My Favorite Way To Clean Windows Is To Write A Check

The only thing missing from Mike Fantucci's bucket is Dawn and Joy detergent (back in the truck), both of which he typically adds to water to wash windows. One of his favorite tools is his large, natural sponge.

Don't Do Windows? These Experts Share Their Secrets: Are streak-free windows obtainable? Yes, say area homeowners and professional cleaners, who share their favorite ways to wash glass. Wow. There’s never a dull moment when it comes to the fine art of polishing glass! I found this out when I recently asked friends and acquaintances to share tips about their favorite ways to wash windows successfully. And there are as many cleaning tool suggestions – paper towel, rag, steel wool, microfiber cloth, newspaper, etc. – as there are windows in my house. After being queried about their washing ways, many laughed, saying their No. 1 tip is to call a professional.

“I have no hints,” said Kathie Ninneman, director of special events/volunteers for The Community House in Birmingham, “but would love to have some.”  Toni Grinnan of Bingham Farms is all about ease. “My favorite way to clean windows is to write a check,” the attorney said with a laugh. Priscilla Eggen of Pleasant Ridge agreed. "My favorite way to wash windows is to hire it done," said Eggen, a potter whose studio is in Ferndale. "Of course, I don't get them done very often." 

Others, like Barbara Deyo, talked about old family secrets. “My dad (William Deyo) swears by a mixture of vinegar and water in a spray bottle. You just spray and wipe it down with a cloth,” said Deyo, a beauty expert who owns Deyo for Face and Body in Birmingham. “He likes to follow up with a balled-up newspaper for polishing and then uses steel wool to remove small specs without scratching." The window and the steel wool must be dry for this step. Deyo warns not to use this technique on mirrors, though, or it will take off the finish.  “I’ve tried the vinegar or sudsy ammonia solution with newspapers and it’s stinky, but OK for outside windows,” said artist Fran Wolok of Bloomfield Township.

Professional window cleaner Mike Fantucci, owner of Royal Oak-based A Window Washing, shows how to zap pesky streaks. "I use lint-free towels that I buy, as well as natural sponges, which are not only great for glass but also help to pick up dirt and grime from screens," he said.

Professional window cleaner Mike Fantucci, owner of Royal Oak-based A Window Washing, won’t go anywhere without his favorite “women,”  Dawn and Joy. Seriously, he adds a little bit of Dawn or Joy dish detergent to water and then uses natural sponges to wipe down windows before finishing with  his trusty squeegee.

This glass guru, who cleans windows everywhere from Metro Detroit homes to Beaumont Hospital, Troy, has been washing glass for nearly 40 years and says he's never met a window he couldn’t clean. Sometimes he has to use a bit of trisodium phosphate or even oven cleaner for the grimiest of windows. “But we don’t see a lot of grime these days,” he noted. “People are living healthier lives and there’s not as much cigarette smoke build-up on windows now."

Mary Bester of Troy turns over the squeegee to her husband, Steve, owner of  Educated Garage Systems. “Steve always uses a squeegee, ammonia and water,” Bester said. “Me, I hate doing windows.” If she has to do them, Bester, a marketing specialist with Digitas, prefers using Sprayway: World’s Best Glass Cleaner (available at many ACE Hardware stores). “It’s ammonia-free and streakless. Plus the people of Sprayway support breast cancer research with a donation from the sale of every can.”

Abby Miller, a student at the International Academy in Bloomfield Hills, washes windows at her home in Troy. "I swear by Sprayway glass cleaner," she said.

Abby Miller, also of Troy, agreed with Bester. "Sprayway is the absolute best and the only thing we buy for window washing," said  Miller, a sophomore at International Academy in Bloomfield Hills. She often helps with window-cleaning around the house because  the product is "quick and dependable." As for paper towel or newspaper, it's a toss-up in the Miller household. "My dad uses newspaper," said Miller, "and I like paper towel."

Artist Laura Whitesides Host of Birmingham shared that her husband, Brad, learned from a professional window washer that his company, like Fantucci’s, mixes a tiny bit of lemon Joy dish detergent with a lot of water. “My cousin tried that and said it worked like a charm,” Host said.

The front door of the Miller home gets a rub-down with Abby Miller's favorite window cleaning agent, Sprayway. "And I like to use a paper towel," she said.

Second-story challenge: Beyond the challenge of creating or purchasing the perfect solution, it’s also difficult to get to the exterior of second-story windows, homeowners said. That’s where hoses come in extremely handy. Home Depot sells a Windex product for outdoor window cleaning that easily attaches onto a garden hose. Called Windex Outdoor Multi-Surface Concentrated Cleaner, it’s perfect for hard-to-reach windows. “You just screw the bottle onto your hose,” said Bill Young, an assistant store manager at the Commerce Township Home Depot. “The hose’s water spray mixes with the Windex solution and can reach up to second stories. You let the solution settle for a while and then go back later and spray with just water from your hose. It’s a great way to get dirt and grime off your windows.” He said customers like to use it on patio furniture as well.

Young also recommended Unger cleaning products that include squeegees, brushes and more. “Unger products are like those that a professional would use,” Young said. Indoors at his own home, Young prefers using a paper towel or reusable microfiber cloth. “Those types of cloths don’t leave a lint residue,” he said.