Never Wash Your Windows in Fair Weather
A sunny day might seem like the perfect time to wash your windows. With clear skies, bright sun and nary a rain cloud in sight, who could ask for better conditions. In reality, washing your home's windows on a sunny day can actually leave them looking the worse for wear, leaving streaks and smudges that weren’t there before you started washing them.
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Why Sunlight Causes Streaks
The problem with washing your windows on a sunny day has to do with heat. When the sun is shining directly on your windows, it warms up the glass. When you spray cleaning solution on the warm glass, it dries very quickly, often before you have time to wipe it clean. When that liquid quickly evaporates, it leaves streaks, water spots and cleaning residue. As a result your windows can end up looking foggy and clouded instead of clean and clear.
It Makes Cleaning More Difficult
Cleaning a warm or hot window also makes the whole cleaning job more difficult. You’ll find yourself using more cleaner and cleaning the window multiple times in an effort to get rid of streaks and marks that won’t go away because the cleaner is evaporating too quickly.
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The Best Time To Clean Your Windows
Rather than clean your window in direct sunlight, wait for a time when the glass is cool to the touch so the cleaner won’t dry quickly. Early mornings, late afternoons and overcast days are the best times for cleaning windows. Without that direct sunlight, you’ll have more time to spray the window and wipe it down before the cleaner evaporates.
If you absolutely have to clean on a sunny day, then clean the windows in very small sections. Spray the cleaner, then wipe it away immediately using your microfiber cloth. By wiping away the cleaner immediately you won’t give it a chance to evaporate.
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How to Get a Streak-Free Finish
There are few things you can do to get ensure you get a streak free finish when cleaning windows:
- Use a microfiber cloth. The fine fibers in this type of cloth will trap dirt and grime better than a paper towel or cotton cloth. Microfiber also won’t leave lint on your window and they're highly absorbent, so they won’t leave excess cleaner that can haze the window.
- Work in sections. Haze and streaks appear when you spray cleaner over too broad an area. Work in smaller patches, so you can wipe away the cleaner before it has a chance to dry on the window surface, which is what creates streaks.
- Wipe in even strokes: Wipe window using an S motion, working downward from the top of the window to pick up any runs from the cleaner. By using this overlapping pattern you won’t miss any spots.
Bottom Line
While a sunny day may seem like the perfect time to wash your windows, it can actually end up making your windows hazier and streakier than they were before you got started. The key here is time. Glass that’s been heated up by direct sunlight will quickly evaporate cleaner, leading to those unsightly streaks. By waiting for a cooler time of day or an overcast day, you’ll have more time to wipe away that cleaner before it has a chance to dry on the glass surface.