Cliffs window Wash Off

[see_change]

Our new weekender has lots of windows . Being someone who doesn't like spending lots of time cleaning , and not expecting Vicki to spend her weekends cleaning , I thought I'd check out different types of cleaning equipment and solutions to find the most effective and time efficient solution .

I had an old hard rubber squeegee - 450 Wide that I'd bought years ago in a professional cleaning store near parramatta . This looks similar to mine .
http://www.bunnings.com.au/squeegee-workplus-mr-clean-455mm-power-dry-brass-pb444_p4460421

I thought I'd try an Oates neoprene ( softer ) squeegee . * First take home message ..... Not waste your time on one of these . It didn't squeegee , it sucked , seriously . Hard rubber squeegee all the way .*

I bought a new cleaner which I found very effective*
http://www.bunnings.com.au/squeegee-workplus-mr-clean-355mm-window-washer-pb424_p4460426

As an alternative I bought a decor speed which has an extendable handle , a cleaning side and a squeegee blade . These come In two sizes*
Was a good all in one solution for smaller windows , but with the bigger windows I used the wider blades*

Now to the fun bit . The solutions . Lots of info on the web , very little of which agreed .

Read a couple of articles that said pro window cleaners use dish washing liquid . Out side of that there were six *other ingredients that got frequent mentions.
Newspaper - not an option cause I don't want to use my iPad for cleaning windows*
White vinegar*
Metho*
Cloudy ammonia*
Eucalyptus oil*
Corn starch*

On our lower level we have 10 panes the same size so I thought this made a good location for my experiment.

On the net , one poster had done their own experiment using various vinegar based mixtures and I thought this made a good starting point . I'm using a hills 2 litre spray as my delivery mechanism . Number 1 was her solution though I substituted metho for alcohol. Using alcohol to wash windows just seemed wasteful .....

1. 1/4 cup vinegar , 1/4 cup metho , 1 table spoon corn starch , 1/2 litre water*
2. 1/4 cup vinegar , 1/4 cup metho , 1/4 teaspoon morning fresh *, 1/2 litre water
3. 1/4 cup vinegar , 1/4 cup me(tho , 1/4 teaspoon eculyptus oil , 1/2 litre water*
Initial results . 1 not bad but if squeegee not perfect , left fine trails of small droplets*
3 sucked . Two was the clear winner out of the initial round , so the dish washing liquid was a clear leader over the corn starch and the oil . I gave these two the flick .

4. *1/4 teaspoon of morning fresh and 1/2 litre of water .

Not bad but number two was clearly better .

Next I tried each of the bulk ingredients with soap*

5. * 1/4 cup vinegar , *1/4 teaspoon morning fresh *, 1/2 litre water
6. * 1/4 cup metho , 1/4 teaspoon morning fresh *, 1/2 litre water
7. * 1/4 cup cloudy ammonium *, 1/4 teaspoon morning fresh *, 1/2 litre water

Of these three the metho base mix was the best , followed closely by the ammonium , with the vinegar the worst .

Finally I used the double combo's I hadn't used and a triple shot*

8. * *1/4 cup cloudy ammonium , 1/4 cup metho , 1/4 teaspoon morning fresh *, 1/2 litre water
9. * *1/4 cup vinegar , 1/4 cup cloudy ammonium , 1/4 teaspoon morning fresh *, 1/2 litre water
10. *1/4 cup vinegar , 1/4 cup metho ,1/4 cup cloudy ammonium *, 1/4 teaspoon morning fresh *, 1/2 litre water

When I mixed number 10, *it formed a layer of solid crud on the top . This went into suspension on shaking , but as the results weren't better than 8 , 8 was my favourite out of this group.*

Overall , all cleaned effectively . The main difference was in the ease and effectiveness of " squeegeing " . Subjectively I preferred the feel of soap , and any combination including metho was good in terms of finishing.

The best three options were*

2. 1/4 cup vinegar , 1/4 cup metho , 1/4 teaspoon morning fresh *, 1/2 litre water
6. 1/4 cup metho , 1/4 teaspoon morning fresh *, 1/2 litre water
8. 1/4 cup cloudy ammonium , 1/4 cup metho , 1/4 teaspoon morning fresh *, 1/2 litre water

As it was a miserable day today ( hence my interest in cleaning windows ) I didn't get to clean the upper windows ( they're exposed to the rain ) *so I'll have a final run off in the next week or so. I thought the difference between these three was pretty subtle *, with maybe number 2 a smear ahead .*

Cliff

 

[D.T.]

Like a mad scientist

Was it warm or cold water used in those solutions?

 

[kathryn d]

Maybe you should a test using warm and cold water...

with all the scenios..it might make a difference

 

[see_change]

Maybe you should a test using warm and cold water...

Warm to hot water . Same with all of them . As long as the windows were in hot water and not me ....

The number of combinations is probably limitless, but we don't have that many windows and , well , that would be over kill ....

Cliff

 

[see_change]

58 C to be precise , though it would have been colder by the time I mixed , and got to the windows .

Just checked the temp of the water coming out of the tap with the cooking thermometer...

Cliff

 

[HiEquity]

Hi Cliff

I used to wash windows in my yoof. A combo of dish washing liquid and metho used to work well but it was pointed out to us that the metho slowly attacks and hardens the rubber gaskets holding the windows in place in many frames. Takes awhile but it does happen.

Best solution we found was straight morning fresh but used sparingly. The problem with using too much is it doesn't squeegee off well. Use only a bit and it just changes the characteristics of the water enough to clean well and squeegee off at the same time. For big stains etc it helps to have a separate sponge with heavier concentrate and cleaning power.

 

[see_change]

Hi Cliff

I used to wash windows in my yoof. A combo of dish washing liquid and metho used to work well but it was pointed out to us that the metho slowly attacks and hardens the rubber gaskets holding the windows in place in many frames. Takes awhile but it does happen.

Best solution we found was straight morning fresh but used sparingly. The problem with using too much is it doesn't squeegee off well. Use only a bit and it just changes the characteristics of the water enough to clean well and squeegee off at the same time. For big stains etc it helps to have a separate sponge with heavier concentrate and cleaning power.

Any idea if the vinegar or cloudy ammonia do the same ?

With the morning fresh I was using 1/2 a teaspoon / Litre

Cliff

 

[HiEquity]

Any idea if the vinegar or cloudy ammonia do the same ?

With the morning fresh I was using 1/2 a teaspoon / Litre

Cliff

Well, in theory at least one only works because it's acidic and the other because it's caustic, neither of which bode well. Put them together and I'm not sure what is trying to be achieved?

 

[lizzie]

I use this:

 

[handyandy]

Any idea if the vinegar or cloudy ammonia do the same ?

With the morning fresh I was using 1/2 a teaspoon / Litre

Cliff

Reading your formulation I was also concerned about the vinegar and the affect on aluminum. Possibly you may not even see the affect has it may be internal where the windows drainage works.

We have somewhat of the same issue with southerly facing windows and salt laden (somewhat less than you would have) winds in a southerly.

Before we replaced our old aluminum windows they were always dirty like the dirt just wanted to stick to the glass. But now with our new windows and doors they seem to stay clean without much effort. The most we do is wash them down with a quick hose and maybe 2 a year a good soap and squidgy (when the get inspired).

The previous windows were 25 years old so the glass may already have been pitted which allowed the dirt to adhere better. We don't know but my wife loves the new ones.

The point is, is there something you can do to the surface of the glass to make it more slippery thus less of a key for the salt to stick. Quick look on the web didn't show any meaningful results.

Cheers

 

[wylie]

The point is, is there something you can do to the surface of the glass to make it more slippery thus less of a key for the salt to stick. Quick look on the web didn't show any meaningful results.

Check out the sites for shower screen fitters. We paid to have a coating put on the glass which supposedly stops the pitting and damage to the glass. It comes with a guarantee, so time will tell....

 

[HiEquity]

A quick Rain-X treatment after washing should help keep things cleaner between cycles if you get a lot of rain on the windows. Works just as well on windows as it does on windscreens! Buying it in bulk spray form is a fair bit cheaper than those little packs for windscreens from memory.

 

[JASA]

I use a bucket of warm water and diswash liquid with a non abrasive green scourer to clean first. Then hose down and finish with a good quality squeegy and a microfibre cloth. I hate this job too so next time I build or reno I'm using self cleaning glass.

http://www.aboutdoubleglazing.co.uk/self-cleaning-glass/

 

[see_change]

Hi guys

Thanks for the suggestions .

The windows don't seem to attract more dirt than normal , it's just there's a lot of them , and I was trying to be efficient , the soap and water wasnt that bad , it's just that adding another ingredient was better .

And this was the first time I'd washed the windows in the year since we bought it ....

Cliff

 

[redwing]

Reminds me, it's nearly time for the Annual clean of the windows

How often do others clean theirs, or get them cleaned?

 

[jackbak]

Mates got a window cleaning business that employees about 15 staff. After 15 years of business he reckons nothing beats dishwashing detergent.

 

[jackbak]

Reminds me, it's nearly time for the Annual clean of the windows

How often do others clean theirs, or get them cleaned?

Probably once every 5-6 months but would prefer to do them more often, cant stand dirty windows.

 

[BayView]

We have a shoitload of glass too,

We have a glass cleaning Enjo doodad - has it's own clip on/clip off cloth and wiper blade.

You can use hot or cold water. I like to use hot.

Works terrific, and if you are totally anal; there is a chamois type of cloth to completely dry the window after, with no streaks etc.

Reminds me, it's nearly time for the Annual clean of the windows

How often do others clean theirs, or get them cleaned

Like our car - preferably never, and/or as little as possible.

The windows facing the view don't get much dirt/grime, but if by chance they do cop some weather, they get cleaned asap.

The rest? I'll get around to it eventually.

 

[see_change]

Further feedback from a pro window washer who I saw today .

Morning Fresh and water .

He said they used to use metho or vinegar and also Newspaper.

Problem with the newspaper is that the ink has changed

As suggested previously Metho can harden the rubber . The vinegar gets inbehind the rubber seal and attacks the frame at that point and no amount of rinsing will get it out....

Might have to do more testing to see if the euculyptus oil adds anything to the morning fresh .

cliff

 

[devank]

Is it inside or outside? If it is outside then I would simply use the hose

How do you clean the 'base' section (where the window slides) of a window? Normally you get that black crap in there.