Tips for cleaning windows.

[Imtoooldforallthis]

I'm sure this has been done a thousand times before but I would love everyone's tips on cleaning windows. I am an intelligent educated woman, but cannot clean windows for the life of me, I've tried white vinegar and newspaper, windowlene, many branded cleaners all leave smears. I have a karcher cleaner which leaves lines and therefore I have to go over with a cloth which again leaves smears. Can anyone help.

What's it got to do with coronavirus?

My mum swears by this simple method - a flannel that has been washed and spun in the washing machine. Take it straight out of the washing machine after the spin cycle and wipe your windows down. Squeaky clean and zero streaks!

Hi OP

We're just moving this thread to the housekeeping topic for you.

I have the window cleaning cloths from Lakeland, and just use water. No streaks.

I couldn't link earlier, but these are what I use, and they work perfectly.

a little fairy liquid in water to wash, then use my karcher to finish. Don't press hard with the karcher is the knack.

You may find that if you have been struggling with your windows and they are really dirty that even the best methods leave streaks the first time. I am surprised the Karcher didn't work. Maybe give it another go now that you have removed the worst of the dirt.

@MaMaD1990 When you say flannel, do you mean like a regular face cloth?
Or a kitchen net cloth?

Just a bog standard flannel, nothing fancy!

Sorry - face flannel!

Mr muscle glass cleaner and a clean cotton cloth. Good for smear free granite worktops too

The game changer for me was fabric softener. Put a little bit in a bucket with warm water. Wipe over windows and dry with a microfibre cloth. No streaks

Oh going to try the fabric softener idea. Regards the karcher do you have to replace the blades, I'm wondering if that's the problem, although it has left streaks from new.

I cant get my windows smear free either....they actually look worse when ive cleaned them...ive given up.

@myusernamewastakenbyme. Honestly try the fabric softener - I was amazed at how well it worked

I used to mess around with newspaper, vinegar, microfibre cloths. It always seemed a lot of effort and the results were disappointing.
But since I got a good quality squeegee blade my windows are sparkling. A flannel wrung out in hot water with a squirt of washing up liquid and then squeegee off. Really quick and no streaks.

Had my karcher over 5 years never changed blades x

I'm the same. I've tried so many glass cleaning sprays and microfibre cloths. It just shows smears in the sunlight. I think I need to get a specalist glass cleaning cloth.

Try the Lakeland ones I linked to above @Butterfly44. They really do work.

Make sure you are holding the Karcher at the right angle. It shouldn't squeak. Also, make sure you dry the tops of windows with a cloth so they don't drop on the surface after cleaning.

I am exactly the same as CrochetyCrochet. Wipe the blade with a towel between each swipe. Quick, simple and effective so I do it more frequently too as it is so painless.

Glass cloth from Home Bargains, white vinegar spray from Savers. Don't use too much spray.
Do inside wiping horizonally, then outside wiping vertically, check for streaks.

Don't do it on a sunny day.

I have just tried comfort in warm water - a total game changer ! No streaks at all 😀

Any glass cleaner, even the shops own brand and kitchen roll = no streaks. If the windows are really dirty however then use soapy water first (washing up liquid and warm water)

Often the windows, especially outside, are really dirty. I use warm water with a little washing up liquid and a face cloth to wash the windows. Then I leave for a few seconds until the window is damp. I use a dry old towel to take the worst of the wet off. Then I spray glass polish e.g. pledge on the window. I use a microfibre cloth to polish the window.

If I am cleaning an inside window, I often just spray the window with a glass polisher, and use a microfibre cloth to polish the window. If the micrifibre cloth turns black after wiping the window, then I know it is time to use warm water and a little washing up liquid to wipe the windows as described above.

I always found that the window wipers would put lines down the windows.