How to Clean Windows Without Streaks

Step by step

1. 1

   Dust the glass and the frame

   Wipe the glass, the frame and the sill with a soft, dry cloth or duster. Getting the loose dirt off first means you are not turning it into mud in the next step.

2. 2

   Mix the wash water

   Stir 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap into 1 gallon of water in a bucket. For a single small window, use a spray bottle instead, with 1/2 teaspoon of dish soap in 2 cups of water.

   If you would rather use vinegar, mix 1/4 cup of white vinegar with 2 cups of water. Use the soap mix or the vinegar mix, not both together.

3. 3

   Wet the whole pane

   Dip your sponge or cloth, squeeze out the drips, and wipe the wash water over the entire pane. Cover the corners and edges too, so the squeegee has wet glass to glide on everywhere.

   What it looks like: a thin, even layer of soapy water over all of the glass, with no dry spots.

4. 4

   Squeegee from the top down

   Set the squeegee in a top corner, tilt it at a slight angle, and pull it straight down with steady, even pressure. Start the next pass right beside the first.

   What it looks like: a clean, clear stripe of glass behind the blade, with the water rolling down ahead of it.

1. 5

   Wipe the blade dry after every pass

   After each stroke, wipe the rubber blade with a dry microfiber cloth. A wet, dirty blade is what draws lines across glass you just cleaned.

2. 6

   Dry the edges and the sill

   Wipe around the edges of the glass and along the bottom with a clean, dry microfiber cloth. This catches the drips the squeegee could not reach before they dry into spots.

   What it looks like when it worked: clear glass edge to edge, with no water line along the bottom.

3. 7

   Do the other side in the other direction

   When you clean the second side, wipe and squeegee across instead of up and down. If a streak shows up later, its direction tells you which side it is on.

When it will not work, and what to do instead

Clear glass usually comes down to a dry blade and a cool window. If yours is still streaky, here is where to look.

• A soapy film or haze. That is usually too much soap left behind. Wipe the glass with plain water, squeegee again, and use a little less soap next time.
• White spots that come right back. That can be hard water. The minerals in it dry into spots and a cloudy film, and our hard water page walks you through those.
• You have always used newspaper. Plenty of people swear by it, and it does soak up water. The trouble is that P&G says the ink can leave a film on the glass, so a clean microfiber cloth is the better choice.
• Streaks on a sunny afternoon. The glass is drying too fast. Wait for shade or a cloudy day and try again.

Why it works

A streak is just something left behind when water dries on the glass. It might be extra soap, smeared dirt, or the minerals that hard water carries, like calcium and magnesium.

The squeegee pulls the water off before it can dry, so whatever is in that water leaves with it. It works the same way your windshield wipers do in the rain. A dirty blade, though, just drags the mess back across.

That is also why sun is the enemy. Warm glass dries the wash water in place before you get to it, and everything in that water stays put.

You finish the windows, step back feeling proud, and then the afternoon sun comes through and shows you every single line. It is enough to make anybody want to draw the curtains.