The Ultimate Guide to Cleaning Windows Like a Pro

 

If you’ve been avoiding window cleaning because it feels like a time-consuming chore, worry not! There are quicker and more efficient ways to achieve spotless windows.

Are you tired of peering through windows covered in smudges and streaks? Getting that flawless, streak-free finish might seem like a challenge, especially for hard-to-reach windows. However, with the right tools and techniques, it becomes a much simpler task. Before you push window cleaning to the bottom of your to-do list, remember that clean windows aren’t just about looks—they also impact your home’s energy efficiency.

Dirty windows block sunlight, affecting how much natural light enters your home. Regular window cleaning, including the sills, screens, tracks, and hinges, not only maintains a polished appearance but also ensures smooth window operation and can even improve indoor air quality.

To make your window cleaning a breeze and keep your windows crystal clear, try these practical tips:

 

Choose a cloudy day

Cleaning windows in direct sunlight can be counterproductive. Sunlight causes the cleaning solution to evaporate too quickly, leaving streaks that are challenging to remove. Cloudy days are ideal as they prevent glare on the glass, making it easier to spot streaks.

 

Start with the frame

Window tracks and frames often harbor a lot of grime. When combined with window cleaner, this dirt can turn into an unsightly sludge that drips onto the glass during cleaning.

Begin by using a toothbrush and a mixture of baking soda and vinegar to scrub inside the tracks. Then, get wet rag and wipe away any remaining residue. This ensures a thorough cleaning process from the start.

 

Create Your Own Cleaning Solution

Forget about fancy products—mix water with dish soap to make your own effective cleaning solution. This blend is powerful enough to tackle stubborn grime on kitchen windows but won’t leave any unwanted residue. If you prefer a different option, vinegar can also serve as a DIY window cleaner.

 

Say No to Paper Towels

While paper towels and newspapers are commonly used for cleaning glass, they tend to break down and leave lint. Opt for a microfiber cloth instead. It not only does the job effectively but also grabs dirt and dust, leaving your windows spotless.

 

Invest in a Squeegee

Achieve a streak-free shine by ensuring all water and soap are completely removed from the window. Use a rubber-bladed squeegee, such as Ettore’s 6-inch squeegee (a top recommendation in our best window squeegees guide), to scrape away excess water. Run the squeegee from top to bottom for best results.

 

Reach High Places with a Mop

For tall windows, hiring a professional cleaner is an option, but if you prefer a DIY approach, ditch the teetering on a telescoping ladder. Instead, use a telescoping sponge mop with soapy water to clean.

Rinse the windows with a garden hose, and then use a dry mop or a squeegee attached to an adjustable pole to remove water, preventing unsightly water spots from drying on the glass surface.

 

Screen Cleaning Made Easy

To give your window screens a thorough cleaning, remove them from the windows and wash with soap and water. For particularly dirty screens, use a gentle scrub with a sponge or soft-bristle brush to eliminate built-up grime or grease.

If you’re aiming for a quick clean, leave the screens in place and use a sticky lint roller to effortlessly remove dust and dirt.

 

Quick Grime Fix with a Magic Eraser

When you’re short on time or lack a lint roller, keep your window screens tidy with the occasional wipe down. Mr. Clean Magic Erasers work wonders for a swift scrub between more extensive cleaning sessions.

 

Have Separate Tools for Inside and Outside

Maintain separate cleaning tools for the inside and outside of your windows. While both sides accumulate dirt, the outside tends to be grimier, dealing with pollen and bird droppings. Ensure you have extra microfiber cloths on hand for easy switching.

 

Vary Your Wiping Direction

Say goodbye to streaks by changing up the direction as you wipe the windows. Begin with small circular motions, then finish with a few horizontal and vertical swipes for a streak-free shine.

 

Eliminate Streaks with a Chalkboard Eraser

If you spot streaks after washing the windows, achieve a flawless finish by gently running a clean chalkboard eraser over the glass to buff away any marks.

 

Tackle Horizontal Blinds with Tongs

While cleaning windows, address window treatments like blinds. For a quick clean, take kitchen tongs and wrap microfiber cloths around each arm, securing them with rubber bands.

Glide this tool along each slat to clean both top and bottom simultaneously. Other blind cleaning hacks include dusting with an old sock or using dryer sheets to repel dust.

 

Vacuum Curtains for a Clean Finish

Use your vacuum’s upholstery or slim nozzle attachment to clean curtains. The vacuum will suck up grime, ensuring it doesn’t compromise the cleanliness of your freshly cleaned windows.

5 Simple Tricks to Get Rid of Mice and Keep Them Away

 

Did you wake up to find your box of cereal chewed up and lacking a bit of its content? It is perhaps time to prepare for battle because you will be wanting to get rid of mice. These little tricksters are looking for the same as everyone, food and shelter, and they just hit jackpot with your home.

 

They also have no qualms using whatever they find for their own profit and consequences can be dire. They can even chew through cable cords and set your house on fire in the process. Mice are no joke.

 

It’s not easy to get rid of mice. Unless you are a professional exterminator, it will require a bit of luck and technique to expel the little rodents. They are clever creatures, not as easy to trick as it might seem, but they also have a modus operandi that you can take advantage of to trap them.

 

Trapped them out

The first step to get rid of mice is to find out how are they getting into your house in the first place.

As a thumb rule, if you can fit a pencil through a crack or an opening, chances are the mice can also pass through. It might look impossible, but to give you a perspective, a rat, which is more impressive in size, can fit through a hole the size of a quarter.

 

Once you find the entry point, seal it using steel wool or caulk. Rubber, wood or plastic are useless as mice can still get through by chewing them.

 

Tip! If you can’t find where the entry point is, spread a bit of baby powder or baking soda on the floor, especially closer to the walls, before going to sleep. The following morning you can hunt for tiny paw marks and track the entry point down.

 

Steel wool

This is quite a gruesome trick to get rid of mice, but alas, it works.

The reason you should try to fill all the possible entry points for the rodents with this material is that they will try to chew through it to get through. However, since it’s made of steel and sharp, the steel wool will cause internal bleeding, which will eventually kill the mice.

 

Old-fashion mouse trap

Old-fashion as it may be, it is still to this day one of the most efficient ways to catch them.

Forget about the cheese you see used in cartoons. You should try peanut butter or anything similarly tasty and sticky so the rodent doesn’t have the opportunity to dash off with the treat.

 

As an alternative, you can use bacon, bread, or anything that suits the mouse taste and secure it with a fishing line so it stays invisible but prevents food theft.

 

Closed traps

If you don’t want to have to face the mouse’s dead body or, worst, having to deal with a trap while the animal is still fighting for its life, you can also use closed traps.

 

These typically contain poison and the entry is designed to make it harder for the mouse to escape, to give the poison enough time to work before the rodent can run away.

 

You can also make your DIY closed trap by making a hole in a box or using a brown paper bag and placing inside the rat poison. As an alternative, you can place the old-fashion mouse trap inside and just discard everything in the end.

 

Peppermint essential oil?

There are some anecdotes detailing how mice can’t stand the smell of peppermint and try to avoid it. The essential oil seems to be especially effective since the odor is more concentrated.

You can mix a few drops in water and spray around the area of your home where you think the mice might be hiding.

There is no proof that this trick will work, but you can always give it a try.

 

Other points you should consider

Try to use several methods at once

If possible, spread around different types of mice traps to increase your chances of success. Mice can prove to be too clever for some, but they won’t be able to escape all types.

 

Place several traps

First the bad news: a mouse doesn’t usually come alone. If you spot any signs a rodent made a trip to your pantry, it is very likely that either more is arriving or that it wasn’t the work of one single mouse. And even if it is, you should still place as many traps as possible to increase your chances of catching it.

 

Placement is key

Mice normally keep within a radius of 10 to 20 feet from their food and nests. Therefore, you should place your traps around anywhere you find signs of their activity, be it chewed food, droppings and the nest itself, if you come across it.

 

Cleaning won’t help

A dirty house will attract more rodents who see a lot of potential in the crumbs and food spares laying around. However, a clean house won’t work to prevent them from coming.

They can still gnaw through your pantry to get what they want, even if it is not directly at their reach.

 

Keep your shrubs and bushes away from the house

Or, if you like them close to the walls, make sure to trim them often and check for signs of any rodents often. They cover possible entry points for them to get into your house and provide shelter for them.

Consider putting a patch of gravel between your plants and your house, at least.

 

Should you get a cat?

Unless you’re committed to having a pet and to care for it, then don’t. The rodent pest is temporary, but adopting a cat should not be.

Some cats are experts at hunting mice, while others couldn’t care less. A street cat will likely be very good at this job as it had to fend for itself on the streets, but a house cat never had to hunt in its pampered life. Most likely, instead of trying to get rid of mice, they will just ignore them or be frightful of them.