Looking for an easy way to clean those dirty windows? These window cleaning tips are fun, easy, and practical.
I always hated having to clean my windows. They were a chore, not even a task, and they can require a ton of time and effort.
Well, to make it a little easier for you, here’s a list of 17 window cleaning hacks to explore and experiment with.
VIDEO: 17 Ingenious Window Cleaning Hacks
1. Use Newspapers to Clean Window
Ah, the old newspaper trick—a tried and tested method that oddly enough, really works! While it isn’t necessarily the most efficient way, nor is it time-saving, it will work in a pinch.
Just spray the window with a cleaner of your choice. Grab a newspaper, scrunch it up, and start rubbing it in circular motions to spread the liquid evenly.
Remember to pay close attention to the window so you don’t end with a streaky watermarked window. Paper towels work, too, but they’re more expensive, while newspapers are just cheap and available, too.
2. Clean Your Blinds with Tongs
Do you have blinds at home? Well, you might have loved those Venetian blinds when you bought them, but you’re probably going to rue that day when you’re faced with the tedious job of having to clean it.
Remember that you have to get both the top and the underside of the blinds. Here’s what you can do: grab a pair of tongs first. Then, grab a couple of hand towels or kitchen towels.
Wrap one towel each on the two tongs and hold it in place with a couple of rubber bands. Now just slide the tongs along the blinds and watch as it cleans them like a pro.
Video: 17 Window Cleaning Hacks
More of a visual learner? Check these cleaning hacks and have fun!
3. Clean From Top to Bottom
When you’re cleaning your windows, it’s not so much about what you use, as it is how you use it to clean the panes. It’s important to clean the panes in a methodical fashion.
If you just scrub away then your window is going to look splotchy and unfinished. You’ve probably seen those half moon swipe patterns, but even then, it’s an actual pattern on your window that you really don’t need.
So just grab your sponge, spray the window and start working your way down from the top.
4. Use Baking Soda and Vinegar to Clean Window Tracks
Baking soda is the magic ingredient in just about everything, and it’s no different when you’re looking for the best window cleaner. Here’s what you’ll need:
- old toothbrush
- white vinegar
- baking soda
- paper towel
- rag
- butter knife
Sprinkle as much baking soda as you need over the window, spray some vinegar over it, and let those ingredients do their thing—bubble, fizzle, sizzle—for 5-10 minutes. Then just wipe the grime off. It’s that easy.
Love baking soda? Try out these baking soda cleaning tips!
5. Sparkle Up Windows with Laundry Detergent
You’d be surprised at how effective a window cleaning solution laundry detergent can be. All you need to get perfectly shiny and clean windows is a half cup of detergent and some warm water—a ratio of half a cup to a gallon of warm water.
You don’t need to use your expensive liquid, because even the basic one will be just as effective. The best part about this particular solution is that it is so inexpensive, and also that it is almost always available on hand.
Even if you run out of actual window cleaning solution, this will definitely come in handy.
6. Clean Corners with Cotton Swabs
It always comes down to those pesky corners that are always just out of reach. There are also some really inaccessible grooves and indents along your windows, especially if you have the kind that can slide back and forth.
Well, fret not. I’ve got exactly what you need to help clean up all the dirt, dust, and grime that accumulates there. You’re going to need a few q-tips to get started.
All you have to do is slide the q-tip along the grooves to clean all that grime and dust away.
7. Use This Cleaning Solution to Avoid Streaks
The bane of every window cleaner’s existence has got to be streaks. They’re enough to ruin a perfectly polished window.
But luckily, there’s a cleaning solution that won’t streak up your pretty windows. Here’s a list of everything you need:
2 cups water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dish detergent
Bucket
Scrub brush
Extension pole (optional)
Water hose
Sprayer (optional)
To make your solution, all you have to do is to combine the water, vinegar, and the dish detergent in a bucket. Then, spray it on the window, rinse with water, and wipe it off.
8. Use Microfiber Cloth
Using old rags are a definite no-no and could land you in a window-cleaning dog-house. Newspaper and sponges are definitely a better alternative, but here’s one more for you to consider: microfiber cloth.
There’s just something about the fabric and it’s composition that reacts with water a certain way that can help curtail the streaks you leave behind on the glass.
Just grab your cleaning solution, first. Spray a small area with it and scrub it with the microfiber cloth. If you like the way it cleans your window, you’re all set!
9. Remove Hard Water Stains with Ease
Hard water can be really tough on your window, leaving splotchy water stains along the glass. But you can make your windows look squeaky clean if you know what solution works best. Here’s what you need:
Vinegar
Dawn dish soap
Lemon juice
Spray bottle
Now that you know what you need, here’s how you can make it. First, you need to fill half a spray bottle with vinegar. Next, fill the remaining half of the bottle with one part dish soap and one part lemon juice.
It takes a bit of scrubbing if the stains have been building up for a while. But the results are totally worth it!
Find more spring cleaning hacks here.
10. Use an Old T-shirt
Are you all out of scrubs? Don’t have any newspapers, sponges, or anything else on hand? Well, an old t-shirt might just work, if you’re in a pinch.
Do you have a couple of—a half dozen—old tees in the back of your closet that you’ve been meaning to get rid of but never really got around to? Well then, now’s when you can finally use them up!
Go ahead and whip up a batch of your favorite window cleaning solution and get started!
11. Use a Squeegee
If you’re outside shopping for household supplies, then you definitely need to buy yourself a squeegee. You can pick up one of those adjustable ones so you can get to those out-of-range spots.
Just one thing to keep in mind though: you should avoid applying too much pressure on the squeegee. The optimal pressure needed to slide it around is all that you need to remove stains.
If you apply too much pressure, you’re just going to end up with streaky window panes.
12. Clean Windows Screens with a Lint Roller
If you think about it, it actually makes a ton of sense to clean your window screens with a lint roller. Just your regular run-of-the-mill roller should work just fine.
Alternatively, if you have an old paint roller on hand, just roll a lint refill over it, and that should also come in handy. It will also give you more control over the roller and increase accessibility.
Check out more lazy girl cleaning tips here!
13. Use a Rain Repellent to Keep Windows Spotless
Have you ever heard of that old saying ‘prevention is better than a cure?’ Well, the same applies for windows. There are a few things you can do to help protect your window panes from wetness, grease, and more.
Grab a bottle of rain repellent from a store near you. Just spray the solution over the glass and let it set in. This should protect your window panes from water logging and staining as the solution will make the moisture slide off rather than linger and dry in patches.
Check out more cleaning hacks for every room in your house here.
14. Make Your Own No-Rinse Window Screen Spray
Wouldn’t it just save a whole amount of time, energy, and general sanity if you could just spray a window and just leave it be as is without having to rinse it?
Here’s a recipe for a no-rinse window screen spray that you should definitely try. You will need:
4 teaspoons of baking soda
4 cups of water—preferably distilled
A few drops of essential oils.
Just take two spray bottles and fill one with two cups of water and baking soda, and the other with the rest of the water and a few drops of essential oils.
Spray the baking soda solution first to dissolve dust and grime, and then the second solution to wash off the soda.
15. Use a Professional DIY Solution to Clean Your Windows
Here’s what you’ll need to make the DIY version of the cleaning solution that professionals use:
2 gallons warm water
1/2 cup dishwasher rinse aid
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
1/4 cup ammonia
1/4 cup dishwasher detergent
Bucket
Hose with a sprayer attachment
Long-handled brush or mop
Now, in a bucket, mix the warm water, dishwasher rinse aid, rubbing alcohol, ammonia, dishwasher detergent, until all the ingredients are combined.
Use a long-handled brush or mop to shine them clean. You might want to use a squeegee for even better results.
16. Get Rid of the Mould on Window Sills
Mould is the absolute worst. They’re particularly nasty when you see them growing on your windows, especially if you live in a high-humidity area.
You can make a solution to help you get rid of mould, just take a look at what you need:
a spray bottle
White vinegar
Tea tree oil
Let it sit for about 30 minutes, and then wipe it away. Enjoy your clean windows!
Check out more amazing vinegar cleaning hacks here.
17. Clean Hard-to-Reach Window Tracks with Sponge Brush
If using Q-tips aren’t enough and the space between the panes and the rolling mechanism is slightly larger, then you can use a sponge.
Simple cut away a bit of sponge and make a cut at the bottom. Insert a craft stick in there to use as a handle and dip the sponge in the cleaning solution.
Go ahead and wipe up all that dirt and grime in no time!