The warm seasons, particularly the summer, are very suitable for holidays and some household chores. One of them is window cleaning. The hottest time of the year is when you can make your windows shine. Once you do, you don’t have to be bothered with this any more. Here, we present the easiest and best techniques to do this chore properly.
What Window Cleaning Tools You Need
After consulting with professional windows cleaners, we have gathered useful information. We made a list of the items and detergents you need to do the task properly. They will save you time and make the glass and frames of the windows spotless and squeaky clean. The required tools for washing and wiping your windows are:
- Window Squeegee – you can find all kinds of these, which vary in price, size and quality. To choose the most suitable one, window cleaning technicians advice selecting a squeegee that fits to your hand best. The top quality squeegees usually have 3 parts – a handle, a rubber piece and a channel. The best squeegees’ rubber parts can be replaced when the old wears out;
- A wide enough Bucket – it should be so wide as to fit the window squeegee you have chosen inside. The latter you must select according to your hand;
- An Old Towel – an old towel is a good choice as its fluff is worn out. Thus, its fabric won’t leave any traces on the glasses of the windows;
- Two Microfibre cloths – you need two microbes cloths used for glass surfaces. You can buy new ones or use such that you have in your home;
- Window Cleaning Detergent – you may have to remove stubborn spots, splatters or stains. A home-made cleaning solution may not do the work, though. For this reason, experts recommend investing in strong enough cleaning solution. For best results, it should be specially designated for windows. These are not likely to leave any traces after wiping;
- A Ladder and Ladder Pads – you may need a ladder to access the outdoor and dar away window surfaces in your home. Ladder pads protect your feet keeping them stable and making sure you don’t slip while scrubbing. So, don’t skip them;
- A Long Handle for the Squeegee – with the handle and the ladder you will be able to reach all angles and areas. This makes it possible to get to the internal and external window parts safely;
These are detergents and equipment you will need for cleaning your windows. If you decide to do this task on your own, learn how to cope with the cleaning work itself. You can do it without professional help after learning the basics.
Mistakes to Avoid During the Process
Experts are unanimous that to do the work well, you need to know the steps and follow them properly. They warn not to attempt to clean your windows when the sunlight coming towards them is direct. If you do, the light and the heat will make the glass dry very quickly. As a result, you will have traces left on the surfaces. This will be the case regardless of how expensive cleaning solutions you may have applied.
When using the ladder, you want to make sure that you will be safe and won’t slip or fall injuring yourself. For this purpose, you need ladder pads. These are quite useful for all kinds of construction work. Basically every time you have to step on the ladder, you must use the ladder pads. They protect you from slipping and falling. Moreover, they also keep the surface on which you stand solid and functional for longer.
Another frequently made mistake when cleaning windows is not replacing the liquid often enough. Understandably, the solution gets dirty so fast after wiping a few window surfaces. This generally depends on the level of dirt accumulated on it. You must not forget to change the cleaning liquid several times in the washing process. Otherwise, you risk spreading the dirt back on the windows. You don’t want to turn the task into a useless exercise, so keep the washing liquid clean.
The Right Way to Deal with Cleaning Windows
Now that you have supplied all the necessary tools, you can start with the process itself. To dissolve hard to remove stains use warm water instead of hot water. The latter dries very quickly and leaves traces on the surfaces. Clean the windows with cold water for that reason and use lukewarm water only for dirty spots.
As a general rule of the thumb, make sure you start with visible stains and stubborn dirt. This way you won’t spread the dust and pollutants to the other surfaces. When cleaning, apply the detergent directly onto the wet cloth. Then, wipe the glass and frames with circular motions. If you have spots and traces left on the glass, wipe away the residues with the second dry and clean cloth.
The final stage of the cleaning process is removing the water residues at the bottom of the windows. This is where all the soil and dirt gathers and for this purpose, use the old towel to soak and wipe them clean. After rubbing with a towel, you might need to use the microfibre cloth again. Do this to wipe thoroughly the surfaces.
The last part of the work is inspecting the windows. If you find any spots of fingerprints, insect dirt or other, wipe them again with the microfibre cloth. Do you have followed the guidelines and avoided the mentioned mistakes? If so, you must have flawlessly clear glass and impeccable frame areas.
