'When I'm Cleaning Windows'

Spring is in the air - and with the lighter mornings and the hint of warmer days to come, the rallying call to spring clean your home begins.

Spring is in the air – and with the lighter mornings and the hint of warmer days to come, the rallying call to spring clean your home begins.

The tradition of spring cleaning your home dates back to the tradition of Passover – the Jewish holiday that marks the exodus of Jews from Egypt which takes place two weeks after the celebration of the Jewish New Year. Since Passover comes around April, many people consider this as the origin of spring cleaning.

But what does it mean in modern society? A spring clean is often referred to as a deep clean and a time to attack all those jobs in the house that you don’t usually get around to – including cleaning the windows.

We often get asked how to clean UPVC windows and whether the cleaning technique should differ from cleaning traditional single glazing.

It all starts with a bucket of warm soapy water whether cleaning single or double glazing – and you can’t go far wrong using washing up liquid. The first job is all about wiping down the dirty window – and going from the top to the bottom so the dirty water drips down and you can catch it with your next wipe.

Of course the old fashioned and much trialled and tested way to remove grime from your windows involves key ingredients from your kitchen cupboards – namely white wine vinegar. And newspapers. Never use solvent based cleaners, these will damage your windows. Your ideal washing solution should be half vinegar and half water. The newspaper should be crumpled up and saturated in your cleaning solution. Simply squeeze out the excess liquid and apply to your window in a circular motion. The window can then be wiped clean with a sheet of dry newspaper. If your window is streaking then it’s a sign that there is still dirt on the window so it is worth cleaning again. Newspaper is widely acknowledged as the best material to clean your windows.

The key with any windows but incredibly important with your UPVC windows is to ensure they don’t get scratched – as this could mean a costly replacement window. Therefore you should avoid any abrasive pads that can scratch – especially if your windows have a decorative finish.

Your UPVC window frames and doors can also be wiped down with good old washing liquid and a cloth. Other recommendations include Flash Mark and Stain Eraser which can remove all the ingrained stains and also Cif – recommended by some of our installers.

An occasional drop of a light oil, such as a bike oil, on hinges and locks will keep your hardware moving, never use a de-rusting spray. And for those houses with children running around, a normal white pencil eraser can get rid of a fair number of scuffs and black marks. There are also specialist UPVC cleaners you can buy from DIY stores.

Happy spring cleaning.