Category: Clean Windows

Window washing isn’t just about getting those glass panes nice and shiny, it’s also about  making sure the screens covering windows that open and free of dirt and dust as well. Opening a  clean window only to be met with particles blowing back into the house off the screen creates  double-work, so here’s how to tackle that task effectively and keep your home and windows  healthy and lovely. 

Firstly, carefully remove the screen from its mounting. If the screen is older, take care not to  let its frame bend on the way out. Make a mental note of which side faces inward, since some  screens have removal tabs that face in towards the house interior. 

Gently brush both sides of the screen to remove loose particulate matter, and do so either over  an old towel or outside so nothing lands on your interior floors. This is to remove the heavier  surface dirt so that the rest of the task will be easier. 

Soak or rinse the screen to remove the less-easily lifted dirt from the screen. If you have a basin  or tub big enough for the screen, let it soak for a little while in the water. Soap and wash it gently,  scrubbing lightly so as not to damage the screen. Continue to do so until you feel you’ve removed  as much dust and debris as possible. 

After washing, let the screen sun or air dry over time. You can dab it gently with a cloth to  help remove additional water, just avoid what contact you can to reduce the chance of a tear in the  screen. 

Finally, once it is cleaned to your satisfaction and dried, carefully re-install the screen, again  making sure the proper side is facing inward. 

When it comes time to clean those windows of yours, you have two choices: get a bucket of  water, some towels, and tackle the task yourself, or to contact a team of professionals to take that  burden off your shoulders and get the job done to perfection. But how can you be sure you’ll be  getting the best team for the job? Here are some questions you can ask those companies to make  sure you’re at your most informed. 

“How much experience does your team have working on this sort of home?” It may seem fairly  simple to wash windows, but there are many factors that go into the task. Different levels of dried on materials, different environmental conditions (i.e. sea salt crusted on the glass), and different  thicknesses of glass are just some of the challenges a company may encounter to keep your  windows intact as they clean them. 

“How long have you been in business?” You’ll want to know just how long your window  cleaners have tackling this sort of work. A long-standing team is one that has done the job right  for years and stayed in business keeping their clients happy. 

“What are your fees?” It’s important to make sure your cleaners work within your budget, while at the same time confirming there are no unexpected charges that may pop up in the course  of their work. 

“Do you address any special details?” This can be anything from removing screens or bars  from hard-to-reach windows and then replacing them, to restoring the rusted portions of a screen,  to removing items stuck to the glass like stickers or old bugs. 

“Do you offer a repeat service discount?” It never hurts to ask if there are discounts available,  and businesses love the potential to lock in long-term repeat customers.

It’s time to sell your home and you want to make the best impression on potential buyers;  you’d like them to see what could be their own future home at its best! And one of the easiest ways  to do so is present the home with clean windows. 

Windows are one of the first things a person will see when approaching a house. Like eyes are  likened as windows to the soul, windows can be seen as the eyes of your home. Clean, clear

windows demonstrate a healthy home, well-tended and taken care of. Cobwebs and dirt, torn  screens and old bars: these can be seen as foreboding and reduce the warm, cozy feel you may be  trying to otherwise convey. 

On the more pragmatic side of things, dirty windows may give potential buyers reason to step  back simply due to the potential maintenance it presents. Even if it’s just a little scuff or a rusty  screen, money-minded buyers will calculate cleaning and repair as an additional expense on top  of the existing price they’d pay for the home. And as windows can be the first impression of the  home, they may convince buyers that the home requires more work than it would in actuality need. 

Clean windows aren’t just for the buyers: the care given to them reflects on the neighborhood  as well. More clean homes on the block improves the impression other homes may present, and  can prompt others to follow your lead. After all, the better your home sells for, the higher value  their homes become based on comps. It’s in everyone’s best interest that your home sell for the  best price possible, and clean windows can be that extra push to ensure that indeed happens! 

It’s a task no one really wants to do: gathering the towels, the paper, the glass cleaner, and  some gloves, and getting to work scrubbing down the windows. Whether it’s just a little haze or  so covered in dirt and grime that it’s impossible to see through, however, cleaning your windows  is an important part of both your home and personal maintenance routines. 

Dingy, dirty windows are universally seen as the primary indicator of an unkept home. Meanwhile, a clean, streak-free window helps beautify a home, leaving a virtually unimpeded view of the outside world. It makes living and workspaces larger and can help people feel more  connected to the beauty and openness of the outside world. 

On the side of home maintenance, the less you clean your windows the more likely you’re  inviting hard-to-remove grit, salt, and other contaminants into your home and into your window frame itself. Over time these pollutants and begin to eat away at the frame and the window screen  with rust and rot, slowly damaging your home over time and making cleaning them exponentially more difficult and more costly. 

Finally, studies have shown that light is an imperative in living a healthy, happy lifestyle.  Being in rooms lit by the natural glow of the sun aids in productivity and aids in the production of  vitamin D, which helps fight diabetes, depression, and chronic conditions like pain. When the  clearness of windows is impeded, this in turn impedes the healing power of the sun and reduces  its effectiveness. 

When it does come time to get those windows spotlessly clean and clear, sometimes the  process can take a little while but overall isn’t too complicated: oftentimes, soap, warm water and  a towel will handle the job nicely. But in some environments and conditions, this may simply not  be enough. Windows that are constantly sprayed with water from a sprinkler or fountain, or those  in homes near the ocean, for instance, often become encrusted with hard water and salt stains, and  these can be extremely difficult to remove by conventional methods. There are, however, some  clever options available to help you beat these stains. 

One easy and classic home remedy for this is to prepare a 50-50 solution of water and  vinegar, applying a towel (note that this may make the towel smell like vinegar permanently, so  use one specific to chores) in the mixture, and letting the towel sit against the affected parts of the  window for a couple of minutes; likewise, you can drape the towel over the entire window if you  have an adequate ledge or surface. The natural acidity of vinegar helps break down the minerals  left behind by hard water and salt, giving you an easier time to then wipe the towel against the  spots to rub them away. Continue this process until the stains are gone, then finish up by drying  with a rag and cleaning the window with glass cleaner for a further shine. 

There are commercial sprays available which may have more potency should the above  method not treat all the stains to your liking, and in some cases a bristle brush can be used to scrape  away the toughest buildup; just be careful not to work at it too hard or you may risk cracking or  breaking the window entirely.