What Is the Best Way to Clean Windows?

Created: Monday, 12 April 2021 21:55

You step to the window to enjoy the view outside, but streaks and spots distract you. When it's time to give the glass a shine, you need to know the best way to clean windows. With tips and tricks in mind, you'll get your windows cleaned right the first time and get back to enjoying the panorama that awaits outdoors. Discover everything you need to know below, from the best window cleaning clothes to how to get a streak-free shine.

What Are the Best Towels for Cleaning Windows?

When cleaning your windows, don't reach for paper towels. These disposable options leave fibers on the glass, meaning you put time and effort into cleaning for spotty results. Instead, choose a streak-free cleaning cloth to make your windows look as good as new. But remember, cleaning windows involves more than shining the glass. Get these cloths and towels for deep-cleaning your windows.

Microfiber

These soft, absorbent towels make the best window cleaning cloths to polish the glass. When you use a microfiber cloth for your windows, you're more likely to get a streak-free shine. Microfiber towels feature tiny strands smaller than silk that create dense rows of split fibers. The result is an incredibly absorbent cloth. Microfiber cloths are the best choice to clean your windows because they pick up and trap dirt and grime.

One way to determine a towel's quality and absorbency is to consider the grams per square meter (GSM). This measurement describes how thick a towel is, and higher numbers indicate plusher linen. For cleaning your windows, you won't need a high GSM. You want something that can absorb glass cleaner and sweep away excess dust. Choosing a lower GSM means your microfiber can dry more quickly between cleanings.

When you shop with Towel Super Center, you can choose from microfiber towels with different weights. Both our premium and economy microfiber cloths come in a range of colors, letting you color-code your towels for various purposes. Consider which microfiber weight will suit your needs.

• 325 GSM: Our premium microfiber towels come in a convenient 16" x 24" size. The 325 GSM microfiber towels offer incredible durability, so you can clean your windows and launder the cloths over and over again. 
• 200 GSM: For an economy option, choose the 16" x 16" microfiber towels in 200 GSM. If your business has plenty of windows to take care of, consider a wholesale order of economy microfiber cloths that still offer quality and utility.

Washcloths

Cotton washcloths come in a handy size to make efficient work of cleaning your windows. While you won't give the glass a final polish with these cloths, you can use them to remove excess debris before you bring in the microfiber. Use one wet washcloth to remove dirt and a dry one to remove the excess water. Purchase washcloths in bulk to have multiple options for your cleaning purposes.

Hand Towels

If you have large windows to clean, you might opt for a larger linen than a washcloth. Select 100% cotton hand towels for efficient absorbency and a soft feel that won't put your glass at risk for scratches. If you want durable, absorbent options, choose towels with a blend of 86% cotton and 14% polyester.

Hand towels are an efficient way to dry excess water off the glass before using a cleaning solution and a microfiber cloth. Their larger size also means you could fold them and use different sides for a clean dry across various windows or large glass surfaces.

Bath Towels

You won't use these large linens to clean the glass itself. Instead, bath towels come in handy to protect your windowsill. Whether you're cleaning the inside or outside of the glass, roll up a towel and set it on the sill. The towel will catch any drips of cleaning product or dirt and debris you wipe off the window.

If you're cleaning multiple windows, be sure to shake the towel out between each one if you're outside. You'll avoid taking dust from one window and getting it on the sill of another. When you're working inside, carefully move the towel between windows to prevent spills of excess cleaner, water or dust on the floor.

Of course, you don't need brand-new towels for this purpose. Instead, use old towels that aren't as soft or attractive as they used to be. You can then save those for cleaning and purchase new bath towels to enjoy.

How Do You Wash Windows With Rags?

If you clean your windows with rags, try to save them for removing excess dirt, grease and debris. You probably repurposed old towels as rags once your linens were no longer soft or in good enough shape for regular use. Years spent as regular towels have put those rags through a lot, meaning they could leave lint behind or be less absorbent. Consider using rags for an initial clean rather than the final polish to keep the glass streak-free.

You should also set aside rags specifically for cleaning windows. Many households and businesses alike find different purposes for rags, from cleaning spills to working on vehicles. You don't want to use a greasy rag to clean glass. Try to color-code your rags or store ones meant for your windows away from other cloths.

What Is the Best Way to Clean Windows Without Streaking?

You've probably cleaned a window before, only to back away and see unsightly streaks. The result means you have to go back and try again, so hone your cleaning skills to avoid the hassle. Follow these tips for the best way to clean windows without creating streaks.

• Clean on a cloudy day: Whether you're cleaning windows inside or outside, work on an overcast day that's not too hot. With the sun out, the heat will dry your cleaner quickly and create streaks. If the weather doesn't cooperate, you can always start with windows facing away from the sun and wait until later to do the others.
• Work fast: Don't let your window cleaner sit on the window for long. It'll drip and possibly begin to dry, creating many visible streaks.
• Work continuously: Sweep across the window in one smooth motion if you can. Patchy cleaning can create various lines and spots across the glass.
• Use a lot of cleaner: It doesn't matter if you clean with a homemade or store-bought solution — be sure to spray a lot. When you don't use enough cleaner, you risk making streaks on your windows, since you won't saturate and suspend any dust or dirt left behind on the glass. Instead, you'll spread it around, leaving smudges.
• Dry the glass completely: Dry every bit of cleaner from the glass. Any residue you leave behind can turn into streaks or spots.
• Catch streaks from either side of the glass: If you're cleaning a window's interior and exterior on the same day, wipe horizontally on one side and vertically on the other. If you end up with any streaks, you can tell by their direction whether you need to revisit the inside or outside.
• Look at different angles: Once you finish cleaning the windows, inspect them from a few angles to see if you left any streaks or missed a spot. Looking at the glass head-on can camouflage marks you won't notice until you put your cleaning supplies away. Check the window before calling it a day and touch up streaky spots that might remain.

More Window Cleaning Tips

Want to make extra sure your windows are sparkling and streak-free when you finish cleaning them? Remember these additional window cleaning tips.

1. Launder Your Linens Correctly

Keep your towels — and your windows — lint- and streak-free when you launder these linens correctly. Taking care of your microfiber, cotton and cotton-poly blend towels will make cleaning your windows easier. Read the laundering instructions on the tags and follow these tips when washing and drying your linens.

• Use low heat for microfiber cloths: Use low-heat settings when you wash and dry microfiber towels. Heat will melt the tiny fibers together and ruin the cloth's absorbency, making it challenging to get a streak-free shine.
• Launder like materials together: When you machine wash and dry your linens, keep materials together. Throwing a microfiber cloth in with cotton towels will get lint on the microfiber and ruin the cloth. Also, avoid tossing towels in with your clothes, as lint can transfer between the fabrics.
• Avoid fabric softener and dryer sheets: These cleaners coat the towel's fibers, limiting its absorbency. Some fabric softeners can also leave a residue behind that transfers to your windows when you try to clean them.

2. Wash Your Windows About Once a Month

Ideally, you'll take the time to clean your windows at least once a month. Every few months, a deeper clean may be necessary for kitchen windows and exterior glass. Keeping up with regular cleanings helps reduce grease, dust and dirt buildup.

Of course, how often you clean your windows will depend on a handful of factors. If you live somewhere with high seasonal pollen counts or your business is near a construction site, you'll need to wash the glass more often. If you don't have those concerns, you can get away with cleaning your windows once every two months, or as often as you notice dust, spots or streaks.

As a business owner, you might clean your windows more often than once a month. You want a professional look for your brand, and streak-free, shining windows can help.

3. Remove Grease, Dirt and Debris

Before you try to shine a window, you need to remove any grease, dirt, dust and debris. If you don't, you risk scratching the glass or spreading messes around. 

• Grease: Kitchen windows are prone to grease buildup. Soak a washcloth in a solution made of water and a few drops of dish soap, then use it to work the grease away. Wipe with a different wet washcloth to remove the suds, then dry with a hand towel. If you've removed all the residue, follow those steps with a window cleaner and a microfiber.
• Dust: Use a fresh, clean microfiber cloth to sweep away dust. The cloth's tiny fibers will trap dust, helping you get a streak-free shine with a different microfiber and window cleaner.
• Debris: Exterior windows may get anything from dirt to insects on them. No matter the debris, you should clean it off with a wet rag or washcloth before drying the excess and using a microfiber.

4. Avoid Using Squeegees

While a professional window cleaner knows how to handle this cleaning tool, a lack of experience likely means you'll end up with water on the floor. Cleaning glass with a squeegee can also create streaks if you aren't sure how to use one properly. And if you don't remove dirt or debris first, you risk dragging them along the window and potentially scratching the glass. Go with trusty towels instead to protect your windows and keep them clean.

5. Consider Homemade Glass Cleaner

To make a homemade window cleaning solution, start by mixing white vinegar with rubbing alcohol in a 2-to-1 ratio. Dilute that with four times as much water as vinegar and pour it into a spray bottle for an easy window cleaner made with household ingredients. Of course, you could also opt for your favorite store-bought cleaner for a streak-free shine.

Some microfiber cloths even work with water alone — wet one cloth and use another clean one to dry. Using only water to clean your windows is practical with a quality, lint-free microfiber towel.

6. Remember to Clean the Frames

Clean around the window frame inside and outside your home or business. For safer cleaning results, use a cloth and water rather than another cleaner. If you use a store-bought window cleaner and an all-purpose cleaner, make sure they do not include chemicals that are dangerous to combine, like bleach and ammonia. If you want to use a cleaning solution, consider the homemade mix of water, vinegar and alcohol that also works well on glass.

7. Keep Indoor and Outdoor Cleaning Cloths Separate

If you clean greasy messes inside or debris outside, then move to the other side of the glass, you risk transferring that mess. Keep your indoor and outdoor cleaning cloths separate and switch dirtied towels for fresh ones whenever you can. Since you'll probably work from the inside, then move outside, or vice versa, you can easily swap your used cloths for clean ones.

Shop Window Cleaning Cloths With Towel Super Center

If you want a dazzling, streak-free shine for your windows, you need towels from Towel Super Center. From 100% cotton options to microfiber and cotton-poly blends, our high-quality linens help you clean windows and anything else around your property. We manufacture our towels with durability and longevity in mind, and those standards, combined with wholesale pricing, give you the best value for your home or business.

Whether you need to keep your storefront's windows clear for a professional look or you want your home to shine with streak-free windows, Towel Super Center can help. Shop our cleaning towels and microfiber cloths today to find the perfect linens for keeping your windows sparkling.