A traditional window cleaner is the classic mop and squeegee method, that involves using and applying a soapy cleaning solution to the glass using a scrubber and scrubbing away the stubborn dirt and grime and then removing the water with a hand held rubber squeegee before drying the edges with a cloth.
For the traditional approach in cleaning windows, window cleaners work up close to the glass and frequently use ladders to reach the upper story windows.
A bucket, a strip washer, (mop/applicator), a brass or steel squeegee and microfiber cloths are also traditionally used when cleaning windows.
And because the water is squeegeed and wiped off by hand, the window is perfectly clear and dry immediately after.
Vinegar and water can also be used to clean windows as the acetic acid in white vinegar effectively cuts through grease, hard water spots and grime without leaving behind any chemical residue that is found in commercial cleaners.
To use vinegar and water to clean windows, you can combine equal parts of 1:1 of distilled white vinegar and warm water in a spray bottle for standard cleaning.
For heavy grime on windows, mix 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar with 1/2 teaspoon of liquid dish soap like Dawn and 2 cups of warm water.
The soap will help to break down tough outdoor grime.
You can then spray the solution generously on the window and wipe it clean using a lint free microfiber cloth or a squeegee.
To avoid streaks on your windows, clean the windows on a cloudy day or when the glass is cool to the touch as direct sunlight will cause the vinegar and water evaporate too quickly and leave streaks.
And be sure to wipe or squeegee the solution off completely rather than letting it air dry, buff the glass dry with a clean, dry microfiber cloth for a sparkling clean finish.
Vinegar is also good for wiping down dust and grime on your window frames and sills due to it being slightly acidic.
Professional window cleaners sometimes use a bit of mild dish soap like Dawn to reduce surface tension and allow the squeegees to glide smoothly.
To avoid and prevent streaks when cleaning the windows and avoid hard water spots, many professional window cleaners also use a few drops of dishwasher rinse aid, white vinegar or even isopropyl rubbing alcohol to their water.
Professional window cleaners also use 100 percent pure water that goes through filtration system and or even a mix of tap water and pH neutral, streak free detergents.
Many professional window cleaners also use water fed poles with pure water and use zero mineral pure water that is produced through RO or Reverse Osmosis and Deionization filters.
Because all the minerals and salts are stripped from the water before it's used to clean windows, it dries completely spot free without needing to use a squeegee.
And for squeegee work and traditional washing buckets, professional window cleaners mxi in a professional grade surfactant or a reliable dish soap like Dawn dish soap.
Other soaps like Titan Glass Gleam 3 or Glass Gleam 4 are also very popular amongst professional window cleaners because they soften the water, increase the glide of the squeegee and leave no heavy residue.
And in cold weather and sub freezing temperatures when cleaning windows, professional window cleaners will often add some windshield washer fluid or rubbing alcohol to the water bucket to prevent the window cleaning solution from freezing on the glass.
To make pure water for window cleaning, you must strip your tap water of minerals and impurities to achieve a 0 Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) reading.
The two primary methods are DI (Deionization) filtration (best for soft water) and RO/DI (Reverse Osmosis/Deionization) (best for hard water).
Method 1: Deionization (DI) Resin (Best for Soft Water)
If your local water is relatively soft (below 100-120 ppm TDS), you can use a simple DI vessel.
The Setup: Hook up a hose from your outdoor tap to a DI filtration vessel (a canister filled with ion-exchange resin).
The Process: As tap water flows through the resin, it absorbs and removes all charged mineral ions (like calcium and magnesium).
The Result: The output is pure water ready to be used with a water-fed pole brush.
Method 2: Reverse Osmosis & Deionization (RO/DI) (Best for Hard Water)
For harder water (high TDS over 150 ppm), a DI-only system will exhaust the resin too quickly. A 3 or 4-stage system is the most cost-effective solution.
Stage 1 & 2 (Pre-filters): Water first passes through a sediment filter to remove dirt, followed by a carbon block filter to remove chlorine.
Stage 3 (RO Membrane): The water is forced through a semipermeable membrane, which filters out 90% to 99% of dissolved solids.
Stage 4 (DI Vessel): The remaining 1% to 10% of minerals pass through the DI resin, resulting in 0 TDS (perfectly pure) water.
Essential Equipment You Will Need
TDS Meter: You need a Total Dissolved Solids meter to measure your water's purity.
A reading of 000 ppm is the goal, but 000 to 007 ppm will generally not leave spots on the glass.
Water-Fed Pole: An extendable brush to scrub the glass and rinse away the dirt with the pure water stream.
Connection Hoses: Standard garden hose connections to link your tap to your filtration system and to your pole.