microfiber cloths as they will get dirty pretty easily, the towel works better for this job.
- Any marks left on the glass (stuck bugs or dirty finger marks) after drying off can be rubbed off with a clean part of the microfiber cloth, if this is not working then use the wet mop again and follow the same steps. Usually the cloth should work.
This is it! You have clean, non-marked, bug free windows that you can be proud of. And all done by you. The hard work has paid off. Now, go through the same steps with the other windows. The more you clean, the better you get at it. Involve the kids as they usually love mixing water and detergent. It can be a fun experience.
