Cleaning Windows! How do you do them?

Thanks for ALL the responses. I decided to get a squeegee. Mr. Pants post sounded sensible. Do what professionals are doing. I also asked ChatGPT. Itā€™s artificial intelligence and they mentioned using warm water and dish soap and using a squeegee to clean and wipe the water off with so after our walk and went and got a squeegee.
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We even had some invisible glass but it still leaves streaks.
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MrPants said:
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There's a reason all professional window cleaners wash windows the exact same way, using a scrubber mop to wash them & a squeegee to get rid of the water left on the window. You can get a basic kit at most hardware stores or Wal-Mart.
It's super fast and easy and always streak free. No chemicals or paper towels required. Any time you wipe a window with a cloth or paper towel, you're creating streaks. You may not see the streaks until the sun shines directly on them at just the right angle, but they're there!
Wash water should be luke warm with just a little dish soap in it. You'll need a cloth to wipe the squegee dry after using it each time and you may need an extension pole for the places you can't reach from where you're standing.
I was skeptical until I tried it. I was sold immediately!
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Using the squeegee is working good so far. The sun setting is the biggest test though.
Thanks again. Your input is greatly appreciated
 
Our windows tilt so they are easy to clean. I mix some washing-up liquid (for dishes) with some white vinegar and it works better than any product I have bought. I keep old t-shirts as cloths to wipe and dry the windows.
 

PeppermintPatty said:
We even had some invisible glass but it still leaves streaks.
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Strange. Hmmm. Maybe if I used a squeegee, I'd have streaks too. Dunno
One less thing to buy I guess. Invisible Glass and a bath towel gets it done for me.
Maybe the buffing of the towel is the trick šŸ¤·ā€ā™‚ļø

EDIT: Here is a photo of the directions on the Invisible Glass bottle.
No mention of a squeegee ... In fact, says to dry with a towel or cloth.
... as well as initially mentioning, Some pros prefer crumpled newspaper.

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In my mind, I liken using a squeegee to wipe off Invisible Glass ... to like using a tennis racket to play golf or something ... that's not how you do it ;)
 
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David777 said:
On my Sony a6000 ILC used this Eclipse brand sensor filter cleaner for about a decade. Their kit also includes special extra clean cotton swabs. The fluid contains methanol not isopropyl alcohol. Read information on the below product page to really understand glass cleaning issues.
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The Invisible Glass has a WARNING:FLAMMABLE
The listed ingredients CONTAINS: Water and Hydrocarbon blend.

I have used it to clean the lens of my point 'n shoot ... but I'm by no means suggesting Invisible Glass is photo professional grade.

And no, the flammable warning is not because it contains alcohol. Invisible Glass contains hydrocarbons. And No, alcohols are not hydrocarbons; they are organic compounds that contain one or more hydroxyl (ā€“OH) functional groups attached to a carbon atom. While they do contain carbon and hydrogen, the presence of the hydroxyl group distinguishes them from hydrocarbons, which consist only of carbon and hydrogen atoms.

Examples of hydrocarbons are methane, hexane, phenol, petroleum.

EDIT: Makes sense that Invisible Glass would contain a hydrocarbon blend. After all, it's designed to dissolve film collected on the interior of automotive glass resulting from various plastics and other vehicle materials gassing off. Invisible Glass cleans that film off and is streak free, where other window cleaners simple push the film around. When I first tried Invisible Glass I was amazed and decided to also use it in my home where other window cleaners left streaks.
 
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Naturally said:
Strange. Hmmm. Maybe if I used a squeegee, I'd have streaks too. Dunno
One less thing to buy I guess. Invisible Glass and a bath towel gets it done for me.
Maybe the buffing of the towel is the trick šŸ¤·ā€ā™‚ļø

EDIT: Here is a photo of the directions on the Invisible Glass bottle.
No mention of a squeegee ... In fact, says to dry with a towel or cloth.
... as well as initially mentioning, Some pros prefer crumpled newspaper.

438wsoP.jpeg


In my mind, I liken using a squeegee to wipe off Invisible Glass ... to like using a tennis racket to play golf or something ... that's not how you do it ;)
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Iā€™m not using invisible glass, Iā€™m using warm water with a bit of dish liquid. I added the photo of invisible glass to say lā€™ve tried it and it streaked for me.,
 
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I have mesh screens on all my windows impossible to clean the outside ones. My son said to add some Sugar Soap to some hot water and put it into a bottle with a spray attachment and spray through the mesh. Then I get a hose and wash it all off, the dirt comes off immediately and I just let them dry off. Always works for me.
 
50.50 mix of tap water and white vinegar, old news papers to rub the panes dry. We get weekly flyers through the mail for the local grocery stores which work well on the windows of our house. The flyers in Canada use vegetable based ink in the printing process. JIM>
 
For years I've heard about cleaning windows using newspaper. I've never tried it but I'll share this observation . . .

I once had a summer job in a factory that made "single use carbon paper". (Most of you probably remember when credit card receipts consisted of two layers of paper with a flimsy piece of carbon paper between them . . . that's the stuff.)

At that time, I wore a plain steel ring on my right hand. It had always been rather dull, but during the three months I had that job it absolutely gleamed!! I suspect the constant contact with the carbon paper was the reason. I wonder is the same is true for the carbon in newspaper ink. :unsure:
 
Tommy said:
For years I've heard about cleaning windows using newspaper. I've never tried it but I'll share this observation . . .

I once had a summer job in a factory that made "single use carbon paper". (Most of you probably remember when credit card receipts consisted of two layers of paper with a flimsy piece of carbon paper between them . . . that's the stuff.)

At that time, I wore a plain steel ring on my right hand. It had always been rather dull, but during the three months I had that job it absolutely gleamed!! I suspect the constant contact with the carbon paper was the reason. I wonder is the same is true for the carbon in newspaper ink. :unsure:
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Modern US newspaper ink is soy based . Thats right, it's vegetable based, with no carbon content. JIM.
 
Many years ago, we owned some beautiful chandeliers. I always found them easy to clean as I mixed some hot water with lemon dishwashing soap with a little vinegar. I used some old flannel sheets cut into strips and went all over the glassware. I always used linen serviettes to wipe them dry, as this didn't leave any residue on them. Everyone always remarked about the beautiful glassware. Guaranteed to work.
 
The lovely lady across the road told me that her granddaughter and her husband have started a window cleaning business, so, I became one of their customers.
While Tom beavers about doing the outsides, Lizzie does the insides.
Lizzie sort of sways or wiggles as she engages the glass, so, last week, I was playing a Mantovani LP, and watching her walzing about to the tune 'fascination' was fascinating and a joy to behold.
I might ask her to do my windows 3 times a week. ;) šŸ˜Š
 
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timoc said:
The lovely lady across the road told me that her granddaughter and her husband have started a window cleaning business, so, I became one of their customers.
While Tom beavers about doing the outsides, Lizzie does the insides.
Lizzie sort of sways or wiggles as she engages the glass, so, last week, I was playing a Mantovani LP, and watching her walzing about to the tune 'fascination' was fascinating and a joy to behold.
I might ask her to do my windows 3 times a week. šŸ˜Š
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Three times a week? Surely you jest? JIM.
 
Iā€™ve always used a mixture of Methylated Spirits and water , but we live in a dusty area so the windows ( and roller shutters ) always get washed with a broom and a bucket of soapy water first ..then hosed off after they dry we use the Methylated Spirits / water mix paper towel to shine ,most of my windows are largish ā€¦as well as the patio glass sliding doorsā€¦.times 2 ā€¦they are 3.5 x 2.5 mtrs
 
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Kadee said:
Iā€™ve always used a mixture of Methylated Spirits and water , but we live in a dusty area so the windows ( and roller shutters ) always get washed with a broom and a bucket of soapy water first ..then hosed off after they dry we use the Methylated Spirits / water mix paper towel to shine ,most of my windows are largish ā€¦as well as the glass sliding doorsā€¦.times 2 ā€¦they are 3.5 x 2.5 mtrs
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Isnā€™t methylated spirits the same as denatured alcohol?
 
Copied this @PeppermintPatty


Denatured alcohol can be used to disinfectant, sterilise medical equipment, as a window cleaner, and there are many more uses. Methylated spirits are also perfect for indoor or outdoor methylated heaters. It is an effective solvent in the paints, lacquers and varnish industry.

When I was in high school , we did home economics class and they pushed to use metho for many things , but I guess thete wasnā€™t the range of disinfectants/ sterilisersā€¦ available back then as thete is now days

Id never heard of denatured alcohol ā€¦yes it appears to be the same ā€¦
 
This had never been my job, I inherited it. I used to use all these various methods then one day I complained to a friend that I was frustrated with the streaks or that I had missed a bit so she put me onto this product. In Canada you can buy at canadian tire, it is called "Jule's miracle cloth" honestly it's the best thing since sliced bread next to my dyson, pop it under the tap squeeze and use then dry with soft cloth, no mess. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
On my upstairs outside windows I use windex, pop it on the hose and spray, I do it on a hot day so that the windows dry quickly.
If you do try this product I'd love to know your thoughts, it really is far easier than soap and water. Sorry, I don't know if you can buy this product in other countries, maybe online.
 
RobinWren said:
This had never been my job, I inherited it. I used to use all these various methods then one day I complained to a friend that I was frustrated with the streaks or that I had missed a bit so she put me onto this product. In Canada you can buy at canadian tire, it is called "Jule's miracle cloth" honestly it's the best thing since sliced bread next to my dyson, pop it under the tap squeeze and use then dry with soft cloth, no mess. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
On my upstairs outside windows I use windex, pop it on the hose and spray, I do it on a hot day so that the windows dry quickly.
If you do try this product I'd love to know your thoughts, it really is far easier than soap and water. Sorry, I don't know if you can buy this product in other countries, maybe online.
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Where would we buy a miracle cloth?
Maybe Canadian Tire.?
 
The outside of our windows need to be cleaned a few times per year. If the weather is nice, I take a jug of Windex Outdoor, attach it to the hose and spray down the windows. Windex Outdoor has two settings... one that sprays the cleaner and one that sprays plain water as a follow-up. The windows that aren't on the 2nd story I wipe down with a microfiber towel. Even the 2nd story windows are pretty streak-free. If the weather is too hot or cold I have a company I use.

I really don't clean the insides very often, but if I do it's with Windex and a microfiber towel.
 

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