How To Clean Windows

How To Clean Windows with Vinegar, Water And Newspaper

It's an odd combination (and, it has to be said, smelly and a bit messy), but if it is all you have to hand, it will give your windows a nice shine.

Dilute your vinegar with water (roughly 1:4) and use a lint-free cloth or chamois leather to clean off grime. For a really good shine, buff the windows with crumpled newspaper - or use the chamois or lint-free cloth.

The exterior of windows will almost certainly need more than diluted vinegar to come up clean. Diluted washing up liquid, ideally used with a sponge and squeegee (like a windscreen wiper with a handle) will do the trick. You can then buff them to a shine with newspaper (or your lint-free cloth).

For window frames, you'll need to regularly clean off mildew. The best way to do this (assuming you haven't got a steam cleaner) is to use an old rag, dipped in fungicide. This will prevent mould growing back. Failing that, try a solution of bleach, diluted 1:3 with water.

Window sills are more of a maintenance job than frames, particularly interior frames. As well as cleaning them regularly with soapy water (use lots of elbow grease, a nylon scrubbing brush, and buff them dry with a soft cloth), you should also be checking for rot, which will need to be chopped out and replaced, crumbling putty, which will also need replacing, and flaking paint.