How to Wash Your Windows Like a Pro

By Marty Ross

Having clean windows seems to make the whole world sparkle. Put your Gilmour Power Jet Wand and Foamaster Cleaning Sprayer to work and instead of peering out your windows through dust and streaks, you’ll see a new season through crystal-clear glass.

The best time to wash windows is on a cloudy day or when the sun is not shining directly on them. Sunlight will lead to streaks and spots.

Getting started

Before you start, make sure the windows are closed tight.

Rinse the windows. Knocking the dust, organic debris, and spider webs off windows prepares them for cleaning. Stand back and angle the spray at the glass, rinsing from top to bottom. Use enough pressure to knock debris out of the corners, but be careful – older windows may break if the water pressure is too high. An excessively strong spray can also blast paint off window trim.

You can adjust the water force on the wand by turning the flow control dial at the top of the handle. It’s easy to rinse windows with the wand, especially large windows and windows you otherwise can’t reach without a ladder.

Because you’ll be switching back and forth between the wand and a cleaning sprayer, this is a great time to add quick connects to the end of the hose and to each of the tools. With the auto shut-off quick connects, you can easily pop the wand off and attach the sprayer without having to go back to the faucet to turn the water off and on.

Time to Clean

Mix your own cleaning solution directly in the bottle of the cleaning sprayer. All you need is a little bit of soap and vinegar. Measure three teaspoons of liquid dishwashing detergent and 12 ounces of white vinegar (standard 5% acidity) into the plastic bottle. Then screw the bottle onto the mixing head and connect the nozzle to your hose.

The cleaning sprayer has two accessories, a foaming attachment and a deflector. The smaller one, the deflector, works best for windows. The sprayer has a six-setting dial on the top of the bottle. A through E allow for different water-solution mix ratios, while “0” delivers only water. For this project set the dial to position E.

Squeeze the trigger to turn the water on. Spray your windows with the cleaning solution, working from top to bottom. The sprayer automatically dilutes the cleaning solution with water to the right consistency. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look sudsy. This solution cleans without leaving a soapy residue.

Finishing up

Once you’re finished spraying the cleaning solution, rinse the windows with clean water. (Stubborn spots may need to be scrubbed with a microfiber scrubber.) To rinse, turn the dial on the sprayer to 0, or take advantage of your quick-connects to make an easy switch to the Power Jet Wand. Rinse from top to bottom. Then just let the windows dry.

While you’re at it

This might also be a good time to wash the window screens. Remove the screens from windows and lean them against the side of the garage or against garden furniture. Spray a screen with the wand to remove dirt, dust, and cobwebs. Then use the sprayer filled with cleaning solution to spray the screen. Rinse with clean water.
Wipe around the screen frames with a damp rag and let the screens dry before putting them back in the windows.

Clean windows give you a fresh perspective on the world outside. When you put the Power Jet Wand and the Foamaster Cleaning Sprayer to work, you can wash windows in no time, with both feet safely on the ground.