Washing Windows

Another thing to think about is using Rain-X on the outside after you've cleaned them. It'll help keep them clean longer because the water will run off instead of spotting.

Diluted white vinegar is what I use one part vinegar two parts water. It's a little stinky, but it's safe around the kids and the smell goes away

Growing up in Mexico my mom used to use newspaper to clean windows. I have been doing the same and it works grate. Just get a page of newspaper and make a ball with it, wet it with water, then use it over the window to get the dirt off. With another page of dry paper finish up the job till you don't see anything on it. This is good way to recycle it.
G. P.

2 cups water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon detergent (liquid dish)
10 drops of lavender

You can buy a small bottle of lavender at Sun Harvest or Whole Foods. My bottle has lasted for at least 2 years and is still half full...I use it in my kids humidifier also...when they are stuffy.

I love love love white vinegar for cleaning...I use it in my laundry and clean just about every surface I can think of with it. Different strengths for different jobs.

I bought a pack of 3 empty spray bottles at Sam's to mix up my cleaners in...I have them labeled, and locked under the sink.

{{{{hugs}}}}

Great solution for windows. 1 gallon water, 2- 3 drops of ultra Dawn dish soap and 1/4 cup ammonia. Wash your windows, rinse with garden hose or clean water rag and squeezee off water. You just have wipe up any drips left behind and you have great windows. If you have a water softner then most times you just rinse and go. I am a housekeeper and use this all the time. Good luck.

Hello , K. ---------for years I have used a formula of equal amounts of white vinegar , amonia and clear alcohol , put in a spray bottle to clean windows . Spray a small amount on your windows , then wipe them with paper towels until clean , you will be amased at how easy your window and mirrow cleaning will be . It is the absolute best thing to use that I have ever found . There is one danger though , if you have a sliding glass door , you will need to put something on the door to show that it is closed or there is a danger of walking into it because it will be so clean---------happy cleaning---------Barbara B.

For getting the grime and dirt off I use fabulouso.....

for keeping them clean and routine cleaning after that

vinegar and water is the best and easiest solution....

good luck

Vinegar. Plain and simple, just ordinary WHITE vinegar. It doesn't streak and it's really cheap. The smell wears off quickly (really!).

Vinegar and water is the best for windows.

dilute some vinegar in water. I let my kids clean the windows! They are so happy to each get a spray bottle. A gallon of the vinegar is only a couple dollars and will last you a year..if just used for windows. You ought to look online for all the uses of vinegar. Definitely a money saver. And, nobody in your family will be exposed to harsh chemicals.

Hello, Dish soap any kind will work perfectly then after you dry the windows use windex to shine them up.

It's quite alright to ask this quesiton ;). That is the main reason I love thise site. An old trick is to first wash the windows good with regular soap (dishwashing liquid) water with a little vinegar. Then, use newspaper (yes, newspaper) to wipe them down after washing. Works like a charm.

I like to use Meyer's natural products and use a old t-shirt to wash the windows. It works well for me.

The best way to wash windows is to use a small amount of dish soap. Just take a sponge and wipe down the dirt and then use a squeege to take off the water. You will need dry clean towels to wipe of the blade each time you swip the window. Then use dry towel to remove any streeks you see. This is the method professional window washier use. It is fast and cheap. The most important part is use very little of the soap. You do not want it to soapy for this. It will have too many bubbles and be hard to get off the window.

Good luck
R.

Instead of using messy newspaper you can use the cheapest paper towels you can find. The cheaper they are the less lint they have and they work as good as newspaper without the inky mess.

Hi
I believe vinegar with water is a good solution and wash them with newspaper. Newspaper eliminates the streaking. It makes a huge, huge difference. Sounds crazy but true! Newspaper is actually the key!!

Hi K.,

The easiest way would be to mix a little dish soap(not to much, otherwise it will streak) in water and use one rag to wash and one lint free rag to dry. Or you could go to Lowes and buy Squeegee Off soap and a scrub bar and squeegee. I was a window washer in a previous life :)
Please don't use ammonia it is so bad for you and your windows!!
Good luck!!
D.

well you got the answer I would have given multiple times (vinegar &water with newspaper) but...I wanted to write and congradulate you that you reached 40 before you had to figure out how to clean windows! HA! I don't think you should be embarrassed, I think you should be proud that you made it this far before you had to do this daunting chore! LOL! any advice that you can give the rest of us on how to avoid horrible tasks?? Just had to give you a little poking! but I really am jealous! I used to think of myself as a princess, and had a few people comment that they thought I was a bit of a princess too, but in the real world ...I don't think that a real princess has to clean windows!!!LOL! Oh well, back to reality. Just wait till you have to mow the yard!! Really just having fun with you. Have a wonderful day!

I've used rubbing alcohol with water equal parts. And newspaper works best. Good Luck!!!

White vinegar and a few drops of dish soap in a spray bottle with water is your best bet. Also, use newspaper instead of paper towels because they won't streak or leave residue. To get the first layer of dirt off, I would use a squeegie. Good luck.

I've heard vinegar is pretty good and cleans almost anything!

This is a very old method from the depression days. My mom used to use white vinegar and water (don't know the ratio) and newspaper. L.

1 part vinegar to 1 part water. Mix, spray and wipe with newspaper.
Best window cleaner you'll find.

My grandmother always used vinegar water (about 1 cup to 2 gals water) and dried them with crumpled up newspaper. The newspaper really shines them. I do this too, it works great!

S.

I used Windex Outdoors. No scrubbing etc. Hooks onto water hose. Cleans well. Can be done without removing screens. Better than climbing ladders. Dries nicely. My grandmother used vinegar to wash windows and dried them with wadded up newspaper. Just the black/white newspaper, not color pages or slick advertisements.

K.,
You can make a great window cleaning solution from vinegar. It stinks, but it works really well and the smell goes away relatively quickly if you burn a candle, or light a bit of incense. If you use newspaper pages as paper towels it prevents streaking.
B. J

WELL LET ME TELL YOU HOW WE DO OURS. & IS ALWAYS EASY & A JOB WELL DONE. TAKE WATER & AMMONIA, MIX PRETTY STRONG & WASH WINDOWS USING NEWSPAPER TO WIPE & CLEAN THEM. DOES A FABULOUS JOB.
D.

Vinegar will help your windows shine! Dilute the vinegar with water in a spray bottle, squirt on the windows and wipe with newspaper. The newspaper won't leave behind fuzzy things like paper towels do..

Have you tried using alcohol and wipe it clean with newspaper

Windex not the off brand. Also people say using newspaper leaves no streaks or little paper particals. I dont like to use the newspaper because it turns my hands black...it washes off though. Also if your windows are super dirty or have green film-mildue- on them you can use a little scrubber or a round plastic nonstick scrubbers they are usually yellow. If they are that dirty you can mix some dish soap and warm water to scrub them clean. Mr. Clean Majic erasers are a wonderful product too. I didnt belive it till I tryed it.

I use vinegar and then wipe with newspaper...works great!

Vinegar and water cheep and will not streak. Use newspaper to wipe with. This is a trick that is used in the service. Good luck. Done that

Vinegar and water. Be sure and use newspaper instead of paper towels or rags. (no, the black newsprint won't come off on the window)

I make my own window cleaner with this recipe:

1/2 teaspoon Castile soap
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 cups water

Pour into spray bottle and shake. No chemicals, no harsh additives, no continual plastic bottles to buy. Use a washable, lint-free cloth instead of paper towels and our Earth will thank you even more!

happy cleaning!

P. (mother of three boys...hmmm, my windows are pretty dirty, too, come to think of it!)

I love this cleaner it works great! I used to live near petroleum refineries [yuck] had to clean windows often.

M.

1C vinegar
1/2C ammonia
1 TBS corn starch
1 GAL water

We have 1500 sq ft of glass and had a glass company come over and install a cermic film to help with the sun. This is how the professionals cleaned the glass and it was very dirty (they also own a janitoral service) They take a spay bottle and fill with plan water and add a few drops of dishwasher soap. Shake and then they sprayed that on the glass then wriped with a squeezy. So, easy and cheap. But if you do not want to do that use Windex window cleaner.

Vinegar, a little dish soap and hot water...scrub, scrub, scrub!
D. :)

We use vinegar and water. It works great and is very economical.

Rosie

vinegar is the best! You can get it in bulk from Costco or Sams. I use it with the paper my movers used to wrap breakables in. It's some kind of newsprint or butcher block paper. No streaks and no harmful chemicals.

Hi K.,,
you can use a solution of 1/2 water 1/2 peroxide and news paper ,,,but not the color pages of the paper ,,,some newspapers will sell you what they call end rolls its a small amount ofpaper they cant use ,,,,but with the left over from windows you can make some cool wrapping paper ,and other things with the paper
have fun ,,,,good luck L.

i think the best/easiest solution is white vinegar mixed with water...not sure how much vinegar and water you're supposed to mix though...anyway, use newspaper to clean them =) sounds weird, but it works! and it's recycling LOL

I use vinegar and water most of the time. But i tried a home remedy that says to use Downey or other liquid fabric softener straight from the bottle and clean with a microfiber cloth. It worked well. The windows were super shiney and it smelled good. This also works well on your faucets and tile.

Vinegar and water, and use newspaper to clean. Also, if you clean horizontally inside and vertically outside (or vice versa) it is easier to tell where you may have missed a spot.

Use about 1 cup vinegar to make 1 quart solution.