Any special formulas/techniques for washing windows?

[snoozy]

I was just wondering if anyone had any special formulas or secret techniques for washing windows? Ammonia? Vinegar? Eye of newt? Toe of frog?

[Thatch]

I use any of the commercial cleaners, or dilluted ammonia in a spray bottle, doesn't seem to make huge difference... what makes the most difference is using newspaper to clean with. Windows come through streak free and if it's your car they tend to not fog up as quickly..... and it's free

J

[emke]

My favorite is a little corn starch in water. You put about 2T of cornstarch in about 1½ cups of water in a bowl. Swish it around with your finger. Dip in a rag and wring it out. Wipe it on your window and use another lint free cloth to wipe it off. It even takes the smoke residue off of mirrors. I have never found a commercial cleaner that would remove all the wood stove smoke residue from them. This shines them right up without leaving streaks.

[whodunit]

Ok I am a little lost on this statement.

the wood stove smoke residue from them.

Have lived with wood stoves the greater part of my life and never have seen such a thing. Yes, I am use to the fine dust you get from them but wood stove smoke residue?

Is it like the yellow film from cigarete (sp?) smoke?


~Mrs Whodunit

[snoozy]

I have read the newspaper trick -- in fact at framing stores they always use newspapers to clean the glass. But I have also heard the reason was that the ink contained or created ammonia when it got wet, but that now the new soy-based inks do not have this property, yet the practice continues out of habit.

Emke -- I would never have thought of cornstarch! And it doesn't leave streaks? I'll have to try that.

Does anyone squeegee? And when you squeegee, do you squeegee in vertical swathes or horizontal swathes?

[WanderingOak]

I use a spray bottle of vinegar and a clean rag. Back when I had newspaper handy, that's what I used. You are probably right about the soy inks not working as well. For the wood stove residue, he might be talking about the glass in the stove door itself.

[starjj]

invest in a excellant quality micro fiber cloth everything sparkles with one swipe. I work part time for a maid service and the boss invested in boxes of these and they save so much time. NO LINT at all but newspapers are great if your looking for free and I just use a cheap window cleaner but for mirros the microfibers are the way to go. They sell them for glass in the high quality and then lower quality for polishing and general cleaning.

[Beeman]

I bought a couple of squeegees and they work fine.

[sullen]

I have a bottle of vinegar and water, works great, cheap. There will be a film on the window until you wash all the old commercial cleaner off.