Thanks to dust, dirt, hand prints and paw prints, you may find yourself having to clean your windows and mirrors a little more often than you’d like. And glass surfaces are not the easiest to clean.
Of course, local window cleaners are always at hand. But whether you find a cleaner in London or try to clean your windows yourself, no one likes a streaky finish. Store-bought cleaners, scratchy paper towels and newspapers can leave glass surfaces in a worse condition than before you started.
Here’s some simple hacks to help you achieve that elusive sparkling streak-free finish:
Make your own cleaning solution
If you’re all about that eco-friendly life, you’ve probably already explored non-toxic cleaning options for your home. A DIY cleaning solution for your windows and mirrors is a natural and highly effective glass cleaner, and you save a few ££ in the process.
Here’s how to concoct a glass-cleaning solution yourself:
Combine half a cup of rubbing alcohol with two tablespoons of ammonia and dishwashing liquid. Mix it all up in an empty spray bottle, and hey presto, you’re all set.
Spritz on glass surfaces (don’t soak!) and wipe. Buff dry to finish.
Ditch the newspapers and use paper coffee filters
Coffee… the gift that just keeps on giving.
Instead of staining your hands with ink by using newspaper, try an (unused) dry paper coffee filter to clean your glass surfaces.
Simply dip the filter into your homemade cleaning solution and wipe your windows and mirrors clean. Wipe using a dry filter.
Use blackboard erasers to banish streaks
Buffing is a hugely important part of the window and mirror cleaning process, and must not be foregone if you’re on a quest for streak-free shine. Blackboard erasers can be your ally in this quest.
That’s right, the old-school (pardon the pun) blackboard eraser is a secret weapon for crystal clear mirrors and mirrors. After cleaning (with your homemade cleaner and paper coffee filters, of course) run a dry and clean blackboard eraser over glass surfaces for a satisfying streak-free finish.
Clean window tracks with white vinegar and baking soda
When it comes to window cleaning, it’s not just the glass surfaces you need to deal with. Dirt and debris can often accumulate in the window tracks.
Enter our fave household heroes – baking soda and vinegar.
Cover your window tracks with baking soda and white vinegar paste and leave for 5-10 minutes. You’ll find that all the window track gunk comes off easily using an old toothbrush.
Still got some leftover dirt in those hard-to-reach corners? Use a butter knife covered in a rag to get that stubborn debris out.
Clean your windows on a cloudy day
Finally, something our beloved British weather is ideal for.
The best time to clean your windows is on cloudy days. Direct sunlight will dry out the cleaning liquid before you can wipe it clean, leaving dreaded streaks behind.
Admittedly, we’re going through a bit of a heatwave at the moment, but rest assured, we’ll be back to optimal window-cleaning weather in no time.
