Having a clean and tidy house and sparkling windows is every woman’s happiness. But cleaning window glass is not everyone’s cup of tea: dust, fingerprints, traces of dirt from atmospheric agents and smog make cleaning difficult and once the operation is completed the result is often not so obvious because we have to deal with the hateful streaks.
In this article, we will give you some simple tips to take care of the glass surfaces in your home.
The best time to wash windows
Every day we juggle a thousand commitments and often, as soon as we have a little free time, we take advantage of it to do a big house cleaning.
Maybe you’ve never thought about it, but for optimal results, choosing the right time of day to clean your windows is the first thing to do.
You should avoid doing this when the sun is shining directly on the glass because the heat could dry the water too quickly and cause the products you have just passed to dry out.
It is better to opt for a cloudy day or when the sun has already set: this way you will avoid the formation of a large number of halos that are difficult to remove.
Preliminary operations
Before you start cleaning your windows, it is important to carry out some preliminary operations that will allow you to obtain an optimal result.
First, you need to equip yourself with clean, lint-free cotton or microfiber cloths, one for washing and one for drying.
Using a duster or a soft cloth, you must first remove the dust present on the glass and then with a damp cloth, you must proceed to clean the frames.
At this point you will be ready to dedicate yourself to washing the windows . Let’s see what are the various methods to obtain a perfect result without streaks.
Cleaning glass with water and vinegar
There are many specific detergents for cleaning glass surfaces on the market, but if you prefer to use natural and ecological products, you can fill a container with hot water and vinegar. 100 milliliters of vinegar for every 500 ml of water is enough.
Vinegar has a disinfectant and degreasing action and does not require rinsing. If you want, you can also add a few drops of alcohol.
If it seems more convenient, you can fill a spray bottle with the mixture you just made and spray it a little at a time, wiping it with a soft cloth.
Cleaning Glass with Lemon and Bicarbonate
Another great method for having shiny , streak-free windows is to prepare a mixture with 500 ml of warm water, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda.
Lemon has a nice scent and a high degreasing power . Again, you can dilute the components in a bowl or spray bottle and use a soft cloth to rub on the glass.
Cleaning glass with ammonia
The use of ammonia is highly debated because it is a potentially harmful substance that must be handled with care.
If you have very dirty windows with resin stains or greasy residues, ammonia is an excellent remedy to eliminate the most stubborn dirt. How to do it?
Pour a drop of ammonia into a bowl of warm water and wipe the glass with a soft cloth, wearing gloves to protect your hands .
Cleaning windows with Marseille soap
Among the various products for cleaning glass, the classic Marseille soap could not be missing, known for its delicate cleaning and degreasing action.
Dissolve a few flakes in a bowl of warm water and dip a soft or microfibre cloth in it.
Squeeze it well and pass it over the windows several times: they will be clean and shiny again in a flash.
As an alternative to Marseille soap , you can also use fabric softener or dish detergent in the quantity of a tablespoon, dissolved in 500 ml of water.
You may also be interested in our related article: How to Clean Pipes
A remedy against halos: newspaper
A grandmother’s remedy against dirt and streaks on glass is newspaper. The texture of the paper and the ink on the sheets absorb dirt and impurities from the glass. As an added benefit, newspaper does not leave lint and absorbs residual water. Let’s try to understand the procedure together:
- Prepare a spray bottle with water and vinegar or soap and spray the liquid all over the glass.
- Wipe with a soft cloth, then crumple the newspaper and use it as a sponge, rubbing it evenly over the entire surface.
The newspaper will polish the glass, removing any dust residue and eliminating any streaks.
Cleaning windows is certainly one of the least loved household chores , but according to an American research it is among the top five house cleaning activities that make people happy and satisfied with the activity performed. And after discovering in this article how to eliminate streaks, cleaning windows will no longer be a nightmare.
