Do your windows need a good, thorough clean? Perhaps you’ve had enough of staring at the bird mess they so kindly deposited on them, or maybe they’re just looking a little too cloudy for your liking. Whatever the case, you’re probably wondering how to do it yourself professionally. Professional window cleaning isn’t too difficult, in fact; it’s all about the tools you use. The tools you use will make a massive difference to the appearance of your windows, so if you’re sick of leaving streaks, follow this advice to have professional looking, clean windows (beware, your windows could look so clean you might try to walk through them. Do this at your own risk):

Get the Right Tools

The tools are the most important thing when it comes to window cleaning. You’ll need:

• A squeegee rubber. This is the most important thing you have in your window cleaning arsenal, so make sure it’s a good one and change it often.
• A clean scrubber or lamb’s wool applicator.
• A fresh bucket of soapy water.
• Two lint free towels. Make sure you keep these separately from each other as you’ll be using them for different things.

Using Your Squeegee

When using your squeegee you need to make sure that you hold it properly against the window. If you press too hard you can damage the window and leave streaks, but not pressing hard enough can leave streaks too. You don’t need to add much extra pressure as they are heavy enough to begin with. It could take a bit of practice before you’ve got it spot on!

If you’re a total beginner, you might find pulling from side to side with the squeegee is the best way to do it. After every pull, you should dry your blade with one of your lint free towels; if you don’t you’ll leave streaks and rubber marks on your window. Make sure each pull overlaps the last one by at least an inch!

Remember, you want to concentrate while you’re working. Don’t try to go too fast either!

If you do find you have to wipe watermarks off the glass or find that you’ve missed bits around the edges, a microfiber cloth is perfect. Not only will it rid your windows of annoying watermarks, it’ll actually attract dust and dirt!

You’ll want to do the same for both sides of the window, and they’ll literally look so clean that you’ll wonder if they’re still there. Practice makes perfect when it comes to window cleaning, so if you’ve tried the advice above and still haven’t got the hang of it, keep trying!

What to Do if You Don’t Have Standard Windows

If you don’t have a “standard” type of window, then you might need to think outside of the box a little when it comes to cleaning them. Really old, vintage windows like sash windows may need the touch of a professional; so contact a company such as Sash Smart (based in London) to help you. You can also find many more tutorials and videos by doing a simple Google/Youtube search.