Cleaning glass, whether it’s your beautiful windows, your custom glass shelves, or a mirror piece can be frustrating. It seems like no matter what technique you use, you end up with a streaky mess that is sometimes worse than before you cleaned it. The glass and mirror experts at Janssen Glass & Door have four tips to get the glass in your Kansas City home crystal clear and truly clean.
Use Distilled Water to Dilute Your Glass Cleaner
You may think that the tap water you are using to dilute your cleaners is clean, but that’s not always the case. Tap water from your sink can be chock full of minerals and metals that aren’t visible with the naked eye, but can create a streaky film when dried on a surface like glass. If you’re diluting your glass cleaner, consider using distilled water instead of tap water.
Related Read: How to Protect Glass When Painting without Using Tape
Use Vinegar for Streak-Free Cleaning
Vinegar is a great all-purpose cleaner for your home. Whether you’re out of your usual glass cleaner or you’re just looking for a cheaper option, vinegar can do wonders for your windows and mirrors. Try mixing a vinegar-water solution (50/50). Just spray or wipe it on like you would any other cleaner. Yes, there is a smell, but it will fade quickly and you’ll forget about it when you see your perfectly streak-free glass and mirrors.
Minimize the Use of Suds
Suds can leave your glass full of streaks. If your glass coffee table is dirty and you’re adding soap to the solution, remember to go easy. It doesn’t take much soap to get that grime, and using too much will result in a sudsy, streaky mess.
No More Paper Towels
Leave the paper towels as napkins. Paper towels leave streaks and linty bits on your glass when used to wipe away cleaner. Your best bet is to use a microfiber cloth, a squeegee, or, even better, a handful of newspaper. It’s a well-known trick in the glass industry. If you go with the newspaper, be sure to wear gloves to protect you hands from the ink. But don’t worry. That ink residue won’t end up on your glass or mirrors – it’s really like magic.
If you’ve tried these steps and still find it hard to get your glass windows or pieces clean, they may have cracks that are allowing moisture inside that can make them appear dirty. Call Janssen Glass & Door today at (913) 677-5727 to replace any damaged glass or mirrors in your home.