Streak Free Window Cleaning Tips

Save money on your window-cleaning bill and do it yourself by following these straightforward tips.

Most households in the country use vinegar as an accompaniment to their favourite meals, but what else can vinegar be used for? Growing up watching my mother clean our windows with vinegar always caught my attention as a youngster, and I'm sure this is a common use of vinegar among many. But we don't like the obvious, we like the stranger tips, and tricks so have compiled a list of uses that may come in handy around the house.


 Step 1: You will need

some warm water
One bucket or bowl
some washing up liquid
some Clear household vinegar
One window cleaning washer
One window cleaning wiper
One pair of rubber gloves
some black & white newspaper

Step 2: The weather

First of all- look outside. Is it sunny? Windows cleaning is one thing best done on a cloudy day. The sun will dry your cleaning solution too quickly and leave streaks of dried solution.

Step 3: Preparation

There are two options. Soapy and vinegary solutions are both effective in cleaning windows. You may even wish to use one after the other to really get the shine you want.

Put on some rubber gloves to protect your hands. 

For the soap solution, add a little washing up liquid to half a bucket of warm water. This mixture may seem simple, but many professional window cleaners use it. Washing up liquid makes the window slippery, so you can collect dirt without scratching the glass.

For the vinegar solution, add a generous amount of clear vinegar to a bucket of warm water. Vinegar gives a real shine to the window and prevents streaking.

Step 4: Outside first

Start by cleaning the outdoor side of your window first. Gather all your equipment together so you won't have to run indoors again while you are cleaning.

Step 5: Sponge it down

Here we are using a special window washer like this. The handle allows for easier cleaning. However, you can also use a natural sponge. Manmade sponges are too abrasive to use to clean glass, and not as absorbent as a natural one.

Soak the window washer in the solution you have chosen. The wiping technique is the same for all cleaning solutions.

Wipe over the window in an up and down and side to side motion, removing as much dirt as you can.

Step 6: Wiping

Now use your window wiper blade to wipe down the window.

Using even light pressure, wipe the wiper blade from one side of the window to the other. Wipe the blade with a cloth. Then repeat the motion, this time overlapping the previous stroke. Continue in this manner until the window is dry.

If you don't have a window wiper, find some old black and white newspaper. Crumple up a few sheets and rub against the glass in a circular motion until the glass is shining like new. A newspaper with coloured print will not work as well and may even transfer colour onto the window. However, even black and white newspaper can transfer ink onto your hands, which is why it's a good idea to keep those gloves on.

Step 7: The inside window

Before you begin to clean, protect the floor area from drips by surrounding the window area with an old newspaper.

As before, use the window washer to wash the windows with the washing up liquid or vinegar mixture. When you're done, wipe the window with the plastic blade.

When you wiped down the outside window with the plastic blade, you worked horizontally, from side to side. When you wipe the indoor window, move the wiper vertically, from top to bottom. This way, if you end up with any streaks, you will know which side of the window they are on.

Step 8: Perfect your work

When the windows have dried, check to if there are any remaining streaks of cleaning solution or dirt. If you do spot any, crumple up a sheet of black and white newspaper. Rub this against the streak, and the glass will soon be spotless.