Window washing is something dreaded by most housekeepers, but it doesn’t have to be. Done correctly, it not only increases the life of the window, but doesn’t take as long as you might think.

Especially if you’re anywhere near a beach. Salt air leaves salty residue on your windows, gradually staining them. Ocean breezes can carry salt spray over long distances, you don’t need to be within view of the water for your windows to be affected.

What you don’t want to do is attack the windows with some kind of vinegar solution, newspaper and gritted teeth, leaving streaks and smears everywhere. Even ammonia-based spray cleaners do little more than create a paste which you can never completely wipe off (ever smelled ammonia around professional window washers?).

What’s Needed?

You’ll need a squeegee, squeegee handle, telescopic pole, t-bar window mop, bucket and concentrate cleaner.

The Step-by-Step Process

Mix the concentrate according to directions and mop the window. You don’t necessarily need to scrub; the squeegee will remove the dirt. Use a non-scratch kitchen scrubber or glass scraper for paint or hardened dirt.

Now you need to remove the water containing the dirt and salt before it dries. It’s always best to clean windows out of direct sunlight, since the warmer the window the more quickly water dries and leaves streaks.

Put the squeegee in a top corner. Always start at the top of a window and work downward, starting with the highest windows on a wall and working down. Pull the squeegee in a straight line across the window in one motion. Never stop a stroke in the middle of the window, this will leave a smear. Keep the top of the squeegee tilted slightly in the direction of the stroke so the water runs down and away.

Overlap the area you cleaned by a few centimetres when you start the next stroke.

Finally, wrap the cloth around your finger and run it in the corners and edges so any water left behind doesn’t drip down the middle of the window. Wipe off any water spots.

Replace the rubber squeegee blades when they start rounding at the corners.

Normally, twice-yearly cleaning will be sufficient to keep your windows salt-free and looking good.