Good to Know: Naturally Clean Windows

Keep piles of paper towels out of the landfills by taking a cue from professional window cleaners.

May/June 2006
By Ken Hoyt 
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A vinegar solution leaves windows sparkling without toxic chemicals.
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Few things make a home look more welcoming than clean windows. The spray-and-wipe method has become the norm for maintaining them, but we can keep piles of paper towels out of the landfills by taking a cue from professional window cleaners.

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VINEGAR WINDOW RINSE

2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
2 quarts water
2 small buckets
1 squeegee clean, lint-free cloths

1. Fill buckets with warm water.
2. Add white vinegar to one of the buckets and agitate to mix. (The clear water will be your rinse.)
3. Apply cleaning solution with a cloth—which you will use only for that task—and start at the top of the window, working from side to side as you clean. Let stand for a few seconds and rinse with a separate cloth dipped in the clear water.
4. Immediately use your squeegee to remove the water. You will have the least drippy windows if you wipe the squeegee blade with a dry cloth after every pass.

WASHING TIPS

• Never wash windows on a bright day or when the sun has preheated the window. You’ll constantly be fighting glare and streaks.
• To clean corners, use a toothbrush or cotton swab.
• In winter, a few tablespoons of rubbing alcohol in the water will keep it from freezing to the window.
• Crumpled newspaper is terrific for rubbing away streaks.
• If you squeegee from side to side on the window’s inside and up to down on the outside you can easily identify which side the streak is on.

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