Window washing

[Merlin5]

I'm going to wash the outside of my three front bay windows, now that my new blinds are up. How do you wash your windows and do you do it the same for the inside as the outside? I was going to use soapy water and sponge, then clean water and cloths, and then dry them. That would take some time. And apparently rags leave smears. The squeegee seems to be the way people do it now though and it looks really fast. I've never used one.

Videos show applicator cloth scrubbers like these

http://www.screwfix.com/p/unger-scr...tracking url&gclid=CKaknfSw4bkCFfMdtAodqxIAFg

applying soapy water and then a squeegee taking it off, with apparently no clean rinsing water used after, or any drying. So, no drying needed at all then?

There also seems to be various advanced techniques to using the squeegee. So do any of you use these and in any particular way to avoid streaks? Such as this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edWbys20Cdw


And can anyone recommend me a decent squeegee (as I know the rubber quality varies) and a decent applicator scrubber?


So in a nutshell, do I do outside and inside with squeegee, no drying needed and no windowlene, and is it ok just to pull squeegee left to right without any fancy moves?

 

[Merlin5]

Soapy water with bucket and sponge. Use any basic squeegee from Wilkinsons, online, B&M, etc to get the water off and dry the rim with any kind of cotton towel/t-shirt/cloth. Job done.

Inside I wouldn't really bother doing that unless they were really dirty. Any kind of window wipe will do fine to get fingerprints removed.

Seriously though, that's pretty basic stuff

Appreciate the tips.

I know it's basic stuff, but then, better quality rubber (Unger brand is good apparently) should leave less streaks, no? I could buy this for £5 but don't know if the rubber is decent or replaceable.
http://www.diy.com/nav/rooms/indoor...dow_cleaning/Squeegee-11697679?skuId=12208385

Or this where it's replaceable http://www.screwfix.com/p/unger-pro...racking url&gclid=COnihNnT4bkCFSXLtAodCwIA2w#

 

[Merlin5]

Ok, I'm sorted now. 12" squeegee and applicator

 

[Merlin5]

When you squeegee, work left to right drying the blade with each pass.
This takes the water to the edge of the frame, take a dry rag down the edge of the frame to remove this. If they haven't been done for a while I would use some apc and a toothbrush around the seals to get the grot out first.
Handy to have a garden pressure sprayer if you have one to rinse everything off before making your glass all shiny!
(Keep in mind this is OCD window cleaning )

Thanks. As it happens, I've still got my brother's karcher jetwasher I can use, but the windows aren't too bad, but dirtier near the top (not really visible in the pic).



What's APC by the way?
Actually I was watching this video which is similar to what you said, though he starts with making an edge straight down the left side, then he describes turning the squeegee slightly in the direction I'm going (from left to right).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGKdmKX1z64

 

[Merlin5]

I started cleaning them then realised there's lots of tiny specs of paint or other residue stuck to the glass from installation of the windows, building works and some painting done last year. So now I'm painstakingly getting that off before continuing washing them. I'm wetting sections of the glass at a time with soapy water then using a ceramic hob scraper which seems to be the same tool as a window scraper. I'm only doing forward scrapes to avoid scratching. So far it seems ok. Bloody tedious though.

 

[Merlin5]

I had the same problem. The answer -get yourself a clay bar, bilt hamber is my preference as you can use straight water as lubricant. Removes all the paint and building grot with ease APC = All purpose cleaner btw.

Just had a look for some of that, never heard of it before. Not particularly cheap but does it wear away or have to be thrown after it's picked up all the residue?
Can't imagine what's in the clay that makes it remove stuck on paint and possibly bits of cement from the glass, but I'll take your word for it.