How to Choose a Solution for Cleaning Windows

It is important to choose a good solution when cleaning your windows. Glass is such a hard, yet smooth, material that nothing gets into it. Stains don’t permeate glass, and unlike other solid surfaces such as tile, cracks aren’t a problem because, if a window cracks, you automatically get a new one.

So when you clean windows all you need is a solution that dissolves grease so that you can shift that and any dirt that’s become stuck in it. You can choose from a vast array of window-washing products, most of which work just fine.

Alternatively, you can make your own washing solution by adding one of the following to a bucket of water that feels hot to your hand but that isn’t hot enough to burn you:

• 60 millilitres (ml) (4 tablespoons) of ammonia

• 1 tablespoon of soda crystals

• 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of vinegar

• 2 to 3 squirts of washing-up (dishwashing) liquid

For a fast fix for windows for when you want to just spray and wipe, choose either

• a commercial window cleaner, or

• a dilute-vinegar spray of 1 part white vinegar and 4 parts water in a trigger spray.

Spray your chosen solution very sparingly onto the window. Wipe over each pane of glass, being sure to take your cloth into the corners. Turn over the cloth so you have a fresh surface to buff up to a shine.

Don’t be tempted to use spray cleaner on already-wet windows because it’s tricky to dry without causing streaks.