Pinterest Project: Clean The Windows!

There’s nothing better than clean windows!  You don’t realize how dirty your windows can get over the winter until you clean them (or have them cleaned). Today, I’m going to attempt to clean the windows using a recipe I found on Pinterest! Let’s see if it works!

I Love Clean Windows!

Last year, I found a Daily Deal for window cleaning.  It was the first time I had ever had our windows professionally cleaned, and let me tell you, that was the best money I’ve ever spent.  They windows glowed and the light coming into the house was amplified! But I really wanted to find a way to save money and do it myself.

I looked around this year, and I couldn’t find that great deal again.  A few weeks ago, my sister-in-law pinned this recipe for window cleaner.  I had most of the items, so I picked up the remaining ones and got to work!  If you need to get all of these items, it would cost less than $10, plus the cost of an extended-pole scrubber for higher windows.

Supplies

Here’s what you need to clean the windows:

• 1/2 Bottle Jet Dry
• 4 Tablespoons of Alcohol
• 1/4 Cup of Ammonia
• 1/4 Cup Powdered Dishwasher Detergent
• 2 Gallons of Hot Water

The original pin said her bottle of Jet Dry was 7oz, and she used about 3.5 oz. My bottle was 4 oz, so I used the whole thing. I also eyeballed the 1/4 cup measurements.

Here is the best pic I could get of the grime on our windows.  Note, this is one of the East-Facing Windows.  Those are always the dirtiest on our house.

Cleaning the Windows

We have about 20 windows on our one-story home.  One bucket was more than enough needed to clean all of the windows.  I used a sponge/squeegee on a stick that I had for another project, and I didn’t use the squeegee side.  I removed all of the window screens, and after cleaning the windows, I used a kitchen sponge to clean the tracks and the screens.

I scrubbed each window, track, and screen and then rinsed several windows at one time.  The solution forms a hazy glaze on the windows that washes off when you rinse it, but I didn’t want to leave it on too long.  So I cleaned 4 windows at a time.

Rinsing just takes a few seconds of spraying each window with the hose!  Because the solution has dishwasher detergent in it, it cleans each window without leaving many spots and streaks.  This is going to vary based on the hardness/softness of your water.  We have hard water here in North Texas.

The Results

Look at how clean the windows are!

Here’s the best shot I could get of that East Side window.

You can see that it’s not perfect, but its way better than it was before! This window has lost its seal, so it’s leaking a bit. Some of that streak is on the inside of the dual-pane window.

It took me less than an hour to clean all 20 windows, tracks and screens.  It was super easy and worked fairly well!

Make sure you follow me on Instagram for more tips in my Stories!

What Pinterest Projects have you been working on?  Tell us in the comments!