Window cleaning isn’t just about having the insides of your home lit up each time the sun shines, it’s also an important part of knowing how to sell a property!
Having streak-free, clean window glass that shows off the outside view and lets in the most wonderful natural light is essential for showing a property off at its best.
It’s also an important part of ensuring your property remains a positive place to live. The question of how to clean glass windows isn’t always easy though.
While easier to handle if you’re in a landed property, what do you do if you’re on the 50th floor of a condo development? Let’s tackle the simple question of window cleaning internally to start!
Tips And Hacks To Clean Inside Of Windows
Cleaning inside windows is the easy part! They’re much easier to reach, making for a far simpler process. Now, first of all, you have to pick your cleaning solution.
There are loads of great products out there on the market, but it’s worth asking whether you even need a chemical cleaning agent when you can use these DIY hacks to do it yourself!
Here are a number of other more environmentally-friendly choices:
- Vinegar and water. A vinegar and water solution cuts through grease and grime, leaving your window looking shiny-new. Mix 1 part white vinegar with 4 parts water and combine the ingredients to make a simple window cleaner. Just add to a bottle, spray, and go!
- Black tea. A simple cleaning hack that some people swear by! Steep a tea bag in water for a long time until it goes cold. Once it’s well and truly steeped, take the liquid and apply it to a cloth or spray directly onto the surface. Wipe clean and be amazed!
- Cream toothpaste/baking soda. If you’ve got a scratched glass surface you want to clean, then cream toothpaste or baking soda is a hot hack for you to try! Make sure to clean the surface off first using a cleaning product or the tips above, then wipe it dry. Use a soft cloth, and apply a small amount of cream toothpaste, or a simple paste of water and baking soda. Wipe this gently over the scratches, and marvel as they disappear.
Of course, the magical art of window cleaning go beyond the cool tips and tricks noted above. There are also some other great hacks you need to know, from what type of cloth to use, to what time of day to clean the windows!
- Remove dirt first. Sometimes, surfaces can become clogged with dust or dirt, and this can make cleaning windows a challenge. Give them a gentle brush before you start, or maybe even a vacuum if they’re particularly dirty!
- Don’t do it in sunlight. Sunlight is what you’re trying to let in with clean windows, but it can also get in the way of proper window cleaning! If you clean windows while they’re being illuminated with direct sunlight, the solution you’re using to clean the windows can potentially dry too fast. That means it leaves streaks and stains, rather than a squeaky-clean surface.
- Microfiber is micro-fantastic. There’s no point using a dirty cloth or scratchy old scrubber for your windows. A microfiber cloth is by far the best solution for window cleaning, as they are absorbent and soft and leave your glass streak-free and shining in the sunlight.
- Tackle with a toothbrush. A simple tip for those little corners and tough windowsills is to use a toothbrush for some fine work. It’s an easy way to get the stubborn dirt around the frames… just don’t put it back in the bathroom afterwards!
- Don’t overclean. This is more of a time-saving hack – don’t get too obsessed with your windows! Unless you’re in a particularly dirty room like a kitchen where lots of high-intensity cooking happens, you probably don’t need to clean your windows more than once or twice a year.
Time For Cleaning Outside The Windows
Things get a bit more complicated when it comes to cleaning outside windows! If you’re in a landed property, you’re in a great place to do your own washing.
However, you can always opt to hire a professional who will likely help you with the cleaning process, and at a reasonable price too.
If you’re cleaning your own exterior windows in a landed property, here are some top tips on the best equipment and methods to help you along the way:
- Step ladder. It’s better to get up close and personal and be able to put some pressure on windows if possible. A step ladder is a secure platform to wash windows from, but be careful and make sure that you don’t push yourself away from windows with too much force, and that your ladder is securely positioned.
- Extendable window wiper. An extendable window wiper or squeegee on a stick is a great way to reach tough spots without overextending yourself. It’s also a quick easy solution to get higher windows without needing to get the step ladder out every time.
- Wipe two ways. A simple hack that might save you time is wiping vertically when you’re cleaning inside, and horizontally when cleaning outside (or vice versa!). That means if you see a streak on the glass once complete, you can quickly identify whether it’s on the outside window or the inside window! That’s some squeaky-clean street-smarts right there.
- Magnetic window cleaning magic. Magnetic window cleaners are a slice of magic that can help clean inside and out! Just open the window, carefully place the exterior piece outside, and connect it to the interior piece internally through the glass – with the power of magnets! Then gently move the interior section over the windows, and watch the exterior get gently cleaned by the connecting piece. Just make sure there’s nobody below when you do it!
- Don’t forget the screens. You might be using window screens to keep out flying pests; well these need to be cleaned too! You’ll be amazed how quickly they can pick up dirt. A gentle run-over with a vacuum is a simple tip to clean, or a wipe down with a damp cloth. If you want to go more deep-clean style, you should be able to pop them out of the window easily and give them a good wash in a garden or outdoor space.
Window Cleaning In Strata Properties
Strata properties come in two types, high-rise strata properties such as towering apartment complexes, and strata landed property such as a townhouse on a parcel of land as part of a wider development.
If you’re wondering how to clean windows in a strata landed property, then some of the rights and responsibilities are the same as that for an individual title landed property. In that case, it’s likely you’re responsible for maintaining the windows and facade.
If you’re in a strata property such as an apartment or condo however, then cleaning outside windows is likely a joint responsibility managed by the building’s management corporation.
There are many good reasons for this! One is that maintaining the exterior in a shared building requires a shared responsibility. The maintenance fees you pay are directly related to key activities, such as cleaning and repairs.
The other reason is far more practical – it’s a bit crazy to think of 400 owners all trying to clean their own windows, specially if you’re at the topmost floors!
You’d have to lean pretty far out… and nobody wants to send their spouse/housemate out in a Spiderman outfit and with a window squeegee – on the 40th floor!
Your management corporation should have in place a policy to safely employ a professional high-rise window cleaning company to undertake the work.
If you’re at all worried about the quality of the work, or the frequency, then the best bet is to approach the management corporation and discuss how it can be improved.
Window cleaning is a key part of property maintenance. If you’re positioned to do it yourself, these tips and tricks should be the pathway to gleaming windows for the future!
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