Quick Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Windows!
April is here and we’re officially in Spring! Of course, here in Scottsdale the temperatures are already racing to those summer highs so we should get to our spring cleaning fast before it’s unbearable outside! This time on the Budget Blinds Scottsdale blog, we’re giving you quick and fast spring cleaning tips for your windows!
Quick & Simple Spring Cleaning Tips
Cleaning your windows doesn’t have to be hard! Just work a little bit smarter, not harder, and you’ll have your windows crystal clear in no time at all!
Work Around the Sun
First, here’s a tip that is particularly difficult to follow in Arizona, but schedule around the sunshine. When you’re washing your windows during the day with direct sun, the cleaner you apply may dry faster than you get to it. So try and work at times when the windows aren’t in direct light. To work around this, clean in the early morning, late evening, or take it slow and only spray the amount of cleaner you can get to in one wipe.
Have Your Tools Handy
Now that you know when you’ll be cleaning it’s time to be as efficient as possible. To do that, have all of your cleaning supplies handy including:
- Cleaner
- Duster
- Sponge, Squeegee, or Brush
- Microfiber cloth
- Larger Towels (to avoid a mess)
- A bucket (to carry all of it in!)
Dust Before You Wash
This is super critical especially in the dusty Southwest! Dust and sweep away any debris around the window, clearing excess dirt and grime. You don’t want to risk cleaning a window and then accidentally covering it back in dust so clear the edges away first.
Use the Right Tool for the Right Job
Depending what kind of window you’re cleaning, a squeegee or a sponge might be the better choice. If you have a window with multiple panes in it, a sponge will be easier to work, but if it’s a large picture window a squeegee can make cleaning a snap.
If you’re using a squeegee, work smarter not harder. Get into a pattern of wipes, keep the squeegee in constant contact with the glass so as to not leave any streaks, and keep the squeegee clean.
Use Cleaner Judiciously
Because of that earlier point about working around the sun, it’s crucial that you use the right amount of cleaning solution. Give a nice mist, but don’t leave it dripping. Avoid using too sudsy a mix too, otherwise, you’ll be fighting to keep the windows from streaking.
Stubborn Stains Need Stronger Solutions
If you’re working with some serious stains or mineral build-ups on the windows, consider using a cleaner such as CLR or spraying with pure vinegar to let the cleaners do most of the heavy lifting. After spraying and waiting, the windows should clear right up.
Use a Towel Inside
Those larger towels we mentioned? Go ahead and place those on the floor beneath the windows when you’re working inside. Just in case of spills or if you get a little too wild with the squeegee work.
Clear Any Streaks
After you’ve brushed, sponged, or squeegeed your windows make sure you take that soft microfiber cloth to the window and wipe it down! Paper towels work too of course. Here’s a fun tip to spot streaks, wipe in alternate directions! For instance, when you dry your windows inside, wipe with a vertical motion. When drying them outside, wipe horizontally. This will help you spot any streaks left behind.
Dirt, grime, and dust will ruin your view of the beautiful Valley landscape, so give it a bit of elbow grease. You’ll appreciate the clear view, at least until the next haboob hits!
Now that your windows are sparkling clean how about your covers? You can find out more about cleaning these in much more detail in a couple of other blogs here on the Budget Blinds site: Cleaning Tips for Blinds and Shutters and Cleaning Tips for Fabric Shades, Curtains, and Drapes.
There’s also the chance that as you’re scrubbing down those windows you realized your window coverings are in worse condition than you realized. Well in that case, give your local experts a call and schedule a free consultation today!
