Having been a window cleaner in Mallorca, Spain for Eleven years now & also "shining" in Australia & UK previously - I always shudder to see the mess of the windows when I get to them. I've also yet to see a window cleaned properly until I've reached it (blows his own horn). Yes, window cleaning sounds easy - but we all know that when the sun shifts down towards the horizon, often the windows look worse than when they did before as a whole load of streaks, cloth marks & fly vomit shows up on the glass as if you hadn't touched them at all. Here is a home-owners window guide to attempting to have a go yourself. Although I can't agree with all the methods as any professional window cleaner will agree (yep, we're all got our own fantastic way of cleaning them), but the following guide will help you along to a point. Having also run a building/reform business I can also tell you that building is a lot easier than window cleaning & trying to train someone is a chore in it's own right. Anyhow, here's the guide - & once you have finished cleaning your own windows - you may just decide to spend your day on the golf course instead & hire a trained, insured pro' to do the work for you!
What people think about window washing..
• 80% of homeowners avoid cleaning outdoor windows.
• While 72% of homeowners think windows should be cleaned at least a few times per year, only 42% say they actually clean their windows that often.
• 48% of homeowners would rather clean the toilet or shower than clean outdoor windows.
• 38% of homeowners admit they avoid outdoor window cleaning due to the time and effort required.
Time to rid your windows of a winter's worth of dirt: The bright days of summer bring welcome relief - and a problem. Too often, the gorgeous sunshine is diminished as it tries to stream through cloudy windows. While there are a variety of products that will get your windows crystal clear, the thought of washing them can seem draining. Done the wrong way, your windows will have streaks or a film, even after you've spent all day cleaning them. So make the task easier by following some basic rules.
Wait for the clouds. Cleaning windows in direct sunlight could cause your cleaning solution to dry too fast and cling to the window, leaving a streaky film. Wait until clouds are overhead, then get busy, says Ken Kopchick, 52, owner of Summit Window Cleaning in Clinton Township.
Start at the top. Clean from top to bottom, not the other way around. "That way you can catch water drips," says Mike Szandzik, 51, owner of Window Genie, a residential and commercial window cleaning company in Warren.
Get the streaks out. Streaks usually are caused by leftover cleaning solution, so don't overspray. Lightly mist the surface and wipe in a circular motion, overlapping your strokes to be sure to cover the entire window. You can use a squeegee, pulling it across the window to overlap swipes, Kopchick says. Dry the blade after every pass and work quickly.
Find a friend. If you have windows that don't tilt in for cleaning, it works best to have a two-person team cleaning them on the outside and inside at the same time. That way you can see if streaks are on the inside or outside and fix them as they happen. "You can help each other out," Kopchick says. "Two people can see streaks from different angles."
Go organic. If you're worried about chemicals, clean the way Grandma did, with a solution of 1/2 cup non-sudsy ammonia, 1 cup white distilled vinegar and 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a gallon of water. Wash the windows with a sponge and dry with an old T-shirt or paper towels. You could put it in a spray bottle. Or you could use a squirt of Dawn dish soap mixed with water. Szandzik says this cuts through dirt while making it easy to slide a squeegee.
Paper towel savvy. So, what makes the best polishing tool? Some swear by crumpled newspapers; others think paper towels are the way to go. But Kopchick swears by lint-free cotton cloths available at hardware stores. Do it cheaper with old cotton T-shirts, as long as they don't have clinging lint or other fibers that will stick to your window.
Wash, dry, repeat. To make sure your windows are absolutely streak free, Kopchick says it's best to do them twice. You're there already with tools in hand, so make the effort worth it. "A final buffing on a window that's clean really makes it shine," he says.
Call a professional. A professional window cleaning might be less expensive than you think, at $8 on average per window for the inside and outside, Kopchick says. Make sure any professional produces proof that they are fully insured and bonded to avoid liability, Szandzik says.
Use new products. SC Johnson, owner of Windex, conducted a survey of American households in 2008 that found cleaning windows outside to be such an arduous task that most homeowners try to avoid it. Windex is trying to solve that problem with two new products designed to make cleaning faster and easier. One is a water-activated cleaning pad attached to a pole that reaches up to 11 feet. It's called the Outdoor All-In-One Glass Cleaning Tool, and sells for $15 at most local stores. It won the Good Housekeeping seal of approval. To use, spray the windows with water, wipe them with the tool, then spray again with water to polish. Another product, the Outdoor Multi-Surface Concentrated Cleaner, sells for about $8, attaches to a garden hose and sprays the same streak-free way. The garden hose spray solution is meant only for quick touch-ups, so it won't cut through dirt the way the tool does.
See here for the "canning" of this product.
What people think about window washing..
• 80% of homeowners avoid cleaning outdoor windows.
• While 72% of homeowners think windows should be cleaned at least a few times per year, only 42% say they actually clean their windows that often.
• 48% of homeowners would rather clean the toilet or shower than clean outdoor windows.
• 38% of homeowners admit they avoid outdoor window cleaning due to the time and effort required.
Time to rid your windows of a winter's worth of dirt: The bright days of summer bring welcome relief - and a problem. Too often, the gorgeous sunshine is diminished as it tries to stream through cloudy windows. While there are a variety of products that will get your windows crystal clear, the thought of washing them can seem draining. Done the wrong way, your windows will have streaks or a film, even after you've spent all day cleaning them. So make the task easier by following some basic rules.Wait for the clouds. Cleaning windows in direct sunlight could cause your cleaning solution to dry too fast and cling to the window, leaving a streaky film. Wait until clouds are overhead, then get busy, says Ken Kopchick, 52, owner of Summit Window Cleaning in Clinton Township.
Start at the top. Clean from top to bottom, not the other way around. "That way you can catch water drips," says Mike Szandzik, 51, owner of Window Genie, a residential and commercial window cleaning company in Warren.
Get the streaks out. Streaks usually are caused by leftover cleaning solution, so don't overspray. Lightly mist the surface and wipe in a circular motion, overlapping your strokes to be sure to cover the entire window. You can use a squeegee, pulling it across the window to overlap swipes, Kopchick says. Dry the blade after every pass and work quickly.
Find a friend. If you have windows that don't tilt in for cleaning, it works best to have a two-person team cleaning them on the outside and inside at the same time. That way you can see if streaks are on the inside or outside and fix them as they happen. "You can help each other out," Kopchick says. "Two people can see streaks from different angles."
Go organic. If you're worried about chemicals, clean the way Grandma did, with a solution of 1/2 cup non-sudsy ammonia, 1 cup white distilled vinegar and 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a gallon of water. Wash the windows with a sponge and dry with an old T-shirt or paper towels. You could put it in a spray bottle. Or you could use a squirt of Dawn dish soap mixed with water. Szandzik says this cuts through dirt while making it easy to slide a squeegee.
Paper towel savvy. So, what makes the best polishing tool? Some swear by crumpled newspapers; others think paper towels are the way to go. But Kopchick swears by lint-free cotton cloths available at hardware stores. Do it cheaper with old cotton T-shirts, as long as they don't have clinging lint or other fibers that will stick to your window.
Wash, dry, repeat. To make sure your windows are absolutely streak free, Kopchick says it's best to do them twice. You're there already with tools in hand, so make the effort worth it. "A final buffing on a window that's clean really makes it shine," he says.
Call a professional. A professional window cleaning might be less expensive than you think, at $8 on average per window for the inside and outside, Kopchick says. Make sure any professional produces proof that they are fully insured and bonded to avoid liability, Szandzik says.
Use new products. SC Johnson, owner of Windex, conducted a survey of American households in 2008 that found cleaning windows outside to be such an arduous task that most homeowners try to avoid it. Windex is trying to solve that problem with two new products designed to make cleaning faster and easier. One is a water-activated cleaning pad attached to a pole that reaches up to 11 feet. It's called the Outdoor All-In-One Glass Cleaning Tool, and sells for $15 at most local stores. It won the Good Housekeeping seal of approval. To use, spray the windows with water, wipe them with the tool, then spray again with water to polish. Another product, the Outdoor Multi-Surface Concentrated Cleaner, sells for about $8, attaches to a garden hose and sprays the same streak-free way. The garden hose spray solution is meant only for quick touch-ups, so it won't cut through dirt the way the tool does.
See here for the "canning" of this product.
Summit Window Co. worker Ryan Gasparotto uses a squeegee.
