Best Window Cleaning Techniques/products

Updated on June 04, 2008
A.K. asks from Arvada, CO
31 answers

So, I am a little late getting going on my "spring cleaning"! I have been looking out my windows and decided that they need a very good cleaning. I am 8mos pregnant so if I am going to take all the time and energy to clean them, I want them to sparkle and not be all smeary which is how they normally look after I clean them.

So...window cleaning mamas...any advice? Should I buy a special cleaner or just vinegar and water? Paper towels or lint free cloth? Any other tips? Thanks!

1 mom found this helpful

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C.B.

answers from Denver on

Vinagar, hot water and dry them with newspaper! I knew an old german lady that washed all her windows that way. Then used windex and paper towel to make them really shine.
C. B

1 mom found this helpful
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C.C.

answers from Cheyenne on

Water vinegar and newspaper. Yup then you can buff with a soft cloth. A little lemon juice and salt works good for the grimy parts as well.

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J.W.

answers from Denver on

Get the window cleaner that you want to use and then use either newspaper or coffee filters to clean the windows. Neither one will leave lint and they make the windows sparkle.

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J.O.

answers from Boise on

I do vinegar and water, wiping with a washcloth or even a sponge and then I use one of those window things that are at gas stations for your car windows, for the life of me I can't think of what they are called! It works by far the best and is really easy, newspaper also work well in a pinch.

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S.C.

answers from Fort Collins on

Vinegar and water ina spray bottle and use newspaper to wipe it off. No chemicals and no streeks. This works best for me.

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K.J.

answers from Salt Lake City on

all listed works good

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B.M.

answers from Denver on

I just use a bucket of hot water (soap leaves a residue) with a wash cloth or rag and clean. Then scrunch up a page of newspaper to dry the windows. Streak free and even hard water spots are gone.

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B.M.

answers from Pocatello on

My Grandmother always had the best looking windows in town. Secret, Vinager, water and Old News papers. The news paper wont leave lint and for some reason dosnt leave streaks. Hope this works for you.

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A.F.

answers from Salt Lake City on

I have always used paper towels and Windex (not the generic brands) and they come out looking quite nice. (I have a valley view, so I like my windows to be pretty clean). I have heard that wiping them with newspaper is supposed to work wonders, but I have never tried it. They say to spray with cleaner and use newspaper as the paper towel instead. If you try that and it works, let me know. Good luck keeping them clean with 4 kiddos!!

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N.W.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Glass wipes.

Clean windows when the sun is NOT shining on them (or you'll get streaks).

Don't do them all in one day - take care of yourself. That's a big job for 8 months preg.

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S.H.

answers from Fort Collins on

I've always used windex and newspaper. The newspaper doesn't leave as many streaks or lint. I don't know, it's what my mom did.

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S.W.

answers from Colorado Springs on

Newspaper works very well for a smudge free clean. I had to clean hotels during college...and that is what we had to use to help w/the smears. Good luck.

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D.W.

answers from Fort Collins on

Hi A.,
I used to do the same thing where the windows would streak everytime I'd clean my windows and it would frustrate me LOL...so quite a few yrs. ago I went to Checker Auto Parts and asked someone who works there what is a good window cleaner that doesn't streak and they recommended Eagle One 20/20 Glass Cleaner and let me tell ya...it's been the best thing that has worked for me...it is the only glass cleaner I will use and it doesn't streak...I also use Sparkle brand paper towels which work for me also...I hope this helps with your dilemma.

D.

E.S.

answers from Fort Collins on

My husband is great at cleaning windows and mirrors. He uses regular glass cleaner (such as Glass Plus) but wipes the glass with an old newspaper rather than rags or paper towel. He just crumples up the newspaper and uses it just as he would use a paper towel. Seems to work well everytime...I am not sure why!

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E.G.

answers from Denver on

A.,
You can use windex, They have one with vinegar. I learned though that if you use newsprint paper before it's printed on to clean and dry off the windows you don't get the streaks. I've also heard coffee filters work too.
Congradulations on the Baby
And happy spring cleaning
E.

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A.R.

answers from Denver on

I had a girl who helps me clean teach me this and it is awesome. You need the dawn foaming soap a bucket of water and a squeegee. A couple of pumps in with the water, wash the windon with a sponge and squeegee it off (wipe the squeegee on a towel in between swipes). They will sparkle. I used the technique in my sunroom which is entirely windows and it was amazing. It has to be the dawn soap to work, then just wipe the bottoms of the windows with a towel. HTH!

A.

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M.C.

answers from Salt Lake City on

My experience has been that no matter what product you use, use newspaper to wipe it off. It leaves a nice streak-free shine.

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C.G.

answers from Great Falls on

The best way to clean windows is to usw windex and newspaper they will be streak free. try it and be careful not to fall.

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K.W.

answers from Boise on

I highly recommend Shaklee products, they work GREAT & are safe for your family! You'd be amazed at the harmful chemicals in your everyday cleaners...check out their website www.shaklee.com Thanks! :)

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B.S.

answers from Boise on

I have tried tons and tons of cleaning products and have found that the new "Green Works" products are the best. There has been no streaking, cuts grease and there is no odor that some of the other products have. The odor thing is really important to me since I have 2 little ones who always want to help mommy clean. We also have 2 new puppies, and 1 tinkled on the carpet the other day, I used the Green Works on the spot and was amazed there was no spot or odor!

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K.D.

answers from Denver on

Almost any cleaner will not streak if you use either newsprint, you can get it at most newspapers for a small fee before it's printed on, or coffee filters. The newsprint is cheaper.

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A.W.

answers from Provo on

I have found that no matter what cleaner or cloth I use I have to clean each window twice...once to get the grime off and then the second time to get rid of the streaks. I always finish with a dry paper towel to erase the last streaks. It works for me. I usually just use windex and good paper towels.

Good Luck!

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D.S.

answers from Pocatello on

Hi A.,
I would like to suggest you take a look at Basic H2, which is a very concentrated,non-toxic cleaner which with one-two drops per 16 oz bottle of water will leave your windows streak free and sparkling. More is not better and will leave streaks. It has been featured on Oprah, Good Morning America, Time mag. etc. As a Non-Toxic Cleaner everyone should be using, espcially those with young children, ones with allergies, skin and lung conditions. This is a Shaklee product and if you would like more information please go to www.shaklee.net/focus2
Hope this helps and we do have a cloth to clean the windows that is washable & resuseable.
D.

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S.W.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Gosh, A., you are so much more ambitious than I am--kudos to you! I am also pregnant and copped out and hired a housekeeper to come a couple times a month to help me with my nesting projects. She swears by vinegar and water for almost everything, but also likes the spray window cleaner from Costco. It comes in a blue and white aerosol-type can and is totally streak-free. BUT, she's always telling me that simpler really IS better. (She loves Murphy Oil or Pine-Sol for floors and says the cleaner than comes with Swiffers leaves a residue she doesn't like--she's tried everything and is a real cleaning guru!)

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S.M.

answers from Fort Collins on

Windex Cloths. They already have the windex on them and they work FANTASTIC! i didn't have any streaking problems and i always did before!

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K.M.

answers from Grand Junction on

My mother always had us use vinegar and water wiped off with newspaper. Works and cleans the windows don't ask me how but it seems to work.
Good Luck

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C.C.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Vinegar and water. and old newspapers to buff it and get it to shine. I've never seen anything do a better job, and it is cheap as well. always a bonus.

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S.A.

answers from Boise on

I use All non-toxic cleaning in my house. For the safety of my child and for my husbands and my health too. For windows and all other cleaning in my house I use, Shaklee's organic basic H2 and a microfiber cloth. They sparkle!

If you are interested in getting some of this contact me and I can get some for you. It is through an independent distributor only.

Do not use newspaper. The ink on the paper is toxic.

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A.S.

answers from Denver on

Hey! I found that using a bucket of warm soapy water and then a squeegy works well. That's what they do for windows on businesses. The key is though, when you watch them is that you have to have a good quality squeegy and you have to wipe it off between each swipe. Just use a little dish soap in the water. It sounds time consuming, but it's really faster than cleaners b/c you can do the sills and everything else at the same time and you don't have to keep going over your work.

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S.R.

answers from Great Falls on

Newspaper ink that is used these days is soy and isn't toxic. Use the newsprint.

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M.G.

answers from Denver on

A.,
Clear power and a microfiber towel works AWESOME! I have even used it outdoors on 3rd story windows, where I cannot use a ladder, it smells really good too, none of the chemicals in regular products you find out there and nothing to be afraid of having in the house with young kiddos!
M.

**I too have 3 boys, 8,6 and 4 and a wee little girl who is almost 8months old.

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