The best way to clean windows is to do it yourself. This might save you the cost of having a spring cleaning done professionally. It might also be a great way to earn a living. People pay good money to have their windows washed. However, if you want to do it right, you will need to use the right tools and know the best methods for streak free cleaning.
Window Cleaning Tools
While technique is important you must also have the right tools. Windows are delicate and expensive features of a house. You need to ensure that your tools will not only clean well but also treat the glass right and refrain from damaging it. Besides acquiring all these tools, you must remember to maintain them and verify before every job that they are in adequate condition.
• Squeegee
This is going to be your primary tool. Everything else is going to prepare the window for the squeegee or clean up after it. You will use this tool to remove the water and/or cleaning solution of your choice from each window that you clean.
The squeegee has three parts: the handle, the channel and the rubber blade. You should review the entire tool before using it. A flaw in the squeegee can do more than leave streaks; it could actually damage glass.
• Scrubbing Wand
This tool is also known as the T-handle. You use it to scrub the window. Shaped like the letter T, this tool is made from sturdy plastic. The best way to clean windows is to dip it into cleaning solution before rubbing it against the window pane.
• Tool Belt
You need a special belt that is made for window cleaners. Without it, you will not be able to conveniently carry all the tools and you might find yourself going up and down a ladder or scrambling around in bag while the window dries with streaks on it and ruins your work. With the belt, you will have quick access to all the tools.
• Buckets
There are various types of buckets for this task. Some attach to your belt and others are for sitting on the ground. Each kind will be appropriate for different sorts of window washing.
• Scraper
Squeegees and wands cannot always get the whole job done. Sometimes windows have more than just dust and water streaks on them. Debris of various sorts can become attached to the glass. A window scraper is specially designed to remove these materials without damaging the glass. Do not use any other tools to try and remove debris.
• Towels
The best way to clean windows requires special towels that you should not ever use for any other task. They are not really meant to clean the windows. They are primarily meant to clean the edges of windows and spots that you might have missed.
More Tips For The Best Way To Clean Windows - Window Cleaning Solutions
You can always find window cleaning solution in the store. The advantage to this is knowing that you get a quality solution for your money. There might even be a money-back guarantee that comes with it. However, you can save money and do an equally fine job with your own homemade brew of cleaning solution.
The primary ingredient of your solution will be pure water. Use the softest kind that you can get. If you use hard water, it can leave deposits that you will just have to clean later and these can also cause permanent damage to window quality.
Your base may simply be dishwashing soap. You can find the right brand and determine the right ratio of soap-to water-with a little experience. In some conditions, you may want to add a chemical known as a gliding agent to reduce evaporation time when you are cleaning on an unusually hot or windy day.
The best way to clean windows avoids using certain cleaning solutions unless they are absolutely necessary. These include vinegar, alcohol and ammonia. Some people like to use white vinegar for cleaning because it is a natural product, but you should only use it and these other liquids for extremely stubborn debris that nothing else will remove.
Steps to Washing Windows
Window washing can essentially be reduced to four steps.
• Scrubbing
Before scrubbing, you must visually inspect the window for defects, debris and dirt. Only after evaluating the dirtiness of the window will you know how to proceed. A very dirty window may require that you wash it with water and run the squeegee over it one time before scrubbing it. Then you will need to use the scraper and then the squeegee for a second time.
• Scraping
The best way to clean windows is to remove very hard debris with your scraper. Make sure the window is still wet from scrubbing. Examine your scraper to be sure there is not any flaw that will damage the window. Scrape a small area to verify that you are not going to scratch the window.
• Squeegee
It will simply take practice to become adept at using the squeegee well. It should feel comfortable in your hand, not awkward, because you are going to be doing this a lot. Check the squeegee channel to see that it is not crooked. Be prepared to change the squeegee rubber regularly.
• Wiping
The best way to clean windows is to use the towels for missed spots and along the edges of the window where your squeegee may have left minor streaks. It is vitally important that the towels be perfectly clean and dry when you apply them. You should never use them for any other task.