We all have our habitual cleaning processes, the daily clean, the weekly clean, processes we have edited down to a fine art, they become second nature.
But it’s the spring cleans and big jobs that take up most of our leisure time, becoming the jobs we put off.
Clean windows make a huge difference to how our home presents.
The fall of light through clear windows enhances the natural beauty of your living space.
Is there a way to clean both the exterior and interior windows that requires little effort and lasts a long time? Reducing stress in your time poor schedule, but giving you that satisfaction of a job well done.
There are so many products out there, but if I don’t use exactly the right amounts of spray and exactly the right cleaning medium, I notice huge cloudy streaks, illuminated more so by the clean surfaces around them. No matter how much effort I have put in. The windows, mirrors and shower screens, look dirtier than when I started!
Best Way To Clean Exterior Windows
The outside windows, the effects of weather painted across them, dirt, dust and ash stuck to the surface, framed by wasps laboriously building their nests around the edges, where flies fight to find a way through tiny holes in the fly screens to sample my succulent dinners. Witnessing this, all of it frustrates me and then compounds. It seems it will be a much bigger job than anticipated.
Storming inside to close all of the windows, while musing over what is the best way to approach the problem. What will require the least effort, least tools, is cost effective and produces longer lasting results? because seriously, I’m dreading this.
My neighbour, who’s job by the way, is cleaning windows for a living, witnessed my hissy fit, before I stormed inside. He is still in the backyard working away as I drag the ladder from my shed. He has often found great mirth in watching me find ways to do jobs that I’ve never done before, having never owned a house or large property before. I am definitely a source of comedy and humour for my small community.
“What are you up to?’ he enquires, I hear the ‘this time’ at the end, though he doesn’t utter a word.
‘I’m cleaning the windows’ I state matter of factly, I am absolutely certain that I know what I’m doing as I stumble over the ladder trying to set it up against the back windows of the house.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see him fix a glance at his own trailer, WINDOW CLEANING signwritten in huge letters on the side, he hooks up that trailer everyday to go to work.
‘Can I offer a suggestion?’ he asks, softly, uncondescendingly.
‘Of course’, I climb down from my proud stance to experience the voice of wisdom.
He releases a few latches on his work trailer, reaches in to extract a large container of something. Bringing it towards me, he hands it over the wire fence, ‘Just plug it into the hose and turn it on, rinse it off with the hose afterwards, you won’t need the ladder’.
Following the voice of reason, I grab the hose from its sprinkler fitting, it snaps into place easily, twisting the nozzle, I turn on the hose. Surprised by the pressurised flow of water, taking all the grease and grime, all the mould and wasps nests off in seconds as it hits the window.
After a few minutes, when I have finished every window, I unplug the hose for the final circuit of the house to spray off the residue, it leaves a sheer clean finish. Sparkling in the sun. Clean exterior windows. Job done.
Best Way to Clean Interior Windows
Some fly carcasses and dark dust had lain on the eaves before I cleaned them earlier, but now is the moment I dread. Every time I try to clean reflective surfaces I seem to fail. I’m not sure if it’s what I use, but it never seems to look like other peoples windows. I can see from my foray outside that the outside of the windows look great. Thinking to replace what my neighbour gave me to clean the exterior windows, I head to the hardware, with the half empty container. As I’m buying it I notice there’s an indoor window cleaner with the same product name. It’s worth a try, after how well the exterior cleaner worked. I will do anything to have streak free, perfectly clean windows, from both sides. I give it a whirl.
Usually I use paper-towel to wipe away glass cleaners, but it hasn’t been working well lately, this time, armed with a dry eraser sponge. I spray the new cleaner, leave it for 30 seconds and wipe it off in gentle swirling motions. It works! My windows are as clear on the inside as they are on the outside. This is the best way to clean windows, there is no sediment, no streaks, it actually looks as if I put in a lot more effort than it actually required to clean them. Job well done.
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