For Picture Windows

Step 1: Wash with a strip applicator

Picture windows call for large tools. The long cloth head of a strip applicator soaks up a lot of soapy water and knocks dirt loose without scratching the glass. For a cleaning solution, use just a squirt of dishwashing liquid in a bucket of warm water—the less suds, the better.

Step 2: Wipe clean with a squeegee

Starting at the top left, pull the squeegee over the soapy pane in a reverse-S pattern (left-handers would start at the top right). At the end of each stroke, wipe the squeegee's blade clean with a lint-free rag. Cloth diapers or old linen napkins are perfect for this task.

Step 3: Dry off remaining drips

Remove any water remaining on the edges of the glass with a damp, wrung-dry chamois, which soaks up wetness without leaving streaks. Dry the windowsill with a rag.

For Multipane Windows

Step 1: Customize the squeegee

To clean a divided-light window, you need a squeegee that fits the panes. Use a hacksaw to cut one to size. Trim the metal channel ¼ inch narrower than the window pane, then file the cut edges smooth. With a utility knife, cut the rubber blade to the pane's full width and fits it into the channel so that it projects 1/8 inch at each end.

Step 2: Scrub the panes

A handheld sponge or hog-bristle brush works best on multipane windows. Natural sponges are firmer and more absorbent than synthetics. Using the same solution of a squirt of liquid soap in water, rub each pane from left to right, top to bottom, working the sponge edges or brush bristles into the corners to loosen dirt.

Step 3: Wipe clean with a squeegee

Pull the squeegee down each pane in a single stroke from top to bottom. After each stroke, clean the blade with a rag so it doesn't leave streaks. (If the squeegee squeaks a lot, add a bit more soap to the water.) As above, remove any streaks on the glass with a chamois and dry the muntins and sill with a rag.

Getting rid of stubborn spots

Over time, hard-water runoff from masonry or rain falling through metal window screens leaves stubborn mineral stains on glass that normal washing can't erase. So after a regular cleaning, wet the glass and gently "superclean" it either with fine 000 steel wool (if the panes are small) or with Barkepper's Friend, which contains oxalic acid. (Other brands of powder may scratch the glass or fail to remove stains.) Mix the powder into a paste on a wet towel, rub away the stains, then rinse and squeegee the glass twice to remove the residue. Even with that treatment, the staining generally comes back in about six months.

To get rid of stains for good, we recommend the application of 3 Star Barrier Glass Surface Protectant, a clear polymer coating. After the stains are gone, you just put the coating on with a strip applicator and squeegee it off. Protection against staining is permanent, as long as the polymer is reapplied after each regular cleaning.

Expert Restoration Service is a general contractor, serving Indianapolis and surrounding areas. Have a home project on the horizon? We offer financing that can help to open up your options. If we can be of service or to get started on your project today, call 317.643.1207 or book online now.