In 1835 Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote, “In the Spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.” And while Alfred writes poetic verses about the red robin’s breast, purple twilight, and magic sails, you can bet he wasn’t observing the scenes through dirty windows. Let’s face it, cleaning windows can be a drag, but at least we can make it poetic. And with a few DIY tips, the job can be fast and easy.
- Cloudy days are best for cleaning windows: The sun makes glass hot and dries up your washing solution, leaving dreaded streaks as you wipe the grime away. Besides, who wants to wash windows when the sun is shining?
- Gather the right tools for the job: Whenever I perform any task, from cooking to carpentry, I like to get out all the necessary tools before I begin. This saves me from stopping in the middle of a chore to scramble for the right tool. Fortunately you don’t need much for cleaning. You will need a clean sponge, lint-free towels, a bucket, and a squeegee with a good blade.
- Create a recipe for a good shine: You can make DIY window cleaner by mixing equal parts water and vinegar. For super dirty windows, mix a tablespoon of all-purpose cleaner with a gallon of water.
- Start with washing windows indoors: When washing windows, it’s best to start indoors where less effort is required to get the windows clean. Use a spray bottle to apply the cleaning solution. Wet the sponge and wipe the entire window in a circular motion. Squeegee the window with vertical stripes. Use a dry cloth to wipe the squeegee blade and pick up drips around the window edges.
- Then, move to cleaning outside: Outdoor work is dirtier so you’ll probably need to mix up another batch of cleaning solution and gather an even bigger pile of towels. When you work outside, squeegee in a horizontal movement. When you want to get rid of the final streaks, you’ll know if they are on the inside or the outside. Now that’s poetry in motion!