Throughout the year, our windows take a beating. Fall winds, winter ice and snow, and spring and summer pollen can leave your windows looking dingy or dull.

You’d be surprised how much difference a great window cleaning can make. You may not even realize just how dusty your windows are until after cleaning — then you notice how much more light streams in through your windows and how much clearer your view of the outdoors is.

Not cleaning your windows can lead to discoloration and something called window haze: A cloudy layer of film that makes your glass always look dirty and can even reduce the clear opacity of your home’s windows. Window cleaning isn’t always a fun job, but it’s an essential one.

However, the wrong cleaning methods can make your windows look even worse than when you started. You don’t want to undo all of your hard work with the wrong cleaner, incorrect tools, or improper methods.

How Often Should You Clean Your Home Windows?

So, how frequently should you be cleaning your windows? Maybe you clean them each spring and fall when the screens are being swapped in or out, but even this isn’t enough.

Home Advisor recommends cleaning your windows once every month or two, depending on your surroundings. In a forest or heavily-wooded area or in a city where pollution or pollen is prevalent, your windows should be washed at least once per month. If you live somewhere where dirt and pollen might not always stick, you can probably get away with cleaning your windows every two months or so.

Best Window Cleaning Tips for a Crystal-Clear View

There are a few tricks that can make a large task like cleaning your home windows feel just a little bit easier. For starters:

Wash your windows on a cloudy day.

When the sun is shining, and especially when it’s warm, your cleaning solution can dry onto your windows before you have a chance to clean them, which can leave hard-to-remove streaks. And if the weather isn’t cooperating, start by cleaning the windows on the shaded side of your home.

Next, Good Housekeeping recommends splitting up the task of cleaning your windows by going room by room so that it doesn’t feel like an insurmountable goal.

The home experts at Good Housekeeping also suggest leaving the squeegee to the professionals. It can be tempting to want to give a squeegee a try, but they really only work if you know how to use them. Used improperly, all the cleaning solution, dust, dirt, and pollen can drip and end up all over your floors!

Instead, wipe one side of your windows horizontally and the other side vertically. That way, if there are steaks, you’ll know which side needs a little extra attention to clear away streaks.

Pella Windows & Doors also recommends avoiding cleaners that are ammonia or alcohol-based. They are more prone to streaks and can even leave a thin film that will attract more dust and moisture. A solvent like rubbing alcohol or acetone can help remove tricky spots, and then you can follow up with a cleaner to wipe away any remaining residue.

What Window Cleaning Solution Should You Use?

There are all kinds of cleaning products on the market, all of which promise to give you a streak-free shine, but home guru Bob Vila suggests that the best cleaner you can use is one you can make with an ingredient you already have at home: white vinegar.

You can make a simple (and very effective) cleaning solution using one-part white vinegar combined with two-parts water. Mix it up and put it in a spray bottle, and you’re ready to go!

And if you’re worried about the vinegar smell throughout your house? That should go away pretty quickly after you wipe away the solution and the remaining vinegar evaporates.

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Window Cleaning

How do you clean your windows?

Before you get started, you want to remove excess dust and dirt from the window pane and frame with a brush or vacuum so that it doesn’t turn into a muddy mess.

Next, choose the right cleaner, and don’t shy away from using plenty of it. Your windows require plenty of cleaning solution to dissolve and suspend the dirt.

Some homeowners like to wipe away the cleaning solution with the black-and-white pages of old newspapers to avoid streaks and leftover lint that fabric cloths or paper towels can leave behind. You can do this, but an even better bet is to use microfiber cloths that won’t leave lint all over your windows.

Enlist the Help of Professional Cleaners

At Clean My Space CT, we offer far more than just residential weekly house cleaning or monthly cleaning services — though we definitely excel at these services too!

Now that warmer weather is here, it’s time for spring cleaning. Our list of spring cleaning services is extensive. You can even add in window cleaning services and other tasks like patio cleaning and fireplace cleaning so that you get an excellent clean without all the hard work.

We aim to be central Connecticut’s chosen house cleaning services company. Whether it’s a weekly cleaning service or monthly cleaning service, or something a little more in-depth like spring cleaning or disinfection services, we are here for you.

Life’s too short to spend it cleaning your home inside and out. Read a little bit about what our clients have to say about our exceptional work, then request a quote today for your weekly house cleaning service, spring window cleaning, and more.