Window Cleaning Magic
If eyes are the windows to the soul, then your windows are the eyes into your home, life, and family craziness. Those poor windows are neglected nearly 364 days a year until one day they get a much needed scrub down and the hot summer time is a decent time to get this window cleaning chore done because:
1. If you get wet, you will smile instead of gruff.
2. Kids are out of school and you can make your off-spring understand what hard work is in one afternoon.
3. Or, you can hire someone else’s off-spring to do it for you.
4. If #2 and #3 are not possible, you will get one killer workout.
There are a plentitude of products on the market to make this chore seem easy and happy. I tried the easy, happy pathway. I did complete the task happy, but the windows looked streaky and sad. There are bulletin boards full of pinterest pins that make many different concoctions to shine up those windows. I still have a shelf full of these items that I have ignored ever since the experiment did not result in the hypothesized outcome.
Here is what works, proof positive. And, it is cheaper than cheap.
Materials:
Spray Bottle – $1 at The Dollar Store
Rubbing Alcohol – Not the drinking kind, that kind is only used after the hard work is accomplished
White Vinegar – the cleaning goddess of them all
Dawn Dish Soap – be brand specific here, I don’t want you to walk away disappointed
Sharpie – draw something happy on your bottle
Sunscreen – protect yourself in the brutal sun
Bug spray – protect yourself from ever-lovin’ nature
Wasp Spray – if you see a nest, simply aim and fire
Water – keep hydrated
Ladder – light duty 6′ should be able to do most single story homes
Window scrub and squegee – I have a 2-in-1 and I have used it for over 5 years, invest in something good
Rags or Newspapers – re-use Sunday’s news and tell the media what you really think about them
Step 1.
Have a cup of coffee and a conversation with yourself. “No matter what happens out there, it is going to be a good soul cleansing day!”
Step 2.
Grab the bottle, alcohol, vinegar and Dawn dish soap.
Add 1/4 cup of alcohol to the bottle.
Add 1/4 cup of vinegar to the bottle.
Measure 1/2 teaspoon of Dawn detergent and add.
Finish by adding 2 cups of water.
Screw the sprayer onto the bottle and shake it up. Write “Window Magic” on the bottle with your sharpie and then add a crazy doodle, it will make you feel good.
Step 3.
Head outside with all the other items and plan your attack. Pick your first window and climb up the ladder. Inspect the window for wasp nests before removing the screen. Spray the Window Magic on the window and scrub. Use the newspapers/rags for any area your window scrubber does not reach. Come back with the squeegee. The trick to a perfect squeegee is to wipe the blade each time after you pull it across the glass. Move on to your next window and repeat all the steps until you are complete inside and out.
At the end of the day, while you are enjoying a hard earned bottle of wine, you might notice your house give you a smile with a sweet twinkle in her eye.
Notes: If you have an insane amount of windows, give yourself a few weekends to tackle only as many windows as you can in one day. Your window magic will also work on mirrors and any surface you would clean with the main stream blue stuff.