9 Window Cleaning Tips for Your Office and Home Windows
The new year is right around the corner, and we should prepare to clean the house from top to bottom to avoid embarrassment when we have parties or visitors. One of the neglected parts is always the windows, but not any more. This year, we’re going to start cleaning the windows properly with the help of commercial cleaning services.
In this article, we will discover the top 9 window cleaning tips to always have the cleanest, shiniest windows.
Tips for Having Clean Windows
Regardless of where you live, work or have fun, you are always surrounded by windows. It is such a simple feature, but essential, isn’t it? People often neglect or forget windows during school cleaning, house cleaning or office cleaning sessions. They believe it’s too time-consuming or too difficult to handle personally. It’s not ideal, especially for windows that bring the sunlight in and contribute to the beauty of the house and building.
While commercial window cleaning is a job requiring experience, cleaning the window in your house or office is relatively easy. All you need is just follow these tips to achieve the cleanest window ever.
Here are 9 tips for thoroughly cleaning windows in 2024.
#1 Choose a Cloudy Day for Cleaning
When you clean windows, you use sprays and cleaning agents that should be wiped off after scrubbing. If it’s sunny outside, the cleaning solution will quickly dry on the glass before you have a chance to wipe it off, leaving hard-to-remove streaks. By choosing a cloudy day to clean the window, you give yourself a chance to wipe the window and avoid scrubbing all over again.
#2 No Need to Finish in One Go
Cleaning windows, while easy, requires energy and time. The best is to clean the window two or three times per year, so there’s no competition to finish the cleaning fast. Depending on how large your house or workplace is, you can divide up the window cleaning into more sessions. For example, you can start by cleaning the windows in one room per day to avoid exhaustion.
#3 Get Ready Before Starting Cleaning
There are some things to do and some stuff to prepare before starting. Make sure to prepare the window, supplies and equipment to avoid going back and forth. This way, you can save time and energy. Here’s a list of what you will need for cleaning windows:
- Typical window cleaning bucket 1/2 to 3/4 full of water
- Two scrubbers (one for inside and one for outside)
- Two lint-free microfibre cloths (one for sweeping dust and one for wiping & drying)
- One squeegee
- Liquid dish soap
- Window Spray
- Hard Brush, fine steel wool and razor scraper for hard stains
Here’s a list of what you should do before cleaning a window:
- Open the blinds or remove them altogether before cleaning
- Prepare the cleaning liquid by adding soap to the water
#4 Separate Supplies for Each Side
Cleaning windows both from inside and outside is similar, but the cleaners you should use slightly differ. The outside of the window is often dirtier and grimier. It’s better to use an easy-to-make dish soap and water mixture or other commercial window cleaning supplies for the outside. For inside, on the other hand, we can use common cleaning supplies like window sprays that have seen wide use in households.
#5 Use Squeegee Correctly
First of all, squeegees are often used outside because washing windows with them involves a lot of water dripping on the ground. Also, using squeegees to clean the window requires some skills that you can learn and master very quickly after cleaning a few windows.
First, try to install a new blade on the squeegee if yours gets old and stiff. Second, after scrubbing the window, start wiping off soap and water from top to bottom in one go while moving in an “S” pattern. After driving excess soap and water to the bottom, lift the squeegee fast to help some of the soapy water off the window and wipe the rest using a clean microfibre cloth. Don’t use crumbled paper to wipe the window. Paper isn’t lint-free and often leaves a trail after a few seconds of use.
#6 Start by Sweeping Dirt & Dust
Don’t spray or scrub the window when there is dirt and dust on the glass and frames. Use a brush to wipe the dust first, and then start spraying the window. Also, if there are hard residuals like tree sap, adhesive or other stains on the glass, make sure to wipe them off before cleaning. Not only does cleaning the windows when there are hard residuals leave lots of unpleasant streaks, but they may also damage your equipment, especially squeegee blades, very fast.
#7 Cleaning Motions & Directions
To make sure the window is as clean as it can be and no streaks are left behind, make sure to use appropriate motions and directions when cleaning and wiping the window. For scrubbing, moving in circular patterns or continuous “Z”-shaped motion is recommended, while wiping horizontally will leave the least streaks on the glass, helping you to achieve the clean window you are looking for.
#8 Clean Hard Stains First
If you encounter a hard stain or stubborn residual, you can use a fine steel wool or window razor scraper to remove it before washing the window. Use steel wool on the window very gently without putting too much pressure on it to avoid scratching the window.
Also, if you are using razor scrapers, make sure the blades are new to prevent scratching the glass and leaving permanent scratch marks. Also, maintain an angle of 15° to 25° off the surface of the window when holding the razor scraper on the glass.
#9 Use a Mop to Reach The Top of the Window
To clean the top part of the window, it is recommended to use a mop with a long handle instead of a stepladder. This is a health and safety tip for window cleaning that can prevent the danger of falling off the ladder and injury.
Why Cleaning Windows Matters?
Cleaning the windows in your home or office can have a positive impact in multiple ways. There are a lot of benefits to window cleaning.
First, a clean window allows you to enjoy the view without being interrupted by small marks and dots on the glass.
Second, windows help with heating and cleaning the windows will increase the heating efficiency. Too much dirt and grime on the glass will block the sunlight, which prevents the room from getting free heating from the sun.
Third, clean windows improve the appeal of the property, especially from the outside. Maintaining the building’s aesthetics is the only reason why window cleaning demand among businesses and large buildings is always high.
Lastly, regularly cleaning windows not only prevents the glass from turning yellow or foggy over time but also extends the window frame and its insulation lifespan which results in saving money in the long run by reducing window replacement and maintenance costs.
Conclusion
Cleaning windows is always neglected in our house or office cleaning routines. It shouldn’t be. Clean windows mean better views, improved property appeal and more efficient heating. Don’t forget to clean the windows this year using the tips we discussed in this article. Unlike many beliefs, it’s not hard if you do it right.
If you’re deciding to clean your office windows or don’t know who to call for cleaning commercial building windows, you can rely on the commercial cleaning services we provide at MN Support Service.
