Washing Window Tricks
By: Valerie Garner

The first trick is to invest in a good squeegee. They aren't expensive and they are worth every cent! Those $1.99 ones just will not do. A professional squeegee has a very soft, rubber blade with no imperfections in it. You can also get extra rubber blades and simply replace that when it wears out. There are probably many sources to get one, but a source I like is The Clean Team. TheCleanTeam.com a basic, professional squeegee from them runs $9.95.

Secondly, do your windows on a cool, or cloudy day. If you HAVE to do it in the sun, do it in the morning. What you want to avoid here is heat. Heat works against you.

Get a bucket of lukewarm water (not hot), and add 2-3 tablespoons of plain ammonia. Use a sponge that has a white scrubber on the other side (don't use the green ones, they are too course). Wet your window with the sponge side, then flip to the white scrub pad side, and scrub the window. You'll be able to "feel" when it's clean. You'll feel rough patches, etc when it's still not clean. This is a step most people fail at, if the window simply isn't clean, it's going to look cloudy when done. Scrub well.

You'll also need lots of clean, white cotton rags/towels/cleaning cloths. Diapers work great here. Dry by hand a 1 inch strip at the top of the window. The trick for no streaks with the squeegee, is placing the dry rubber blade on a dry window.

Take the squeegee now and place it at the top of the window in that 1 inch dry strip. Pull down smoothly. Dry your squeegee blade with between each sweep. Finish window, if need be do one last sweep left to right at the bottom of the window.

Take a dry, clean cloth and run with your finger down each window side and across the bottom to clean and dry the edges. They should look perfect! And you'll feel great having clean windows.