To not have a clue how to clean windows without making them look worse?

[museumum]

Seriously, it really pisses me off, I just can't clean the windows so they're actually clean without smears. How the fuck do you do it?
What do you use?

They're double glazed so there's the additional loveliness of two layers of smears :(

A tip I read years ago as well, is to wipe top to bottom on one side (say, when you are doing the outside) and left to right when you are doing the other (say inside) then that way you will know which side the smear is on if there's one annoying you later.

Warm water with the juice of a lemon squeezed in, wash the windows, clean down with a soft cloth then finish with newspaper.

If you have the Karcher thing, do you still need to buff with a cloth? Do you still use a cleaner/soap/vinegar etc? Do you then need to rinse that before sucking up with the Karcher?

Outside window washing up liquid, sheepskin, squeegee and a scrim for the edges - DH old man was a rl window cleaner.
On the insides I use window cleaner spray and kitchen roll, my German cleaner disproves of how uneconomic friendly I am and uses a vinegar solution and microfibres cloth I do sometimes detect smears with this technique but I say nothing.

Unecofriendly as well as uneconomic...

Where do you get the vinegar used for cleaning ?

happenstance. I've got a dusty house (old), so I dust them first, spray with the Karcher cleaning solution, wipe over with the microfibre pad then Hoover the residue. Newer houses won't have the dust problem
It's quicker and easier than I make it sound btw and any window spray can be used, I got a bottle of their own stuff included with the vac.

Any old window cleaner spray, or hot soapy water, wipe with a cloth and then the Karcher window vac. There are so many gadgets that you think will be wonderful, only to be disappointed, but this one really works!

I also use it on mirrors, tiles and the shower screen.

Definitely vinegar and water.

That's what my mum and gran used.

A couple of capfuls of white vinegar in warm (not hot) water, wipe with clean dish towel then buff with newspaper.

Best method ever.

for £15 a man does it for you

My window cleaners are gorgeous . They don't do the sills brilliantly , but are worth every penny still!

Sainsburys do a really good green glass cloth. There are probably plenty of others that work just as well but I have tried this one and swear by it!

Yanbu i seem to make windows worse. I can scrub for ages and they get worse. Luckily i have amazing mil who just looks at windows, ovens and the dam things clean themselves in fear. I swear my windows are frighten of her. . I just hint and leave the cleaning products out. Im a bad dil (awaits for the mn post about dil expecting mil to clean windows when she visits). Sadly my mil hasnt been well recently so isnt up to cleaning. Mind you when fil and i tell her to not do it as shes not well she tells us off for spoiling her fun so i tend to leave her to it and go and make her a cup of her favourite special herbal tea in my special mug i keep for her. (Pretty with little pretty birds on thats seats just right in your hand, fil gets the tesco value mugs for his builders tea). I love my mil (and her cleaning ability)

If you clean them when the sun is on them, then the sun dries the windows before you have a chance to dry them with a cloth and they have streaks on them. I tried it last year and had to start again :(.
I second the karcher window vac and a microfiber cloth.

TheOnlyOliviaMumsnet Because my mum said so.

Me and two friends purchased a window vac between the three of us. We share it! It cut down on the expense. Good idea eh?

I don't clean my windows, that what the window cleaner is for £5 for the whole house

I wouldn't ask a window cleaner to do the inside of windows, do you?
I'm £10 a month for the windows and 2 sets of glass doors. I do the inside myself.

I've tried newspaper but it just leaves print marks on the windows. .

I have a window cleaner outside but not for the indoor windows just rarely bother to clean them .

Newspaper and vinegar here. Never had print marks on the windows.

getting rid of the children would help.

vinegar and kitchen roll. I would use newspaper but we do not have any.

I've done my entire house today, I can actually see outside now!

I used Mr Muscle Glass and Window cleaner and kitchen roll.

I also used it on the shower screen and the steel splash back. The house has never been so clean!

I very rarely clean the insides, dc don't touch the windows and I have nets that catch the dust.

I've never had print marks from newspaper!

I also polish real wood furniture with weak vinegar/tepid water mix.

Buffs it up beautifully with a soft cloth and gets rid of accumulated finger prints etc.

That's the old way and none of your horrible greasy spray polishes.

Does the karcher do the whole job ?

I don't get condensation on my windows.

Is it a fancy squeegee ?