How to Wash Windows (page 2 of 2)

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Tips and Techniques

Our Squeegee Method Is Easy to Master
Professional window cleaners sweep the squeegee back and forth across the window in one continuous motion. But this “fanning” technique takes practice to master. Instead, the method we show allows you to get great results immediately. We’re moving the squeegee horizontally across the glass, but vertical strokes will work too. If you work vertically, angle the squeegee to direct excess water toward the uncleaned area.

Touch Up With a Rag
If all goes well, a quick run around the perimeter of the glass with a clean rag will finish the job. If you left a squeegee track, wait a few minutes until it dries. It will often disappear. If not, you may be able to rub streaks away with a few light rubs with the clean, dry rag. But don’t hesitate to simply redo the entire window. By now you’re probably getting so good that it will only take a few seconds anyway.

Yes, You Can Use a Squeegee Inside the House Too
The pros do it all the time, even in houses with stained and varnished woodwork. The key is to squeeze most of the soapy water out of the scrubber to eliminate excessive dripping and running. Then rest the scrubber on the edge of the bucket rather than dropping it in the water after each window. Depending on how dirty your windows are, you may be able to wash five or ten windows before rinsing the scrubber. Keep a rag in your pocket to wipe the squeegee and quickly clean up soapy water that runs onto the woodwork. Use a separate clean rag to wipe the perimeter of the glass. New “microfiber” rags work great for window cleaning. They’re available in the cleaning section of some home centers and hardware stores.

Get your window sparkling clean in less than 30 seconds — just scrub, squeegee and wipe!

Tips for Hard-to-Clean Windows
Dried paint, sticky labels, tree pitch and bug crud may not yield to plain soap and water. Here are a few tips for removing this tough grime.

Scrape wetted glass with a new, sharp razor blade to remove dried paint.
Remove tree pitch or bug droppings with a fine (white) nylon scrub pad. Wet the glass first and rub in an inconspicuous area to make sure you’re not scratching the glass.
Add 1/2 cup of ammonia per gallon of water to help remove greasy dirt.
Loosen sticky residue left from labels or tape by soaking it with a specialty product like Goof Off. You’ll find Goof Off in the paint department at hardware stores and home centers. Then scrape off the residue with a razor blade.