Spring sunshine is wonderful. It is also ruthlessly honest. Suddenly every fingerprint, every raindrop from November, every... well, what even is that?

Window cleaning often ends up on the list of “things I avoid until visitors are on the way”, and I understand why. You stand there with the newspaper in hand, scrubbing like a crazy person, and still: streaks. Everywhere. But here’s the thing: it’s not about how hard you scrub, but about doing it right from the start.

Get the right tools (no, not newspaper)

Grandma might have used newspaper, but she had the time to stand there for three hours. We don’t have that. Here’s what actually works:

• A real squeegee with replaceable rubber. When the rubber gets worn, streaks appear faster than you can say “damn it”.
• Cleaning cloth or microfiber cloth, something that actually removes dirt without scratching the glass.
• A bucket of lukewarm water and a few drops of dish soap. That’s all you need. Want to be extra fancy? A bit of window soap or ammonia works, but be careful with the frames.
   

Here’s how to get perfectly clean windows for spring.

1. Soak well. Use plenty of water, pollen and stains need time to loosen.
    
2. Squeegee methodically. Start at the top and pull in the same direction, whether horizontally or vertically doesn’t matter. Wipe the rubber between each stroke, otherwise there’s a risk that you’re just moving the dirt around that’s already there.
    
3. Fix the edges. Water often collects along the edges of the window panes, counter this by taking a dry cloth and running it along the frames.
    

Why are there still streaks?

Mostly because you are cleaning in direct sunlight (the water dries before you can squeegee) or using too much dish soap. Another reason could be that you’re a bit too fast; be careful and take it slowly to avoid any double work.

Are you ready to try?

If you’re sitting here thinking “I can’t be bothered”, that’s totally fine. There are people who actually enjoy cleaning windows (we recruit them). But if you want to see how clean windows can get, give it a try yourself, or let us do the job. At Nytta.se, windows shine like new every day!