More Window Cleaning Tipsby Marjorie Dorfman | More from this Blogger 12 Jan 2007 09:13 AM
Frost-Free Windows Add 2 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol to a homemade cleaner made from ¼ cup ammonia and ¼ cup vinegar mixed into a bucket half-filled with warm water. Apply to surface and this will prevent frost from forming on the inside of your windows. A solution comprised of 1 part salt and 8 parts water applied to the window will also do the trick. Hard Water Spray and Fly Spots The minerals found in hard water spray can be removed by an application of white vinegar. To remove those ugly fly spots, apply a little denatured alcohol or some cold tea. (Both work well on windows, but should never be served at cocktail parties unless Osama Ben Laden or someone of his ilk has been invited.) Paint Spots Most paint spots can be removed with the application of a little linseed oil, which will loosen them up. You can also apply a mixture of equal parts warm water and ammonia. Scrape the paint off carefully with a wooden or plastic utensil. Cleaning Window Screens and Blinds Dip a paintbrush in kerosene and brush both sides of the screen. (Resist the urge to use a wooden palette and don a beret.) Dry the screen with a clean cloth. For those venetian blinds, sprinkle some fabric softener on both sides. Using an old oven mitt, run it between the blades and clean both the top and the bottom at the same time. Do YOU have any window-cleaning tips to share? Please do. Related Reading: "Washing Windows: A Carefree Diversion" "Cleaning Leather And Other Diversions" Learn more about Marjorie Dorfman  Marjorie Dorfman is a freelance writer and former teacher originally from Brooklyn, New York. Relevanthome tags children | ideas | Kids | family | christmas | weight loss | baby | holidays | relationships | parenting User Comments  Marjorie Dorfman (2577) 15 Jan 2007 09:09 AMYou welcome and glad to be of help. My windows are still dirty, but that's beside the point! Marjorie theocrat (6) 28 Mar 2007 07:09 PMMarjorie, I've been in the window cleaning industry for 20 years. Here are a few ideas that may help your readers. Frost Free Windows: What causes windows to frost up on the inside is similar to what causes a glass of iced tea to sweat on a summer day. The main problem is too much humidity in a warm house where the temperatures are cold on the outside. The problem gets worse when the windows are not insulated well. What's the answer, in a word: A dehumidifier (ok, that's two words). Hard Water Spray: A sprinkler system that sprays on your windows can really be a problem. Basically what happens is the when the water dries on the windows, the minerals in the water are left behind on the porous glass (yes, under a microscope, you can actually see small crevices in the glass). The minerals fuse to the glass and you have a real problem. You're right vinegar can remove some minerals, if the damage is not too bad. A white 3M scrubby pad also helps. Make sure you have a WHITE pad. 3M grades their pads by color. White is the least abrasive, other colors probably will scratch the glass. Paint Spots: The linseed oil is a good idea. You can use the white 3M scrubby pad to help you expedite the process. Most professional window cleaners carry a safety razor to help out the process. Be careful doing this though. There is a lot of fabricating debris baked into tempered glass these days and a razor can dislodge the debris baked into the surface of the glass and scratch the glass. Cleaning Window Screens and Blinds: I use my window cleaning solution to clean screens. My solution is 5 gallons of warm water, 1/4 cup of ammonia, and a table spoon of dish washing detergent (add the detergent last, trust me on this one). Take your screens outside and dip a brush into the solution you just made. Scrub the screens on both sides and rinse with a garden hose. Set them aside to dry and install them. Cleaning Blinds: You've got the right idea. Aother idea is to ask a professional to use an ultasonic blind cleaner. Robert Lamb Window Masters http://www.robscleaningservice.com laria (10) 03 Nov 2007 03:57 AMHi! I was wodering whether you know how one can clean her aluminium blinds ? I need some tips because I don't want to damage them. laria (10) 14 Nov 2007 05:05 AMVery good tips regarding the roman blinds cleaning. I will definetely consult your pages whenever I'm in difficulty. Community Tags cleaning tips, home improvement, home care, Windows, window care, window cleaning Discuss this article
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Cleaning windows is a part of life and doing it effectively will bring a shine to your whole house, inside and out. Pick the right day to do it (not too hot, not too cold, no blizzard or rainstorm) and go to it armed with the following tips. Read on, if you dare.
