Bid farewell to grime and streaks! Once you have acquired the necessary skills to clean windows correctly, you may begin to question how you were able to perceive anything through the glass in the first place.

Our windows are magnets for dirt—a smudge of a cute dog nose here, a splatter of cooking oil there. We regret to inform you that there is a high probability that you are cleansing yours incorrectly. Even if you are an expert in spring cleaning, it is all too easy to end up with streaks on the glass, as well as residual dirt and debris that you failed to thoroughly remove.

 However, it is not difficult to acquire the skills necessary to clean windows—not even those that are beyond your reach. The task can be completed accurately with the assistance of a few confidential secrets.

How to Prepare Your Windows for Cleaning?

Do not moisten your windows just yet! A little preparation will help you avoid missing a location and preserve your blinds and sills from potential harm. Fisk suggests the following steps:

1. Lay a clean, dry towel across the sill to catch trash and keep water from gathering on the wood.
2. Close and dust the louvers (or slats) of blinds before pushing them up to the top of the window.
3. If you have cloth window treatments, remove them so they don't get wet. Shake them as you remove them, or place machine-safe ones in the dryer for a quick spin on the air-dry option. This will remove the dust and keep it from being redeposited on the clean glass.
4. Remove screens (name each one so you know which window it belongs to) and store them in a safe place for cleaning.
5. Remove cobwebs and loose dirt from the frames, hinges, and tracks. Fisk takes a tool from the sporting goods area, an umpire brush—yes, the one used to sweep home plate in a baseball stadium. It turns out that it's the perfect size for getting into those small spaces. Always dry sweep before wetting the windows to keep water from mingling with the buildup and forming muck.

Methods for Cleaning Windows From the Inside

OK, you are now prepared to clean those windows. Initially, we will discuss the proper method for cleaning the interior windows of a vehicle using a commercial glass cleaner.

1. Use a damp cloth to gently clean the windowpane. This will simultaneously remove the top layer of loose grime and wet the glass.
2. Subsequently, apply a window cleanser, such as Windex or Invisible Glass and spray it on. To begin spraying, commence at the top of the glass and spray a narrow line down the center. Avoid the borders and non-glass surfaces, as they may be harmed by excessive spraying.
3. For window cleaning, utilize a dry, lint-free towel, preferably a microfiber fabric, to apply the solution evenly across the glass. This is more effective than paper cloths, which can leave behind lint.
4. Utilize gentle pressure to remove any obstinate, adhered debris.
5. After all grime has been removed from the windows, it is time to dry them. Dry the glass with a squeegee or a clean, dry, lint-free cloth, working from the top down to prevent drips.
6. Wipe away the cleaner that has collected around the margins of the glass where it meets the frame using a dry portion of the same cloth.
7. If any stains persist, use a fresh, dry, lint-free cloth to buff them away in a circular motion.

How to Clean the Windows From Outside?

Despite their imposing appearance, outside windows are actually much simpler to work with. This is so that you don't have to spend hours meticulously cleaning every single glass pane—you can just use a garden hose. Replace the hose's existing spray trigger with a high-pressure spray nozzle and solution-dispensing cylinder to clean windows outside. Use one of the eight spray patterns (from mist to shower to water-only) for a professional window wash after adding a little amount of liquid dish soap to the container.

1. Shut every window.
2. To get rid of the first layer of dirt, gently spray the glass with a garden hose.
3. Don't teeter on a ladder to gently clean trash off windows that are out of reach. Fisk recommends utilizing a telescoping pole that rotates, extends over five feet, and includes microfiber cloths at the head.
4. To rinse the cleaning solution off the windows, switch the sprayer to water alone.
5. Make use of a telescoping squeegee to dry wipe the window. To avoid drips, wipe the squeegee's rubber blade dry with a fresh cloth in between passes.

Using your garden hose as a professional window sprayer is another quick fix. Attach a garden hose to a jug of Windex's outdoor glass cleaning solution, then use it to mist the glass. Next, remove the jug, replace the spray nozzle, and give it a quick rinse with plain water. Drying and scrubbing are not necessary!

The Most Effective Home Treatment for Cleaning Windows

Distilled white vinegar, the most effective DIY window-cleaning item, is most likely already in your pantry. If you want to learn how to clean windows with vinegar,we recommend this simple homemade window cleaner recipe: In a clean spray bottle, combine 2 cups water, 1/4 cup white vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon dish soap. "The white vinegar is the start of this recipe, because the acid content can easily slice through dirt, grease and grime buildup on your windows," according to Our Experts. Pro tip: Label the bottle so you know which solution is inside.

How Frequently Should You Clean Your Windows?

Fisk suggests that windows be cleaned twice annually, both internally and externally. Nevertheless, he observes that the weather and other environmental factors may require additional washing or touch-ups for the outside windows, as they encounter more wear and tear. Pollen, raindrops, sap-producing trees, and animals are all factors that contribute to the accumulation of dirt on windows. Debris can also be ejected by passing vehicles, and if you reside in an area with an oceanic climate, caked-on salt may present an additional issue.