You don’t need special cleaning products to keep your windows clean and streak-free, or your sills and frames looking as if they have just been installed. With the proper technique and correct accessories, this housekeeping chore can be simple and rewarding.
Before window cleaning begins, a little preparation is needed to help make the job easier. First, remove the curtains from the windows and any knick-knacks from the windowsills, then cover sensitive surfaces to protect them from drips.
GOOD TO KNOW 
Adverse weather conditions
Avoid washing windows in sunshine as the water dries too quickly and causes streaking. The sun also makes it hard to see if the glass is clean. Extremely cold days aren’t ideal either, because the glass is likely to be brittle. If you must wash windows in cold weather, add a dash or two of methylated spirits to the wash water. Overcast days are best for window cleaning.
Do yourself a favor: Buy a real chamois. It absorbs water more quickly and is easily squeezed out. With proper care it will last for years.
• Keep your chamois soft and smooth by using it only with water or solutions made with water and vinegar or alcohol. Detergents remove the leather’s oils and leave it stiff.
• Rinse out a chamois with warm salt water after every use to keep it soft.
• Never wring a chamois. Instead, squeeze it gently, open it up, shake it out and let it dry slowly in the air.
• Use a soft soap solution on windowsills to battle everyday dirt.
• Remove water stains with a soft cloth moistened with a solution of equal parts methylated spirits and tap water.
• Vacuum the window frame joint with the appropriate nozzle on the vacuum cleaner before starting to clean with liquid.
• Wipe wood window frames treated with clear glaze or varnish with a damp cloth. Replace the water frequently and to get them extra clean, rub them with a solution of equal parts methylated spirits and tap water.
• Clean painted window frames with a solution of 2 tablespoons (30 ml) ammonia in about 2 cups (500 ml) water.
• Clean wooden window frames with a barely wet cloth, then dry with a clean, soft cloth.
• Rub off specks on wood frames using a rough cloth moistened with water. Another option is to clean them with a mixture of reduced-fat milk and cold water in equal proportions.
• Stick with hot, soapy water for washing aluminium or plastic frames. Scouring powder will scratch them.
• Keep them free of condensation, which attracts mold and can make wooden frames rot easily. Wipe them every morning if necessary.
• Clean dirty panes regularly with a vinegar solution of 1 quart (1 L) warm water and 1 cup (250 ml) white vinegar. Vinegar dissolves dirt and deters flies.
• Clean extremely dirty windowpanes first with warm dishwater, then wipe them down with tap water, making sure you don’t leave streaks.
• Add a squirt of glycerin to the water to help windows resist dust and so they don’t fog up in winter.
• Mix a few drops of ammonia with the water to keep frost off windows.
• Expel streaks and leftover drips with a lint-free cloth, newspaper or a chamois.
• When squeegeeing windows, moisten the edge of the squeegee to keep it from squeaking and also to improve contact with the glass.
• Polish washed windowpanes with newspaper or an old pair of tights to bring out the shine.
• Clean small windowpanes (skylights, louvre windows, fanlights) with a chamois only. Thoroughly wet the chamois in the wash water, squeeze it out gently and work from the edge towards the center of the glass. Immediately wipe dry to prevent streaking.
• Wash skylights when it’s raining hard for maximum effect. Carefully tilt the wet window and lather it with wash water, shut it again and let the rain rinse it off.
• Rub dulled windows or mirrors with olive or linseed oil to get their shine back. Leave the oil on for an hour, wipe dry with tissue paper and clean as you normally do.
• Eliminate grease stains with half an onion. The sulfides in the onion are powerful cleaners.
• Remove specks from glass panes with a clean cloth moistened in warm black tea. A couple of squirts of methylated spirits will also dissolve them, making it quick and easy to wipe them off.
• If glazing compound has been left on the glass from when it was installed, rub it off with a little ammonia or mineral spirits on a cotton ball.
• Scrape stickers off new panes by soaking them with warm water, then removing them using a glass scraper. If any old, brittle stickers remain, rub them with olive oil until the pane is clear.
• Remove fresh paint splashes from panes with mineral spirits or nail polish remover. For dried paint, use a glass scraper, such as those used for cleaning ceramic cooktops.
ADD half a raw ONION to WASH WATER for GLEAMING WINDOWS.
• Modern stained glass is so strong that it can be cleaned as you would normal glass panes. Take greater care with old stained glass: Simply wipe it carefully with a damp cloth. If the old glass is actually painted, don’t wash it at all or you risk removing the color. Instead, dust the panes with a soft brush.
• Clean frosted glass with hot vinegar water to give it a dull sheen and carefully wipe dry.
• Dust etched glass with a soft brush, and clean the textured side of the glass with a chamois. You can simply squeegee the smooth side.
