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According to a survey, one of the most unpopular household chores is cleaning windows right after ironing and before cleaning the bathroom - even though most people only devote themselves to this task every six months.
Not so for Sabine Haag from Mainz, she is a self-proclaimed “Cleanfluencer” (a word created from
cleaning
, in German Putzen, and influencer) and writes about her love for order and cleanliness in her blog Ordnungsliebe.
She says: “Once I'm cleaning the windows, I actually enjoy it.
It is a meditative work that also shows great success afterwards. "
Nevertheless, for most of them it remains an annoying and sometimes time-consuming evil.
Especially if you have to clear the window sills of plants and other things before actually cleaning or, in the worst case, even move furniture.
If the windows are supposed to be clean, stripes may suddenly appear again after drying.
The perfect solution for getting windows clean quickly and streak-free: a professional.
According to a survey by the market research institute YouGov on personal cleaning behavior, six percent of those surveyed actually use a professional cleaner.
And almost as many (five percent) find it easier to work with a cleaning robot.
Those who have neither one nor the other have to know how to help themselves.
Therefore, here are the most important tips for cleaning yourself - like the professionals.
First clean the inside
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“Always clean from the inside out so that you don't carry the dirt inside from the outside,” advises Haag.
First, window sills and joints should be vacuumed.
Then roughly wipe the entire inner window - including the frame - with a cloth and soapy water.
It is advisable to add a few drops of detergent to the water, especially in the case of kitchen windows on which the fat from cooking has settled.
By the way, v
on the outside to the inside, so first the dirt is removed from the window frame - first on top, then on the sides and finally below.
And only then is the window cleaned.
While cleaning the windows, the cleaning cloth should be washed out thoroughly, because the dirt particles picked up can otherwise scratch the glass.
Finally everything is polished.
The cleaning expert Courtenay Hartford recommends alcohol and coffee filters in her book “Speed-Cleaning” (published by Piper): “I prefer to put some alcohol on a couple of stacked coffee filters.
The spirit ensures purity perfectly and streak-free and evaporates immediately afterwards, and the coffee filters absorb all dirt particles and streaks without leaving any fluff. ”For the final shine, polish over with a microfiber cloth.
But be careful, not every microfiber cloth is suitable for use on glass surfaces - pay attention to the packaging instructions.
The trick with the newsprint
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If the stripes simply cannot be removed, the blogging tidiness expert recommends the old newspaper trick: “To do this, the pane must be well dried, then you don't rub the stripes too hard with the newspaper.
That works really great!
Why does it work?
Opinions are divided: Sometimes it should be the sanding aspect of the paper that leads to success, sometimes the spirit solution that is applied to newspapers that are printed using the letterpress process. "
By the way, mere cleaning with newspaper and clear water only works to a limited extent - for example if the window is barely soiled.
In addition, explains Haag, the newsprint is not used for cleaning itself, but only for subsequent polishing.
Clean the outside of the windows
With the outside of the windows it gets more difficult or dirtier.
But when dried raindrops, cobwebs and dust have stuck to the window panes, you can't avoid them.
First remove the coarsest dirt with a broom or hand brush.
Stubborn dirt such as fly or bird debris should be soaked - this will make it easier to remove.
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Next, as in the interior, clean everything greenish with a cloth and soapy water.
And don't forget the corners of the windows, the Mainz organization coach advises you to always wipe them with an extra cloth before cleaning, as a lot of dirt is deposited there.
To avoid streaks, the panes should be rinsed particularly well with clear water.
Otherwise, the dirt that has just been loosened will be distributed over the window surface and will remain as streaks when the water evaporates quickly.
Make your own natural cleaning agents
Nevertheless, you don't necessarily need a chemical club aka glass cleaner for a streak-free shine.
The dirt on the windows differs depending on the location - if you have a busy street in front of the window, different dirt is deposited there than if you live in a field or near an industrial area.
The best thing to do is to try out which cleaning agent works most effectively.
Hartford, for example, recommends a mixture of just under four liters of water, one tablespoon of detergent and one tablespoon of rinse aid for the cleaning agent.
As an ecological option for very dirty windows, Cleanfluencerin recommends a mixture of 200 milliliters of vodka, 100 milliliters of vinegar essence and half a teaspoon of liquid soap or detergent.
“When sprayed on, it works wonders!” For less soiled windows, you can also use vinegar essence mixed with water as a natural cleaning agent - and add a few drops of lemon oil for the fresh scent.
Remove the soap residue with water and polish the panes with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Alternatively, a window squeegee with a rubber lip can be used so that no water remains on the pane.
Wipe the rubber lip of the puller dry with a cloth after each pulling process, this prevents water marks and streaks on the window.
Any water residues or drops can be removed by wiping them off with a dry cloth or nylon tights: "You can use it to polish away streaks, but only immediately after cleaning, otherwise scratches will occur," says Haag.
However, caution is advised with old wooden window frames, where the paint is already crumbling - a problem with many unrenovated old buildings.
“The danger with these old wooden frames is that when the windows are cleaned, moisture will penetrate the wood and the damage will get worse and worse.
If vinegar is then added, for example, the wood will be seriously affected.
I would use a very mild cleaner and as little liquid as possible.
Then carefully pull everything off and cover the frame with a cloth at the bottom so that excess water is caught immediately, ”says the Cleanfluencerin.
Finally, the window sill is cleaned because the cleaning water tends to drip down here.
If you have very hard water in your region, you should remove the white deposits of the water droplets with a vinegar-water mixture (mixed one to one) before the final polishing.
To prevent too much dirt from settling on the window panes in the future, we recommend a water-repellent spray - this ensures that rainwater automatically rolls off.
The option of adding a splash of glycerine to the cleaning water is more environmentally friendly - this also lets dirt roll off.
If you're struggling with spider-woven windows, you can alternatively apply anti-spider spray, advises Hartford.
Window cleaning in winter
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From minus five degrees, window cleaning is difficult.
Diluted cleaning agents could freeze on the glass when cleaning the outside of the window.
Haag: "Sometimes it doesn't even have to be below zero, because in combination with wind, the windows can ice up even at low plus temperatures."
In this case, it is better to use a glass cleaner that contains alcohol, as this mixture will freeze less quickly.
Or, recommends the blogger, “work in small sections and use a lower proportion of water”.
Better still, postpone it until spring, because by the time such a window has been cleaned, the entire room can cool down.
How do you get to the skylights without putting your life in danger?
Yes, many accidents happen in the household, which can be very dangerous when cleaning windows.
If you don't have a stable ladder, you should work with a telescopic pole when cleaning the skylights - at least when the windows can be opened.
"Otherwise it is best to invest in a professional window cleaning service from time to time, which also cleans such 'problematic cases'", says the Cleanfluencer.
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This article was first published in September 2020.