apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

First, choose a day that's cloudy -- direct sunlight will heat the windows, making them dry too quickly and leaving streaks. Then:

1. Prepare your solutions. Combine 32 ounces of water with four to five drops of organic dish detergent in a spray bottle. Also, prepare a mixture of three parts vinegar to one part water for the second spray bottle. Don't use a bucket -- you'll end up putting dirt back on the windows.


2. Mist the window with this dish detergent mixture. This mixture breaks down the grease that has accumulated on the windows – very helpful for kitchen windows.


3. Immediately follow this by spraying the vinegar mixture on the window. Vinegar is a solvent and it will break down the soap from the first step so you’re not leaving a soap residue. However, on its own, it won’t break down the grease.


4. Buff the window dry using a flour sack cloth.


5. Follow the same process for the outdoor side of ground-level windows.

Of course, Marvin points out that it's dangerous to get on a ladder to clean windows, and naturally they have a product to solve that problem: the Ultimate Replacement Casement, which can be washed from inside the house. That's undeniably handy, though it would probably be less expensive to hire a professional window washer. However, for older homes, replacement windows can save a lot of energy in the long run -- along with increased attic and wall insulation.


image by nerdluck via sxc.hu