How to Clean Picture Windows

Homeowners who wouldn't dream of living without a vacuum cleaner, mop, and broom often don't have good window-cleaning equipment. It's no wonder it's considered such a dreaded chore. Visit a janitorial supply store and get an 18" or 24" squeegee for picture windows, smaller ones for small windows. Buy a telescoping handle, if needed. Get a big natural sponge, the very finest steel wool, a single-edge razor holder, and three lint-free towels. Now you're ready to clean picture windows.

Keep a Dry Edge for Streak-free Picture Windows

1. Brush or sweep all window frames.
2. Squirt a very small amount of liquid dish detergent into a 2-gallon bucket.
3. With dampened towel #1, wipe all window frames clean.
4. Dunk the sponge, and wet only as much window as will stay wet while you squeegee.
5. With dry towel (#2) quickly dry about 2" across the top and one side of the wet area.
6. Keeping one edge of the squeegee dry is key to avoiding streaks. Start at the top dry corner and use either a horizontal S-motion or parallel downward strokes, always keeping a squeegee edge in the area you just squeegeed dry.
7. Dry the bottom sill with dry cloth #3.
8. Repeat the process for an area adjacent to the one just cleaned. Keep one squeegee edge on dry, clean glass.
9. Use dry steel wool for bug spots, and a single-edge razor on wet glass for paint or tape.

Practice to determine if the S-motion or parallel strokes work best for you. Parallel strokes make it easy to keep one squeegee edge dry, but an S-motion is faster. Voila--you've got invisible picture windows!