Easy, Cheap Ways to Clean Windows

Is cleaning windows your favorite chore? I didn't think so. Few people actually want to do it - so few, as a matter of fact, that window washing is a good business to be in for the few who don't mind it. They're pretty busy, though, and it can be expensive to hire someone else to do the job.

Doing it yourself is always (well, usually always) cheaper, but it's seldom easy. Here's how to clean windows with the least expense and the least trouble and work.

What you'll need:

First, take a lesson from the window washers. They don't use spray bottles filled with pretty blue liquid and a roll of paper towels. What do they use? They use a bucket of soapy water, a scrubber on a handle, and a squeegee.

Any old bucket will do, as long as it's clean and your scrubber will fit into it. Buy a quality scrubber and get a good squeegee. They'll last for years, so consider it a long term investment.

The basic cleaning liquid is water. If you're cleaning mildly dirty windows, without grease or bird droppings, etc., water will do amazing things by itself. Before you use any detergent or cleaner, try water. If it will do the trick, you've saved yourself some money and trouble, too.

If your windows are really dirty, there are several things you can use with the water, none of which are expensive. Dish detergent works very well, but don't use too much or you'll have streaks to contend with. About a half a teaspoon in a two gallon bucket will do it. If that doesn't work as well as you'd like, you can add a quarter cup of vinegar to it.

In reality, you can use any soap or detergent that won't streak. Ammonia in small amounts, (about a tablespoon to a gallon of water) a half teaspoon of laundry detergent and even a small dribble of shampoo, will clean windows. Just keep the amount very small and dry the windows immediately, which brings us to the next step.

After cleaning:

Once the windows have been scrubbed, dry them promptly using your squeegee. Starting at one top corner, draw straight down on it, then the next swipe should be inside that one and at a slight angle away from it to keep water from running over the already dry area.

Wipe the squeegee with an old towel or piece of cotton cloth after every swipe, then wipe the bottom of the window when you're through. That's all there is to it.

Now let's look at a few variations and tips:

1. In lieu of a squeegee, use newspaper to dry windows.

2. In lieu of a scrubber, use a rag.

3. Always squeegee from top to bottom rather than from side to side, to avoid streaks.

4. Dry the top of the window by hand to have a dry place for the squeegee to start. If you can't reach the top of the window, wrap a rag around the squeegee and dry it with that. Starting the squeegee in a dry area will eliminate water dripping from the top of the window.

5. White vinegar will clean windows without adding soap or detergent. Use about a quarter cup to a gallon of water.

6. If windows need real scrubbing, use a wadded up net produce bag or a plastic dish scrubber.

7. Don't wash windows when the sun is on them, because they will dry too fast and cause streaking.

Another thing you might try is to put on some good music and pretend as if you were paying to get the exercise. I don't know about you, but it worked for me!