A: Well, now that we have double-hung windows, we’re going to make it a lot easier. So, go ahead and open it up a fist’s space.
We’ll pull our tilt latches in, tilt it out, same thing on the top.
Then we can clean our windows all from inside, not having to be out in the heat or cold anymore—DONE!
Spring will be here before you know it and San Antonio is pretty much always on the warmer side anyway. So, why not get a head start on your spring cleaning and make things easier for you come March and April? After all, allergies are ready to pounce on you come spring. Do you really want to do a deep cleaning with hay fever? Much easier to knock most of it out now and then just do some touch-ups every so often.
It may seem like an insurmountable task since your San Antonio home has likely accumulated a winter’s worth of clutter, dust, and sediment. Not to worry, if you follow our quick rundown of simple cleaning tips, you’ll knock it out in half the time.
Trust us, as we install windows in San Antonio and make messes for a living, we know how to clean it all up without a trace. So, surely our spring cleaning tips will benefit you as well.
Speaking of windows, that’s the perfect place to start your cleaning mission.
Spring Cleaning Starts With Your Windows
Ok, so if you’re like everyone else in San Antonio, you’ve probably let your home windows go over the winter. They’re full of winter’s sediment, fingerprints, and who knows what else. Getting your home windows clean doesn’t have to take all day when you do it right.
Start by ditching the rags or paper towels and grab a rubber squeegee and some sponges from your local home improvement store. You can buy all sizes and widths and they even have optional extenders to reach those high picture windows. No need for a fancy window cleaning solution, you can just make it at home. The best window cleaning solution is a bucket of warm water, a few drops of dish soap, and 2 cups of vinegar to prevent streaking.
- Start by dipping a sponge into the cleaning solution and wiping all the dirt off the window.
- Take your squeegee, dampen it a bit, and starting from the upper corner of the pane, draw it from top to bottom.
- Wipe the squeegee edge off with the sponge after each overlapping stroke. If you are doing a large window like a bay style, use the squeegee in a snaking motion and tidy up the edges when you’re done.
- The last step is simply drying windowsills with a clean cloth. If you have blinds you will want to clean them as well.
Now that you’ve got your windows clean and crystal clear you can tackle these other tasks in your home.
Get Some Fresh Air
Now that you have crystal clear windows, leave them open on a mild day and let the fresh air work its magic. If the breeze isn’t coming in too strong, give it a hand. Reverse the direction of your ceiling fans— most have a small switch on the base under the blades.
Set it to reverse and let that fan work in conjunction with your double hung windows. Open the window from the top as that will suck in the fresh air more efficiently. Make sure to get a cross breeze by opening at least one window on the front and one on the back of your house. The fan will do the rest by creating a constant cross breeze of fresh air. This will deodorize your home and get it smelling so fresh and so clean.
Get Low
If you have wood, tile, or vinyl floors you want them looking their best. Nothing says clean like squeaky clean and shiny floors.
With wood floors, even those that are “no-wax” variety, cleaning them with a wax and wash combo solvent will add a layer of protection and vibrancy.
With vinyl and tile floors, mopping with a 3 to 1 mix of water and Pine-Sol does wonders and makes the house smell wonderful.
If you have carpet, the easiest way to get them clean is to rent a carpet cleaner from your local Wal-Mart. Simply follow the instructions; they are incredibly easy to operate and the rental fee is very affordable.
Save The Grossest Spring Cleaning Task For Last
Ok, pretty sure we can speak for all of San Antonio when we say, no one likes cleaning the toilet and bathtub or shower. It seems like you just can’t get it clean enough.
Well, we have a little trick for fixing that and it’s quite easy.
- For the toilet bowl, dump a cup of baking soda and a cup of vinegar into the toilet bowl. It’s going to fizz up and make some noise, no worries it won’t overflow, so let it sit for 10 minutes. While you’re waiting go ahead and tackle the tub or shower.
- Whichever you have, the process is the same. Fill a bucket with hot water and pour it on all the surfaces in the tub/shower.
- Refill the bucket with hot water again but add 2 tablespoons of Dawn concentrated dish soap.
- Dip a rigid nylon brush or handled nylon scrubby into the mix and scrub all surfaces. Be sure to use the bucket to clean the brush often.
- If you have tough soap scum in some areas sprinkle baking soda directly on the area and scrub extra hard.
- Use the showerhead or handheld sprayer to rinse everything down.
- Finish up by wiping down the fixtures, drain cover, and handles with a clean, dry, rag.
- Circle back to the toilet and flush it all down and pour a capful of orange oil in the bowl and walk away.
- You’ll be amazed at how crisp and clean your bathroom will smell, it works wonders! Plus, then you’ll realize, cleaning the toilet and tub isn’t so bad when you know the hacks.
Bonus: The Ultimate Spring Cleaning Hack
Want to take your spring cleaning into another league? You can really make the exterior of your house shine with our energy-efficient replacement windows.
If you’re still working with old, drafty windows that are over 10 years old, hear us on this last spring cleaning tip:
LET THEM OLD WINDOWS GO!
When your home was built, it was likely built with cheap, single-pane windows. Either the house is just that old, or it’s because builders use the cheapest windows available.
Now, cheap is never good, and good is never cheap—but it IS affordable.
The Window Source can give your home’s exterior a spring makeover with our high-quality replacement windows. We’ll schedule you for a free in-home estimate and show you how much you can save on energy costs.
