With the cool weather coming in rather quickly this year, it's time to start spending parts of the mornings and afternoons with the windows and doors open. There's really nothing like cool, crisp fall air filling your home! This time of year is a reminder to me to clean the windows. (I would be the one to associate a cleaning task to this time of year!) Is there anyone who actually enjoys cleaning windows? Probably not, not even me. However, there is a certain sense of satisfaction that comes from standing back and looking at a spotless pane...even if it's a pain to get it done. And while clean glass is certainly satisfying, hard work and elbow grease that only produces nasty streaks is less than awesome. Then, you have to figure out which side is streaking and wash it again, which usually results in washing both sides again and total exhaustion before you're finished with the first window. Anybody feelin' me here?
First, let me say that I don't have a favorite cleaner or mixture to use that yields a streak-free window. Some people swear by foams or homemade mixtures or a good solid name brand. I, however, have found that any cleaner, even water, paired with a really good microfiber cloth works wonders. I use 2 cloths...one for washing and one for drying.
Cleaner talk aside, this oh-so-simple tip has saved me many times in this window washing woe. Wipe the window in one direction on the outside and in another direction on the inside. For example, I generally wipe top to bottom/bottom to top on the outside windows and left to right/right to left on the inside. If you do this, and the window streaks, you'll be able to tell which side the streaks are on in a flash! No need for washing and rewashing until you get it right. One more tip for making a not so fun task a little easier. Now, open those windows and let the sunshine in!
-Sarai
