Being in the window cleaning business I’ve heard so many people tell me how they clean their windows and why that is a better way. I’ve tried a lot of them, using different chemicals, techniques, etc. What I’ve realized is that there could be over 100 different ways to clean something and still achieve the same goal, so there really is no wrong way to clean a window. However, in the cleaning industry in general the method chosen to clean always achieves two goals: maximum quality with minimum time.
Additionally, every cleaning method consists of three processes: Application (of soap or chemical), Agitation (scrubbing to loosen dirt), and Extraction (removal of chemical, dirt, and water). This applies to all cleaning, carpet cleaning, window cleaning, even cleaning a bathroom. So let’s go through a few methods of cleaning windows and see how they measure up with what we just talked about:
- Newspaper
Supposedly this is some sort of window cleaning hack. All it consists of is wading up a piece of newspaper and wiping your window with it. Since you are not using any chemicals there is no Application process but there is Agitation and Extraction. You can achieve the same purpose by taking a dry lint-free cloth and wiping your window. This could work well if you just want to clean off a smudge as you are simply transferring the dirt from the glass to the newspaper or cloth. But I can’t imagine cleaning windows this way as it would be very time consuming and tiring. So this method is probably not the best.
- Windex and a microfiber cloth
Maybe the most common household method of cleaning windows. I honestly hated it when my dad made me clean the windows at home this way. Like the above method of using newspaper it’s pretty much the same thing but now you are adding the application of a chemical. This could be Windex or another general purpose glass cleaner, some people use distilled vinegar, or just straight water. Either way works. Introducing the Application process may speed up the previous method but would still be time consuming if cleaning a large amount of windows and since the Extraction process is just transferring dirt to the cloth this would not be efficient on glass that is very dirty. I hated this because it took a lot of elbow grease and the windows would still have streaks.
- Washer and Squeegee
The method approved by all window cleaners. Some apply the chemical and water using a spray bottle or by wetting the washer/scrubber (this is a “t-bar” with a pad attached to it) and directly applying it to the glass while agitating or scrubbing. Then with a squeegee you extract the water, dirt and soap from the window and your done. This method is great because it’s fast and cleans a lot better then the previous two methods. Some people buy an expensive glass cleaning chemical but you can use just plain water, or water with distilled vinegar (if you don’t mind the smell), or simply water and dish soap (my weapon of choice). If you want to go green you can use a dish soap with all biodegradable materials.
- Water Fed Pole
This is the method of using purified water to clean windows. First water is normally passed through a three stage purifier and ran (or fed) through a pole with a brush. Pure water is applied to the window while the brush loosens any dirt and then rinsed and left to dry. Since there are no dissolvable solids in the water the window dries clean with no streaks or water spots. This is probably the fastest and most clean a window can get making this a superior method then any other. And because there are no chemicals being used this is the most environmentally friendly. There are some drawbacks though, since there is a constant flow of water this method can really only be used on the outside of a house or building. Also, the set up and break down of equipment takes a little time so it is usually only used when there are a lot of windows to clean.
As you can see, there are a lot of ways to clean windows. It all depends on the circumstances, if you have a couple windows to clean that aren’t that dirty then method 1 or 2 may be best. If you are cleaning all the windows in your house then you may want to consider trying method 3, you can get the basic equipment at a home improvement store. For bigger projects that are too big to handle on your own then your local window cleaner should be able to take care of it using the last two methods.