The three rules that actually matter
1. Never wash windows in direct sunlight. This is the single biggest cause of streaks. Hot glass dries the solution before you can squeegee it, and what's left is the dirt you just loosened, redeposited in a pattern. Work the shaded side of the house and follow the shade around as the day moves.
2. Use a real squeegee, and keep the blade clean. A rubber squeegee blade that's nicked, dried out, or gritty will leave a line every single pass. Wipe the blade with a cloth after every stroke. Blades are cheap and they wear out faster than people expect.
3. Dry the edges separately. Even a perfect squeegee pass leaves water at the perimeter. A dry, lint-free cloth around the edges is what makes the difference between "clean" and "professionally clean."
What we actually use
- Warm water and a small amount of dish soap. That's genuinely most of it.
- A scrubber or strip washer to loosen everything first
- A squeegee sized to the pane, pulled in overlapping passes
- Separate microfiber for edges and detail
Notice what's not on that list: spray glass cleaner and paper towels. Those are fine for a fingerprint on a door. On a whole window they leave residue and lint, and they're why so many DIY jobs look worse in the afternoon light than they did during cleaning.
The vinegar question
Vinegar and water works fine as a household mix. It's not magic and it won't touch hard water deposits, but for regular dirt it's perfectly reasonable. Just don't expect it to do anything a little dish soap wouldn't.
Technique for the actual squeegee pass
- Start at the top, pull straight down in a single smooth stroke
- Overlap each pass by about an inch into the already-clean area
- Wipe the blade between every pass
- For wide windows, some people do a horizontal "S" pattern — either works, consistency matters more than pattern
What DIY genuinely can't fix
If your glass has white cloudy patches that don't come off no matter how well you squeegee, that isn't a technique problem. That's mineral buildup from hard water — very common in Davis County — and it needs a restoration process, not better washing.
The part where we're honest
Ground-floor windows are absolutely DIY-able. If you enjoy it, do it. Where people get into trouble is the second story, and it's not a skill problem — it's that doing a good job on high glass while balancing on a ladder is genuinely hard and genuinely dangerous.
That's the part worth handing off. See what we charge.
Rather skip the whole thing? Get a free quote or call (801) 698-9900.