Having clean, spotless, and streak-free windows can really liven up your home. The cleanliness of your windows literally determines your outlook when gazing through them into your backyard, patio, or wherever your windows are located in your home. Even though you may clean your windows on a routine basis, you may be using products that leave streaks  or film behind. In this blog, we will be focusing on how your windows become dirty as well as the products you should be using so you’re cleaning them right the first time!

Sometimes cleaning your windows can feel like an uphill battle in the sense that they don’t stay clean for long, why is that? Below are a few of the common reasons why those clean windows don’t stay clean.

• Children & Pets: If you have rambunctious children and animals running around your home, then you probably know that there is no surface they won’t touch. Glass windows are no exception as you may see tiny handprints, paw prints, and even smudge marks from both your children or animals pressing their faces against those smooth surfaces
• Cooking: Aside from just appeasing your appetite, cooking comes with a host of unwanted side effects that interact with your home as well as your windows.  Bacteria, grease, and steam all are produced after cooking and seeing portions of these on your window glass is to be expected, especially if you have windows near your kitchen or where you’re cooking. 
• Smoking: If you’ve been in a household where people smoke, you may have seen a yellow film that forms on virtually every surface in the home. Windows are no exception and if left unattended, the film becomes harder to clean over time, so routine cleaning is highly recommended.
• Window Screens: Screens do a fantastic job of keeping unwelcome guests such as  flies, mosquitos, and more on the outside of your home. However, although it performs well at keeping critters outside of your home, it also traps dirt, debris and dust on the inside of the screen as well. Even occasional rain can build up in the area between your screen and the window which oftentimes is left unattended.
• Inferior Cleaning Solutions: There’s nothing wrong with hunting for a bargain. However, selecting an inferior window cleaning product may result in inferior results. These products have a reputation of leaving behind residue and film after they have been put to the test. This leftover residue creates the perfect texture to attract dirt and dust, resulting in dirty windows once more.
• Hard Water: If you’re not using clean water, you may experience hard water stains left behind on your windows. Minerals in the water are to blame and if not cleaned properly, you can shorten the life of your windows.

Now that we’ve discussed the common causes of why your windows get dirty so quickly, it’s time to discuss the solutions to keeping them clean. Whether you’re looking for a non-ammoniated solution such as our Kleer-View Glass, Plastic & Hard Surface Cleaner or an ammoniated solution like our Shine-O-Glass Ammoniated Non-Streaking Glass Cleaner, each of these great products performs well at cleaning the dirtiest windows. We hope this article has shed some light (no pun intended) on how to better approach cleaning your windows and what to keep in mind before you shop around for proper window cleaning solutions.