How to Keep Your Windows Looking Perfect Having dirty windows can have a bigger impact on a room than you might think and can leave it feeling dark and unclean from the insidewhile making your house look uncared for from the outside. Just as making your bed can transform a room from scruffy to smart in seconds, so too can window cleaning transform your whole house.

Of course you can hire others to keep your windows clean and it’s recommended that you do so on a regular basis. However when it’s just a quick ‘going over’ that they require you may be able to make some positive impact on their appearance yourself if you have the right materials and know-how. The trick is to do this as well as using professionals if you want to make your windows look absolutely perfect. So here’s what to do when you do go over them…

Getting Ready

First of all, gather up all the tools and supplies that you’re going to need and keep them to hand. This way you won’t be wandering through the house with dripping wet hands and leaving dirt and soap suds in your wake. Fill a bucket (or saucepan or large bowl) with water and add some detergent – some is specially designed for window cleaning but many products will work. Now get a sponge and a cloth and take your equipment with you to the first window. In this article I will be beginning with inside windows, but there’s really no difference to starting inside or outside so long as you remember to do both and you clean the sponge off in between. Make sure however that you leave enough time to do all the outside windows before it starts getting cold and dark – if it’s winter then start outside.

First of all remove anything that’s in the way of the window. That includes plants and ornaments on the window sill, but also blinds or curtains. You don’t want to knock anything over or get your window covers soapy. In some cases these may be dusty as well in which case they will need to be washed in a machine. Now remove any cobwebs or dirt that is noticeable on the screen. If you do not these will collect in your bucket water and you’ll need to refresh the soap more regularly.

Cleaning the Windows Logically

Next soak the sponge and begin cleaning the frames (do these first as otherwise the dirty water will run down onto the glass after you’ve cleaned it). Once this is done you can move onto the windows themselves. Start in either the upper left or upper right corner of the pane and drag the sponge directly down (this prevents the soapy water dripping down and leaving marks). Next use a chamois or dryer rag to remove any dregs of water and give the window that sparkle you were looking for and don’t forget to clean the frames too.

Now you’ll be ready to move on to the next window – remember though first to empty your bucket and fill it with fresh water and soap. If you do not the water will become dirty and you’ll end up making more work for yourself than necessary. Remember once you’ve finished you’ll have to go round and do the outside windows too. This requires the exact same process but for large patio doors and windows near the garden you can use the hose to ‘blast’ off any initial dirt before getting started.