Fall Window Cleaning Made Easy

By Cheryl Mailoux of Sterilite Corporation

With the change of seasons happening this past weekend and the chill already setting in the air in New England, I thought it would be perfect to inspire all of you to do a little fall window cleaning.

Growing up my mother was always a fanatic about making sure the windows were cleaned every spring and fall and she always took pride in having a clean home. Her trick was to use newspaper and glass cleaner to wipe the windows clean, however I was never a fan of the ink getting all over my hands, even if the windows looked great when we were done.  Since then I have come up with my own process, which is a little less messy and requires a little less elbow grease. Hopefully you will find some useful tips that you can use to get started fall cleaning your home today.

One of my favorite items by Sterilite is the Large Ultra™ Caddy.  This item is very spacious and allows me to keep all my cleaning products neatly organized under the kitchen sink, so I always know where to find them. The large comfort grip handle makes it easy to carry items from one job to another around my home.
Once the cleaning products have been gathered, I pick a section of the house to get started on. First I remove all the curtains. I have learned over the years to save a little money on dry cleaning by washing most of my curtains (including drapes) on the gentle cycle using cold water and a mild detergent and then hanging them to dry. Most will need a little pressing when dry, but the dollar savings are well worth the time and effort. Then I vacuum out all the windowsills and vacuum the screens to remove the dust and dirt that can easily be removed. 

Helpful Tip #1: Can’t devote a full day to fall cleaning? Then select a room a day to accomplish until the whole house has been done so that the task is not so overwhelming.


Next, I fill the 16 Qt Dual Spout Pail with warm water and 1 cup of Lestoil. The Lestoil helps to break down all of the grime that may be stuck on the windows & sills from the harsh weather elements so that it may be wiped away easily.

Helpful Hint #2: Be sure to empty your pail often and refill with water and Lestoil  after you have finished cleaning 2-3 rooms or when water is really dirty.


Next I take a Magic Sponge® by Mr. Clean® that has been soaked in the water with Lestoil® and start by making small circular motions all around the window until the entire window has been washed and then dry with a lint free towel to quickly remove the water.

Helpful Hint #3: You may want to try the Extra power Magic Erasers which claim to hold up stronger against tougher jobs compared to the original erasers I used here.


Next follow up by spraying the window with glass cleaner for the final wipe down. This will ensure that your windows sparkle and help to remove any streaks that maybe left by the drying towel in the previous step. Repeat these steps for each side of the window until all windows have been cleaned.


Finish by rehanging your curtains and standing back and admiring your job well done. I hope you find these tips helpful in making your windows sparkle and your home a little cleaner this fall.

Comments

[Jonathan Stewart]

Interesting way to approach window cleaning but it appears to work well. Good tips and documentation of your process. Usefull--thank you ver much for the insight!

[Eloisa Bradley]

For some weird reason, I don't would like to clean our windows now using the tips that you gave above. This can be good activity together with my husband and kids.

[Cleanex Contract Services]

I think most people get intimidated by the thought of cleaning the whole house, so breaking it up over a week into a room a day is a great idea. Thanks for posting.

[Cory Waltmathe]

Thank you for the sharing this information. I really like your way to inspire other people, by the tips you gave I'm sure many will be inspired and learn from this. I agree about the things that need to organize so that it can easily be found and use.

[Dre Laurent]

I have found the site very informative! I only recently came upon it, and wish I’d seen it sooner. It does a great job of pulling different topics/disciplines/perspectives — something unique and valuable here. Thanks — hope you keep it up!
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[marybannerman]

Thanks for sharing such a informative blog. Its interesting way to approach window cleaning but it appears to work well.