Simple Window Cleaning Hacks From The San Antonio Professionals

David Rhodes
January 22, 2017

You adore the look of your windows after they’ve been properly detailed by a window cleaning professional (like Glass Geeks). However, you don’t have to deal with dirty windows between your semi-annual window cleanings.

While your DIY cleaning solutions certainly won’t replace a professional cleaning service, they can keep you satisfied with the state of your windows and hold you over in the meantime.

Luckily, keeping your windows shiny isn’t as difficult as you may think and can be made even easier when you follow some of our helpful hacks. Keep in mind, these tips are only to be used for interior cleaning; any hard to reach windows that require the use of a ladder should be left to the San Antonio window cleaning professionals.

Ditch the Newspaper

Recycling an old newspaper that has been lying around the house in place of the paper towel has become common practice in recent years.

While this is certainly a smart and environmentally conscious practice to adopt, the number one complaint about using newspaper for cleaning is that all of the ink ending up on your hands.

In order to effectively avoid the ink stains, opt for an unused paper coffee filter instead. Coffee filters, like newspaper, help keep your windows from streaking, but unlike a newspaper, they won’t leave dark marks all over your hands or window pane.

Learn How to Squeegee

Most homeowners want the bright shine of a clean window but avoid attempting to clean it because they are wary of creating unsightly streaks. If you still can’t avoid streaks when cleaning your windows, even with the coffee filter method, you should search a few YouTube videos on proper techniques for squeegeeing.

Homeowners can purchase a small squeegee for inside their home from almost all home improvement stores. You should always make sure to wipe the blade between each swipe, though, and change it whenever it gets dull, as this will keep your windows more transparent and brighter.

Make Your Own Cleaner

If you roll your eyes whenever you hear the term ‘homemade window cleaner’ while going right back to your Windex and Pine-Sol, you shouldn’t be so quick to turn this method down.

While some homemade cleaners can be a tricky balance of ammonia, water, and other random household liquids, when it comes to cleaning your windows, all you need is vinegar, dish soap, and water.

Two parts water to one part vinegar and one part soap will suffice, however, there are plenty of different measurements that will all yield different, but still positive results.

Spray (do NOT drench) your windows with your cleaner before you wipe it away and then rinse your window with a small amount of water in order to avoid any film buildup from your dish soap. You should also try to avoid adding too much dish soap to your formula for this exact reason.

Take Care of the Details

At the end of the day, perfection is in the details when it comes to your windows. It isn’t enough to have a window that you can simply see out of; you want to be able to see perfectly clear out of it from any angle, during any time of the day.

In order to avoid pesky watermarks on the edges of your window, make sure to wipe your cleaner or water with a q-tip or even a soft t-shirt. If you happen to notice some scratches in your windows, you should immediately buff them out with non-gel toothpaste.