Spring has sprung, and it’s time to start some spring cleaning! First stop? The windows that have months of winter fingerprints and smudges! Whether you have specialized custom glass, or a standard material, cleaning windows at home can be a bit more of a challenge than you might be expecting. Sometimes you may even notice that you’ve done more harm than good after cleaning the windows of your home!

At St. Louis Glass Works, we’re here to help. Our residential glass experts are here to answer any questions you have about what might be going wrong when it comes to DIY home window cleaning between professional treatments. Here are a few things to consider:

What Materials are you using?

There are just five easy tools you need to make your windows shine! You need a bucket, a sponge or mop, a scraper, a squeegee and a microfiber cloth. From here you will mix your cleaning solution in the bucket, then use the sponge or mop to lather the windows. After you’ve rinsed them, you need to run the squeegee along them to get rid of any extra water. This step is important! Don’t leave any extra water. To finish, just polish the window with a microfiber cloth!

Another important thing to remember is to NEVER dry your window with newspaper, or keep newspaper in your windows. This might not sound like something you would do, but some people have! Newspapers can contain harsh chemicals that can damage the windows, and ink can also rub off onto glass.

What Cleaning Solution are you Using?

Most people don’t know this but some chemical cleaners may be too harsh for your windows, and may even attract dust. Even ordinary tap water may contain hard minerals that leave behind streaky deposits! Make sure you are using the right cleaning solution.

What is the Temperature?

We recommend cleaning your windows on a cloudy day. On a hot, sunny day the sunshine will dry the window too quickly as you move from section to section, this will leave streaks and marks that set in before you are able to rinse!

If you have more questions about how to make your windows shine, make sure to message us on Facebook or contact us here. Our residential glass pros will be happy to help!