Windows are like the eyes of your home. Keeping them sparkling clean will make a huge difference, not only in the view from the outside but also on your view from the inside. Having clean windows can make the difference between thinking that it’s a foggy day or a nice one outside. You don’t want to miss out on this experience just because your windows are dirty.
Tips for Cleaning Glass
First vacuum or dust off all the debris around your window. Then use a professional window cleaner (preferably an all-natural cleaning window cleaning solution), and spray it liberally on the glass. Then use a paper towel or microfibre towel, and wipe the glass from side to side or up and down, but not in circles. If there is any wood surrounding the glass, always cover it with a towel so that none of the cleaners get inside and ruin the frame.
Cleaning Window Tracks
A very frustrating thing to clean is window tracks. But it doesn’t have to be that hard. First, using the hand-held soft brush attachment with your vacuum, suck up all the dirt and debris that will come up along the tracks.
Next, sprinkle baking soda over the tracks, putting more where it’s dirty. Then, using a spray bottle, spray white vinegar on top of the baking soda. It will foam up. When it stops foaming, use a toothbrush and water to scrub through the foam. You will get amazing results using this method.
To get into nooks and crannies, you may need to use a paint scraper covered in a towel to fit into various parts. Then, using an absorbent cloth, soak up as much of the solution as you can. Spray plain water over the area and keep soaking it up until it’s gone.
Cleaning Blinds
If you have blinds, you probably love the ease of blocking the light without feeling like you’re in a dungeon. But, like most things, they get dirty over time. The way you clean blinds depends on the type you have. If you have fabric ones, you can clean them with a vacuum. If you have the plastic type, you can put dust cloths on your hands and clean them that way. If you have wooden blinds, you may need to remove them and scrub them with Murphy’s Oil Soap or a homemade variety. In each case, always dry them fully before rehanging them.
Cleaning Drapes
Today there are so many different types of fabrics that can make up drapes. Therefore, it’s important to save the cleaning directions when you make purchases. In most cases, you can easily freshen your drapes by throwing them into the dryer with a dryer sheet. In others, you’re going to have to get them dry cleaned.
If they are washable, just follow the instructions for washing and drying, using mild detergent so that you don’t change the color accidentally. Drapes, like a lot of things in the home, need to be cleaned seasonally. That’s why some people have drapes for each season; they get them cleaned at the dry cleaners at the end of the season.
Cleaning Window Casings
To clean window casings, first inspect them, vacuum them, and determine what type of issue you’re dealing with. For example, if you have mold, you may want to get that checked to ensure that it’s not black mold. Either way, try to pick a day to clean the window casings when it’s going to be dry outside and not too hot or cold, so you can keep the windows open.
First, get the area wet with water using a spray bottle. The reason is that if there is mold you want to prevent it from flying around. Using a toothbrush and some mild dish detergent, scrub the area softly with the brush. Then rinse off with plain water. To kill the mold if some exist, you’ll want to put 1/2 cup bleach into a gallon of warm water. Spray the casings with the bleach solution and let sit for 15 minutes. Then, rinse and dry well. If the wood around your window is getting dry, you can buff in some olive oil to help the wood.
Cleaning and maintaining your windows doesn’t have to be a difficult task, but with the proper tools, cleaning supplies and expert knowledge anyone can do it.
Remember, if it’s dirty,…we’ll help you clean it.
(This article was contributed.)
