How to clean windows without streaks

To clean windows without streaks, use minimal cleaning solution, a squeegee or microfibre cloth rather than paper, and clean on a dull day so the glass does not dry too fast. Streaks are almost always caused by too much product, a poor cloth, or sunlight drying the solution before you can buff it. Get those three things right and crystal-clear, streak-free glass is easy, no special product required.

Why windows streak

Streaks are a technique problem, not a sign you need a better spray. The usual culprits are: using too much cleaning solution (which leaves residue), wiping with paper towels or newspaper (which leave lint and smear), and cleaning in direct sunlight (which dries the glass before you can finish, baking in streaks). Fix these and the streaks disappear. Our guide to why windows look streaky goes deeper into the causes.

The right tools

• A squeegee: the single biggest upgrade for streak-free glass, it pulls water and solution off cleanly.
• Microfibre cloths: for applying solution and buffing edges; they leave no lint.
• A bucket of warm water with a tiny amount of washing-up liquid: less is more.
• A dry cloth for drying the squeegee blade between strokes.

The streak-free method

• Brush or wipe loose dirt and cobwebs off the glass and frame first.
• Wash the glass with the warm, lightly soapy water using a microfibre cloth or applicator.
• Squeegee from the top, in slightly overlapping strokes, wiping the blade dry between each.
• Buff the edges and any remaining drips with a dry microfibre cloth.

If you do not have a squeegee, two microfibre cloths, one to wash, one to buff dry, work well on smaller windows.

Timing matters

Clean windows on a dull, overcast day or out of direct sun. On a hot, sunny day the solution dries on the glass before you can squeegee or buff it, leaving streaks however good your technique. Early morning or a cloudy day gives you the working time you need.

Don't forget frames and sills

Clean glass framed by grubby uPVC still looks neglected. Wipe the frames and sills as part of the job, see cleaning uPVC window frames, so the whole window looks cared for, not just the glass.

How the pros get it perfect

Professional window cleaners use purified (deionised) water with reach-and-wash poles: the pure water dries to a spotless, streak-free finish with no detergent residue, even on high windows, and reaches frames and sills too. It is why a professional finish looks flawless and lasts. For hard-water spotting between cleans, see removing hard water stains from glass.

Let us get them gleaming

For a flawless, effortless result, especially on upper-floor windows, our window cleaning service covers homes and businesses across Derby and Derbyshire, glass, frames and sills, streak-free, using pure-water reach-and-wash systems.