Streaks on your windows? Six steps to get rid of them
Short answer
Your cloth is too wet. In the vast majority of cases that is why you are still seeing streaks. Wring it out harder until it feels just damp and the problem usually disappears on the spot.
If it stays streaky, work through the six points below in order. That will get you there.
1. Wring the cloth out harder than you think
Leave too much water in it and that water dries on the glass into exactly the streaks you set out to remove.
After rinsing, wring the cloth out well by hand. To get even more moisture out, wrap it lengthways around a tap and twist it round. It should feel damp, not soaking wet.
Struggling to wring it out? If you have less strength in your hands or wrists, mist the window lightly with water and wipe it with a dry cloth. That way your cloth never gets too wet and you work just as fast.
2. Dust sticks to wet smears
Which is why well wrung-out windows also stay clean for longer.
If moisture is left sitting on the glass, dust particles settle into it. Think of a freshly washed car: a few hours later there is already a thin layer on it. Live on a busy road or near building work and you will see it sooner.
3. Grease on your windows? Take that off first
Cooking fumes, smoke and old cleaning products all leave a greasy layer behind.
Wipe the glass first with water and a splash of vinegar. If you still see a light haze afterwards, that is usually an old layer from your previous cleaning product. Go over the same window two or three times and it disappears by itself.
4. The spray method: easier and just as fast
Mist the window lightly with water and wipe it with a dry cloth.
That puts exactly enough moisture on the glass and your cloth never gets too wet. Handy if wringing out is hard work for you, and pleasant when you want to do a few panes quickly without walking to the tap.
5. A splash of vinegar in your spray bottle
For glass that is extra greasy.
It cuts through a little more grease and leaves your window hygienically clean, without a bottle of glass cleaner in the house. For ordinary dirty windows you do not need it; water is plenty.
6. Take grit and coarse dirt off first
Otherwise you are dragging the grains across your glass.
If your windows are really dirty or there is grit on them, wipe them first with a separate cloth or a sponge. Grains of sand can scratch. On something greasy like a cooker hood, warm water with a little washing-up liquid or a degreaser is quickest. After that you go over it with your iZi-Clean cloth.
Still streaks after all six?
Then it is not your technique but your cloth. Water running over the cloth instead of into it usually means fabric conditioner, and that can be put right. If the cloth has been through the tumble dryer, the damage to the fibres is permanent.
What you need for this
- iZi-Clean Wonder Cloth, pack of 12 · enough to reach for a clean cloth in every room
- Wonder Cloth, pack of 4 · to try it out first
- Drying Towel M · for when you would rather buff dry
Frequently asked questions
Exactly how wet can my cloth be?
Damp. You should not be able to squeeze another drop out of it, but it should not feel stiff either. If you are in doubt, give it one more wring: too dry rarely causes problems, too wet nearly always does.
Can I clean my windows in the sun?
Yes. With a squeegee and soapy water you have to avoid the sun, because the water dries before you have finished. With a damp microfibre cloth that is not an issue. What is true is this: if your cloth is too wet, the sun is where you will see those streaks most clearly.
Do I have to soak my cloth every time?
No. You soak it once per cloth, and only when it is new: 15 minutes in lukewarm or warm water, then wring it out well. Never again after that, not even following a wash.
Why does water work better than glass cleaner?
Because a product loosens the dirt and then leaves a thin layer of its own behind. You see that layer again later as a haze and it picks up fresh dust faster. The fibres simply take the dirt up, so water is enough. There is more about that on cleaning windows with just water.
Can I use the same cloth for my kitchen and my windows?
Better not. A cloth that has been near the hob has picked up grease and will spread it over your window as a thin film. Keep one cloth just for glass; a colour per room makes that easy.
Every window in the house in a few minutes
One cloth, just water, and you are looking through glass with nothing left on it. Join more than 300,000 households who clean this way.
See the pack of 1230 days to change your mind. Questions? You can always reach us.