Let the Sun Shine In

Who doesn’t hate washing windows? I know I do. I counted our windows just for fun and discovered that we have 31 windows with most of them having multiple panes of glass. This is one project I put off until, well, I just can’t put it off anymore. We use to pay to have our windows cleaned on an every other month basis, but we quit doing that a few years back due to the expense. Selling our house is one of the reasons that I need to deal with those dirty windows.

There are a few windows that get sprinkler spray or splash from the pool area. They have hard water spots that continue to show even after the windows are cleaned. I decided to try a new product on them-Rain-X. It is supposed to repel water from car windows. I don’t know why it wouldn’t work on these pesky windows on our house. But first, I need to get the hard water spots off the windows.

I’ve always heard that vinegar will do the trick. All I had on hand was apple cider vinegar, so I diluted it about 50/50 with water and put it in a spray bottle. I was very liberal with my spraying and used a Scotch Brite pad to work it into the window. I rinsed with the hose and it seems to have done the trick. I finished up with the Rain-X after I cleaned the water spots off. I only used it where I was having trouble. I did read that it can damage paint and plastics so I wanted to be very careful and test it out only where it would be extremely beneficial.

Now on to the rest of the windows. I really didn’t want to pull the ladder out and use window cleaner and paper towels on every window. I decided to try it the way the window washer used to do it-with a squeegee. I bought one at Wal-Mart, but I was not impressed and quickly returned it. I decided to buy a little more expensive one at Home Depot. I also found a cleaner that is specifically made for this type of window washing. The cleaner really smelled good. (I might have to think of more things to clean with this cleaner.)

I borrowed the handle from the broom and mixed the cleaner and water in a bucket and headed outside. I learned a couple of tips that I’ll pass on:

1. Make sure the squeegee fits the bucket you have. Mine was a little big.

2. Don’t wash windows when the sun is shining on them; you get lots of streaks.

I cleaned the entire front and sides of the house in about 20 minutes. The Home Depot squeegee worked so much better than my initial purchase. The windows are not perfect, but they are vastly improved. The sun now shines in the windows with out being interrupted by layers of dirt. I just need to get a longer handle for the back of the house.

Note to self for next house-fewer windows!