Josh Barclay of Crocodile Window Cleaning presents professional window-cleaning techniques.
- The first step in the window-cleaning process is brushing down the screens. Remove the screen and brush down both the inside and outside surfaces with a household brush. Once you've cleaned your windows, you won't want to put dirty screens back on top of them.
- A bucket of soapy water, a spongy applicator, a clean rag and a squeegee are all that's needed to get started. Dip the applicator in the soapy water, then sponge the soap on an individual pane of glass in a back-and-forth motion. Wipe the edges of the glass pane with the rag to remove any sediment, then bring the squeegee down from the top of the pane, removing the soap. Wipe the squeegee with the rag and repeat this step until the pane is clean.
- Water spots can be treated with the same tools, but with the addition of a very fine grade of steel wool. Once the soap is applied, scrub the pane gently with the steel wool (a fine grade won't scratch glass). Clear off with the squeegee (again, in a downward motion). If the spots are still visible, check with your local hardware store for cleaning solutions that treat lime and calcium deposits.
- For the inside windows, an opposite pattern should be followed with the squeegee. Lay some towels down below each window to catch any drips, then apply soap with the spongy applicator. Wipe the perimeter with a rag, then, instead of the up-and-down motion of the squeegee on the window exterior, wipe away the soap working from left to right and from top to bottom. This will reveal any streaks that may have been left behind outside.
- Grandma is coming, and you've got dirty windows and no window cleaner. A quick fix is to mix two tablespoons of white vinegar with two quarts of water. Dip a clean rag in this solution, then wipe down the windows. Wipe them dry with wadded-up newspaper.
