Great Window Cleaning Solutions

Your home is a reflection of your personality. While a clean, beautifully decorated house would certainly create a great impression on the visitors, the occupants of a dirty, cluttered home will come across as people who are disorganized and careless.

Though most of us try our level best to ensure that our home looks clean and presentable, to be good at housekeeping, one needs to be organized. There is a need to choose good-quality cleaning products and one needs to be ready with a schedule.

While getting rid of clutter is an essential aspect of housekeeping, one needs to ensure that dust is not settling on household goods or surfaces. When it comes to housekeeping, even small things can make a great difference. For instance, dirty windows can certainly spoil the look of your home.

You must not let dirt and dust settle on the windows. It would be best to use a window cleaner for keeping the windows clean. The market is flooded with all types of cleaners that are heavily advertised and boast of great results, but you also have the option of making one at home.

While the commercial cleaners may contain harsh chemicals, the homemade cleaners are a cost-effective, environment-friendly alternative. You will surprised to see that most of the ingredients needed for these homemade cleaners might be available at your home. You just need to use them in the right way to get squeaky clean windows.

Do you feel that despite using generous amounts of the window cleaner, the results have not been satisfactory? At times, spots on the windows could appear if homeowners are not using the right cleaning techniques. All your efforts will go down the drain if you use paper towels, tattered/worn-out sponge or a cleaning towel that is not lint-free.

So, do make sure that you have the right tools for cleaning the windows. If the windows don't look clean or have streaks, residue or water spots on the windows, you could use the following methods to make a window cleaning solution at home.

Out of the many recipes, this recipe is the simplest and the cheapest. All you need to do is mix a tablespoon of liquid dishwashing detergent to four cups of water. Since hard water can also leave spots, it would be best if you used soft water for cleaning the windows. Put it in a spray bottle.

Before you wash your window, use a damp lint-free cloth to get rid of dirt, especially around the window sills or frame. Dip a clean sponge in the solution or spray this solution on the glass for wiping the window. Make sure that the sponge isn't dripping wet. You can then wipe it off with a clean microfiber cloth.

You can also use a squeegee for removing the solution from the window. All you need to do is tilt the squeegee at an angle to the glass surface and move it from top to bottom. Before using the squeegee on the next window, remember to use a damp cloth for wiping off the solution from the squeegee.

If you want your windows to shine and be free of streaks or spots, you could use the tried-and-tested method of using vinegar for cleaning windows. All you need to do is add four cups of lukewarm water to a cup of vinegar. You can spray this solution on your windows to get rid of dirty marks or fingerprints.

You can also combine ¼ cup of white distilled vinegar with 2 cups of water and ½ teaspoon of liquid soap. After removing dirt from the window sills, spray this solution on the windows and rub with a soft sponge. Use water to clean the glass and wipe it using a clean lint-free soft cloth or a crumpled newspaper.

If you have tough stains on your windows, you can also use rubbing alcohol for cleaning windows. You just need to get hold of rubbing alcohol, ammonia and a liquid dishwashing detergent. Add a cup of rubbing alcohol and a tablespoon of ammonia to a cup of water. Spray this solution over the windows and gently rub over the stains.

Once the stains are gone, wipe the windows using a lint-free cloth or a squeegee. Avoid cleaning windows on a sunny day, especially when the sunlight is directly falling on the windows. The sun's rays will dry up the cleaning solution and will leave behind water lines/spots or streaks.

Lemon juice can also be of great help when it comes to cleaning dirty windows. Lemon is a natural cleaning agent and you can safely use it to clean the windows.

To make this solution, you will need to squeeze juice from 2 lemons. Filter it to get rid of any pulp. Add ½ cup white distilled vinegar to 4 cups water. Add lemon juice and a teaspoon of liquid dishwashing detergent and mix them well. Spray this solution on the glass and rub over the stains. Wipe it using a soft washcloth.

You can also use cornstarch, ammonia and vinegar. To make this cleaning solution, you will need 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, ½ cup of rubbing alcohol and ½ cup of white vinegar.

Add these ingredients to 4 cups of lukewarm water. Stir it well so that no lumps remain and cornstarch is properly dissolved. Apply this solution to the windows. Rub over the stains and use a wet sponge to wipe the windows.

You can make a window cleaner by using any of these recipes. Do follow the aforementioned instructions to get clean, streak-free and sparkling windows.