Tips/tricks for cleaning home windows with squeegee?

[Ed_Flecko]

I want to start cleaning my home windows with a squeegee. Cleaning with paper towels, cotton towels, etc., and Windex always leaves some streaks, etc. I hate looking through "clean", streaky windows and doors.

I have a single story, 1700 sq. ft. home, so physically reaching all of my windows is easy. All of my windows are "normal" size, but I do have a couple of sliding glass patio doors.

I'm not sure if there's a good squeegee brand? Are all squeegees the same? Also, what sort of soap/liquid do I use if I really want them to look perfectly clean. How do you deal with water spots?

If you know of a squeegee I can just go buy and either Home Depot, Lowes, WalMart, etc., that would be really convenient but I could also order one from, say, Amazon.

I welcome your tips, tricks and suggestions!



Ed

 

[AutoMechanic]

I’ve had good luck with most squeegees that I’ve used. At work we use washer fluid to clean the windows and if we really want to clean them we use dish soap. I never can tell any streaks from them.

 

[AZjeff]

Quite a few videos on YouTube about it. I started using one last year I think I bought at Home Depot and really like the results. I use an old wash mitt that I get wet put on a drop or 2 of dish soap and wring out to wet the window. A couple of clean microfiber towels are handy to wipe any drips or edges. One thing I learned on a video is to use the microfiber to dry the edge you're starting on to keep from dragging streaks from the start. Going horizontal or vertical is up to you. You may want to clean the windows and frames first if they're dirty otherwise any drips or runs have dirty water and they streak when you wipe them. I don't even try to do it in direct sunlight, the water evaporated faster than I can squeegee it off but this is Aridzona. To go fast just wipe the squeegee blade dry on your shirt or pants between passes. It ain't rocket science.

 

[Ed_Flecko]

Thank you for your input!



Ed

 

[atikovi]

Is cleaning home windows something people do? I thought it was done as frequently as painting. On the outside, rain keeps them clean. On the inside, there is nothing to dirty them up.

 

[WylieCoyote]

I use an old wash mitt & a bucket of hot, soapy water to clean. Rinse with the hose, squeegee dry. Perfect every time. If they're not perfectly clean when you squeegee, you can have streaks.

 

[AZjeff]

Is cleaning home windows something people do? I thought it was done as frequently as painting. On the outside, rain keeps them clean. On the inside, there is nothing to dirty them up.

Incredibly helpful reply. Why have I been wasting my time?

 

[Kestas]

Some of the success is by keeping the squeegee in good shape. Dont let the blade rest on anything during storage. I ruined one squeegee by leaving it out in the sun.

 

[AZjeff]

I use an old wash mitt & a bucket of hot, soapy water to clean. Rinse with the hose, squeegee dry. Perfect every time. If they're not perfectly clean when you squeegee, you can have streaks.

Did that the first time.

 

[atikovi]

Incredibly helpful reply. Why have I been wasting my time?

Glad to help.

 

[Wolf359]

Is cleaning home windows something people do? I thought it was done as frequently as painting. On the outside, rain keeps them clean. On the inside, there is nothing to dirty them up.

In theory, you'd never have to wash a car too, the rain keeps them clean.

I clean them between tenants. Tenants never clean the windows. Looks nice and clear and lets in the light. The key is to clean the windows in one pass and you can just use paper towels in the second pass and make sure they remove all the water between passes. If they get soaked, they will leave streaks. The insides get dusty and the outside gets covered in dirt. Good thing my are double hung so I can just clean them from the inside.

 

[atikovi]

In theory, you'd never have to wash a car too, the rain keeps them clean.

Nope. Road spray, dirt and grim and all get on your car as you drive it, especially in rain or snow. Analogy incorrect. Now if you said PARKED car, maybe, but car windows are rarely completely vertical like house windows so they naturally get dirtier sooner.

 

[Creekside]

I use sprayway glass cleaner in a spray can and a microfiber towel. No streaks

 

[AZjeff]

Nope. Road spray, dirt and grim and all get on your car as you drive it, especially in rain or snow. Analogy incorrect. Now if you said PARKED car, maybe, but car windows are rarely completely vertical like house windows so they naturally get dirtier sooner.

You incorrectly assume it rains hard enough to wash windows everywhere regularly. Here it will go months without raining, wind blows dust around and a light coating sticks to windows. Sometimes it gets windy and dusty and just sprinkles a bit and guess what.. dirty streaky windows. Very low humidity make washing exterior windows with a towel a challenge. I could wash the windows once a month.

 

[DwightFrye]

As someone else mentioned, make sure that the edge is true and without any divots or curled edges. Otherwise you will get a streak, usually right in the middle of the dry path. It can make you crazy. Also make sure that you store the squeege such that it is not resting on the blade. That will ruin it in short order. I get storms where the wind drives the rain, and that drives any dirt or dust that is on the screens right through them and onto the glass. The rain sure doesn't wash the windows on my house, quite the opposite.