I don’t know about you, but I love Spring cleaning. I love opening up an overstuffed closet or a cluttered drawer and letting the purge begin. I like looking into dark corners and high spaces that are usually neglected or at least not scrutinized and giving them the deep cleaning attention they deserve. Windows have a tendency to fall into this category of an area of your home that could be overlooked for a season, but all of the sudden the sun is shining a bit more brightly and you notice all the build up they’ve collected now that hibernating season is over. Giving your windows a deep Spring cleaning will make you feel a sense of accomplishment and will leave your house looking great.
Rain itself does not make windows dirty. Windows get dirty from dirt. Dirt, pollen, and dust build up on your windows and the rain splatters it around making spots. The best way to clean windows is with lukewarm soapy water and a squeegee. The fewer bubbles the better. Wash the windows and immediately use the squeegee in the top corner pulling down in an S pattern to remove the soapy residue. Clean the squeegee after every swipe with a dry cloth. After removing most of the soap solution, go over the corners of your window with another dry microfiber cloth. It’s best to wash windows on an overcast day. If the sun is too hot, the suds have a tendency to dry quicker than you can clean them off, leaving streak marks.
For those of you who don’t have the time to do the cleaning yourself, there are professional window cleaners out there. Make the call and schedule an appointment to have the work done for you. If you can afford this route, all the more power to you. For those of you who will be doing the work yourself, set realistic goals. There are a lot of windows in your home. Keeping the workload manageable by deciding to do the inside windows on one occasion and the outside windows on another. Or break up your home by sides, do the entire front of the house windows inside and out, before you move to the sides and rear of your home.
When cleaning your windows this year for Spring, remember there’s nothing like being completely at ease with your living space and even a little proud of what you’ve done to beautify your home. Satisfaction from a job well done is a great feeling. Now’s the time to throw off whatever clings to you and your home from winter and move into a brighter cleaner Spring!
