We are professional cleaners with many years of experience in keeping homes clean in the easiest possible way. We believe that a clean home you can be proud of should be quick and easy to achieve.
Window cleaning is no exception. You probably know the feeling – you look at your dirty windows and think they really need a thorough wash with soap, brush, and bucket. Maybe you usually wing it with a random all-purpose cleaner you have on hand, but often end up with windows that have a greasy film and visible streaks.
This is a source of eternal frustration for many. Especially homeowners in modern houses with many large window sections can feel that it is an almost insurmountable task, which is why they hire a professional window cleaner.
Guide to Window Cleaning
Fortunately, it doesn't have to be like that. That is, super tedious and very often.
We have created this guide for you who want to be able to clean your own windows in a jiffy and with a perfect result. First, we will go through three things you need to get right before you start. Then, you will get the process broken down step by step.
Psst, you can, of course, also use all these good tips when cleaning your mirrors.
Before you start cleaning windows
Here are three important points you need to get right before you start cleaning your windows.
It's worth knowing that you can, in principle, clean your windows in both freezing weather and bright sunshine, but it is optimal to do your outdoor window cleaning on an overcast day without rain or too strong sun. The sun will cause water and soap to evaporate too quickly, while rain will cause dust and dirt to stick immediately again.
1. Equipment you need for window cleaning
Perfect, clear, and perfectly clean windows are a combination of technique and equipment, so with the right equipment, you are already halfway there.
See all window cleaning equipment here.
For streak-free window cleaning, you need:
- a washer or soft brush for window cleaning
- a squeegee with a hard, intact rubber blade – a good squeegee is optimally made of natural rubber. It follows the contour of the window best, while a rail that is too hard and rigid tends to jump on the pane and leave streaks.
- a good glass cloth or lint-free microfiber cloth – for an extra shiny clean finish
- a telescopic pole that fits your squeegee and brush (if you have high windows).
That was the equipment for window cleaning. Now you need a good window soap that both dissolves grease and binds limescale.
2. Choose the right soap for window cleaning
If you end up choosing a soap that is not actually suitable for window cleaning, you will get a result that has a greasy film or visible streaks.
So what soap should you use for window cleaning? Well, you can approach it in different ways. You can easily make your own window cleaning mixture, but since we are big proponents of cleaning being as easy as possible, we offer you the solution using a dedicated, specially developed window soap.
3. How to make the best water for window cleaning?
Fnugfri.dk's window soap is perhaps Denmark's best window soap when it comes to achieving streak-free window cleaning and polishing windows and mirrors.
It is economical to use, and only a small amount is needed. You just need to mix 0.5 dl of window soap with 10 liters of lukewarm water, and you are ready.
It doesn't get any easier to make an effective mixture for cleaning windows and indoor window sections.
Tip! If you find it easier to make your own window cleaning mixture, do this:
- Mix 5 liters of lukewarm water with 1 tbsp. dish soap and 1 dl household vinegar.
Dish soap dissolves grease and dirt, while vinegar binds limescale on the panes. If the panes are very greasy, you can add five tsp. ammonia.
The solution with ammonia is best suited for outdoor window cleaning. If you use it for indoor window cleaning, remember to ventilate thoroughly afterward.
Now's the time --> With these 3 steps, you'll get sparkling clean windows without streaks and greasy film
Now for what you've been waiting for. Here are the simple steps to get clean panes.
Step 1:
Dip your washer in the soap bucket until it is thoroughly wet. If you are cleaning windows indoors, the washer should not be very wet, as water will drip. But outdoors, make sure it is well wet so it can dissolve all the dirt.
Remember to get well into the corners.
Step 2:
Now all the dirt is dissolved and ready to be squeegeed off. This is where it often becomes challenging for most.
Great tip from a wise and skilled window cleaner that will make all the difference to your result:
- Take your microfiber cloth and run it along one vertical side of the pane itself – all the way to the window frame. This will create a dry strip about 5 cm wide.
- Now take your squeegee. You should now squeegee water off in a horizontal path, and you should start by placing it on the dry strip you just made with the microfiber cloth.
- Move from right to left or left to right, as suits you best – one strip at a time. The dry strip where you start will ensure that no streaks appear between the strips you make with the squeegee.
- Remember to wipe the squeegee with the microfiber cloth after each horizontal strip you have made.
Step 3:
Now you need to do the final finish and remove the last dirt, water, and potential drips.
Wipe with your microfiber cloth along all internal rubber seals on the window. Start with the lintel, where water may drip from.
How often should I clean windows?
Now you have the process down, so how often should you go through this window cleaning? As a rule of thumb, you should thoroughly clean windows four times a year. For example, January, April, July, and October. This helps ensure that dirt and grime do not stick to the windows and become almost impossible to remove again.
However, this applies mostly to outdoor cleaning. Indoors, you can often just use a good glass cleaner.
In addition, you can give them a light wash with a little less elbow grease if dust and dirt become too annoying to look at through the pane. You cannot, of course, limit yourself to cleaning the windows internally. If there is still dirt on the outside of the windows, you are back to square one.
We do not recommend cleaning windows without a squeegee.
Tip! Bookmark this guide on your computer so you can easily find it again next time you need to clean your windows.