How to properly clean windows to make them shiny and smudge free

How to properly clean windows

Invite brightness back into your home with clean, bright windows. From making your own window cleaning solution to the old trusty newspaper trick, there are plenty of ways to bring the shine back to your window panes.

Never underestimate the power of clean windows to transform your rooms, making them light, bright and good for the soul. Clean windows on the inside and outside provide a better perspective, for an outside view and a good impression when looking outside.

While window cleaning is a simple care and clean job, it’s often frustrating – when are you left with streaks that look like you made them look worse?! Follow our expert tips for the best results every time.

how to clean windows

Refresh slightly soiled windows — those that have weird smudges or smudges — using a cleaning spray and a cloth. However, if you haven’t washed your windows in months, get a squeegee and give it a proper cleaning.

Here’s what you’ll need to clean windows for a professional finish:

• Large dry brush or broom handle to remove cobwebs and dust
• Bucket
• Sponge
• Squeegee
• Window cleaning solutions or vinegar
• Brown paper or newspaper
• microfiber cloth
• Dry lint-free cloth or drying pad

1. Remove curtains and blinds before cleaning

Start by removing curtains and blinds. If you can, take the opportunity to wash the curtains thoroughly or spray them with a fabric deodorizer like Febreze. Use a dry brush or a vacuum cleaner to sweep dust or cobwebs from corners of windows and sills.

2. Make homemade cleaning solutions (How to properly clean windows)

If you prefer to make your own cleaning solutions, add two tablespoons of vinegar to a small bucket of warm water (this will not kill bacteria). If your windows need tough love, add two tablespoons of household ammonia, but wear rubber gloves.

Cleaning expert Lynsey Queen of Clean recommends using white vinegar to clean windows. ‘When you spray it, you don’t need a lot, it will smell for about 15 minutes, but it will disappear.’

You can also wash the windows with soap and water. Fill a bucket with a simple solution of dish soap and warm water, but avoid creating too much suds as this will leave more marks if it dries. Start washing the windows with a non-abrasive sponge.

Top tip: One to try, as seen shared on cleaning group forums, is the quirky tea bag cleaning trick. Apparently, cold tea is the secret to shiny, streak-free windows and glass. To try the tea bag cleaning trick at home, use a kitchen towel dipped in a mug of cold black tea. Wipe the tea over the surface and dry with a clean, soft cloth.

3. Start with frames

Start with the frames first, so you don’t drip dirty water on clean glass. A wet sponge wipe should do the trick, but if they’re really dirty, use a mild wood detergent or specialist uPVC cleaner.

4. Use an S-shaped motion when cleaning the windows

Clean the windows by wiping them with a sponge in warm soapy water. Dip a sponge or the foam part of a squeegee in water, squeeze out excess, and gently rub onto the glass. To thoroughly clean the window, work in an S-shape, advises Lynsey. “With your microfiber cloth, work it in an S-shape so you can get into every bit and it will stop smudging.”

Run the rubber strip of the squeegee across the window in a reverse ‘S’ pattern starting from an upper corner. At the end of each pass, clean it from foam, water and dirt with a lint-free cloth. Stubborn marks may need a sponge.

5. Wipe off any excess cleaner to prevent streaking

You can then use a squeegee for a streak-free finish. Also work in an S-shape. Periodically wipe the squeegee blade on a clean cloth to avoid spreading dirt around anyway. Then remove the remaining water with a damp suede or microfiber cloth and dry the windowsill.

Avoid paper towels or cloths that can leave lint on the glass. For upper floor exterior panels, it’s worth investing in a gadget with a U-shaped post to avoid reaching upper floor windows!

Top tip: learned from years of working in hairdressers full of mirrors, use crumpled up newspaper to clean the glass. Then polishing your windows with crumpled newspaper gives the windows a shiny finish. The paper helps to absorb any cleaning fluid residue, thus leaving the surface scratch-free.

Rub in a circular pattern to clean away the dirt, then switch to a vertical motion, then a horizontal motion, until the liquid is gone.

6. Clean window edges

Finish by wiping excess water or foam off the window sill and edges using an absorbent cloth. Repeat the process on the inside of your windows.

Most window edges will be shiny after washing with soap and water. However, if you have white PVC, Lynsey recommends using a cream-based cleaner or bleaching product to keep them looking new. — You could use a white toothpaste. Let it do its thing and that will clear the picture,’ advises Lynsey.

7. Hit at the right time

You might think that washing windows on a sunny day is the ideal time, as the light makes it easier to spot stains. In reality, it’s best to aim for an overcast day. Sunlight will create glare on the glass, making it harder to see how clean they are. It can also dry up the cleaning solution before you’ve had a chance to wipe it off, leaving unsightly stains.

Wash your windows every two to three months so you have less to do each time you clean – because less buildup means they’ll be easier to clean.

Do you have any tips for cleaning windows? We’d love to hear from you.

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