A Clean Window is a Happy Window!

Thet’s not a trick question, so I’ll ask it again: What happens when all the windows in your house are cleaned, both inside and out? In fact, two different things are almost sure to happen. First, your home will sparkle and shine; from the outside in good light the windows will pop like diamonds were spread across your house; and at night, when the interior is all lit up, light pours from your windows with a warmth and elegance that’s indescribable. On the inside, everything in your home will somehow seem lighter and airier. It’s a mystery, but there’s no doubt that you’ll find an extra spring in your step and pride in your address. That’s the first thing that happens.

The second thing is the realization that something important is missing; that the window job, as beautiful as the results are, just seems somehow unfinished. And then you realize what it is: it’s the contrast between the marks, stains, and blemishes that were present on the side of your house before the window cleaning, with the sparkling clean windows that you now enjoy. Because all of those other imperfections still remain – only now they’re highlighted by the sparkle in your windows. Don’t worry; we’ll get to that.

Why Is Cleaning Windows So Challenging, Anyway?

Good question, because at first glance it doesn’t seem like window cleaning is a particularly difficult task. After all, the steps in the process are neither very involved nor, on their own, are they especially difficult. So why do so many people avoid cleaning their windows? It doesn’t make much sense, especially since the longer it is delayed the more the dirt gets “baked-in” and the job only gets more difficult.

A “Tried and True” Clean Window Process

Yes, cleaning windows is a simple job: wipe off surface dirt, apply cleaning solution (as simple as soap and water, sometimes), scrub as needed, rinse the windows clean, either dry or airdry the windows. The tricky aspect is the high number of windows on the typical house: an average 3-bedroom 2-bathroom house will easily have a dozen windows – and may have as many as 20 or more. And many of those could have multiple lights (panes).

The Tools to Clean Windows

You will need to gather some basic tools to complete the job and, fortunately, none of them are single-use items. These include

Garden Hose of sufficient length for full access to all the windows. This allows rinsing the cleaning solution from the windows themselves and, more importantly, rinsing the siding under and around each window, to prevent discoloration on the siding itself.

Pail, Sponges & Squeegee for combining the chosen cleanser with water, carrying the solution from window to window, applying the solution, scrubbing the glass clean and removing the excess water.

Extension Ladder for accessing all of the windows on the building. Using a ladder will even facilitate washing windows on one-story buildings and ranch style homes.

Accessories like an extension pole for the scrubber or squeegee, rubber gloves (great tool in cold weather), and drying cloths.

The Cleanser

Spot cleaning on a single window, or on a set of sliding doors, or even doing a couple of windows at a time, may be easily accomplished with Windex or one of their competitors, or even a store brand window cleaner. But tackling all the windows in your home is performing that job on a whole new scale. Especially when you are cleaning the exteriors, too. It requires a different approach if you are to achieve worthwhile results without making a career out of the job.

Any of the Big Box stores will offer a variety of appropriate concentrated cleaning solutions that are just waiting to be mixed with water and applied to your windows. A search on Amazon will also offer a wide variety of possibilities to consider.

I can personally recommend the approach my grandmother used to use before she passed the recipe down to my mom:

2 parts water

1 part vinegar

several drops Dawn (or competitor) dishwasher soap

It provides an “excellent clean” yet using this formula is very inexpensive, it’s easy on the environment, and has no harsh or chemical odors. That can be particularly important when you’ll be around the cleanser for an extended time. Of course, some cleaning services offer a proprietary cleanser formula for their clients.

The Energy

The job is not especially strenuous and doesn’t require some exorbitant fitness level to get it done and done well. But it is repetitive and, with any single window requiring an estimated minimum of 10 minutes or so to clean inside and out (easily ranging to 2X or even 3X that for multi-light (pane) or inconveniently-placed windows) perseverance and determination will be key to a successful homeowner job.

The Logistics

Iin this case, “Logistics” is used to refer to two important elements that didn’t fit any of the other categories above. They are: a level of comfort with working at heights that could easily require an extension ladder; and the ability to string together several hours of “work time” that can be devoted to the window cleaning task at a time. Only the homeowner will know whether they can adequately deal with the logistics.

Residual Siding Marks, Stains, Blemishes – Solved

I identified two results to expect from cleaning your home’s windows at the start of this article. I addressed how to achieve the first one – getting that extra spring in your step – simply by cleaning your windows.

But we still might have residual marks, stains, and blemishes on your home’s siding that are ironically highlighted by the sparkling windows. This has a straight-forward fix, with two parts. The first part is to perform frequent rinses of the siding while you are washing the windows. New stains from cleaning runoff can be very unsightly and they can be avoided with frequent rinses.

The second part is to recognize when outside assistance is most beneficial. Many of our friends, family, and neighbors here in Monmouth County, NJ have found that capability here at All Clean Exteriors. When you decide that the time is right for your home to get the sparkling windows that you deserve and clean siding, call us at (732) 570-4923 or visit us online at www.allcleanexteriorsnj.com for a free estimate at your earliest convenience.