My dear friend taught me to use full strength dish soap -- spray the windows with plain water, then squirt a bit of the dishsoap on the windows. Then use a brush or a sponge mop and scrub the window. Then just spray the suds off and you have beautiful clean windows. They dry sparkling.
I think that it doesn't much matter what you use in the water; the secret is using a squeegee. I have one with a long handle so that I can do the high windows without a ladder. (I live in a split level house.). I use some Dawn dishwashing soap in the pail.
I brush my screens with a broom. Usually all there is on them is some fuzz from trees.
Thank you all VERY much for your suggestions. For the past 4 years, while recovering from cancer, my wife has hired people to do this job. Now that I have some strength back ... there is no reason that I cannot do it myself.
When I lived in New Jersey, my mother and I had a professional window cleaner. He used to get the windows so clean that one day we asked what he put in the water to get the windows so clean. We were quite surprised when he said it was "plain water"! His secret was using a squeegee. He used the squeegee inside and out. They stayed cleaner longer too.
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Request: Cleaning Windows Outside
Archived on 02/23/2009
Tips for cleaning windows outside. Post your ideas.
Answers:
Cleaning Outside Windows
Use a string mop, it has a long reach and it gets the corners really well. Put a drop or two of dish soap in a bucket, scrub, then rinse with hose, let air dry!
(04/01/2005)
I use a sponge mop and a rectangle trash can and put Spic & Span in the water, which has a sheeting action. Works great! (04/02/2005)
By Syd
RE: Cleaning Windows Outside
I use the car wash wand and brush that I use on my car. I fits on the end of the hose so there is water and it has a soap chamber so soap and water come out together. When your windows are clean you can shut off the soap and rinse. The car wash wand does extend out quite a ways. This is fast and easy for me. (04/02/2005)