How to properly clean your windows

You can spend hours trying to scrape sticker residue off window glass. Even razor blades don’t always get off all the muck. And since leftover adhesive collects dirt, soon you’re looking at an ugly splotch.

Remove as much of a sticker as you can using your fingernail or a razor blade and then spray a little penetrating lubricant, such as WD-40, on the adhesive that remains. Wipe with a paper towel or rag, and the residue will come right off.

To remove nicotine film or other grime from windows, you need ammonia. Mix approximately 240ml of lemon-scented ammonia in 9.5 litres of water and use this solution to clean the windows. The ammonia will cut through the grime, and the lemon scent will leave your house habitable.

Washing windows is a tiresome chore, but it’s even worse when your labours leave streaks on the windows. Here’s how the pros avoid streaking when they wipe off their windows:

Can’t figure out whether those ugly streaks are on the inside or outside of your windows? When you clean your windows, wipe the inside of the windows in a side-to-side direction and the outside in an up-and-down direction.

This way, you can step back and easily see which side the streak is on, so you won’t waste time recleaning the side that doesn’t need it—and running the risk of introducing new streaks.

Dust your blinds regularly with a soft cloth, a duster, or the dusting brush on your vacuum (Be sure to dust both sides of the blinds). If they’re stained or spotted, it’s time for a real cleaning.

Though you can wash them in place (with a covering over the floor and furniture), it’s best to remove the blinds. Place one blind at a time across a worktable covered with a plastic sheet or shower curtain.

Wash vinyl blinds using a sponge and a solution of 60ml white vinegar in one litre of warm water. Washing them in the bathtub is even easier. Run some warm water in the tub, add a squirt of washing up liquid, and wipe each side with a large sponge. To rinse, dunk them in clean water or hold them under the shower. Then wipe with a clean, soft cloth.

Many fabric blinds can also be washed but take a close look at the care instructions before washing them. It’s best not to leave them in the water for more than a minute or so.

To keep dust from piling up quickly, use an antistatic spray, such as Static Guard, on the window blinds right after you clean them.

Here’s an easy way to keep the grime from air pollution or household activity from building upon the metal slats of Venetian blinds. Wipe a thin coat of clear appliance or automobile wax on the blinds. The coating will keep dirt and dust from sticking, making it easier to clean with your duster or vacuum.

Black or grey mildew spots on wooden frames can be cleaned for good with a solution of 60ml of household bleach and 30ml of laundry detergent in a litre of water. Wearing rubber gloves to protect your hands, sponge the solution on the spots, let it sit for ten minutes, and then rinse thoroughly with clean water.

Because your exterior windows are exposed to the elements, they are subject to collecting a lot of dirt. But there is a simple way to keep your sills clean: wipe on a coat of clear floor wax to protect them.