How do you clean your windows streak-free? With just water

Short answer

Dampen an iZi-Clean cloth with water alone, wring it out harder than you think you need to, and wipe in long strokes in one direction. That is all it takes: no glass cleaner, no vinegar, no newspaper.

If you do see streaks, it is nearly always a cloth that is too wet. Below you will find why water alone works, and what to do when it does not go right first time.

How do I get my windows streak-free?

Dampen it, wring it out firmly, and work in one direction.

You will find the cloths that go with this under windows and mirrors.

1
Wet the cloth and wring it out firmly. It should feel damp, not wet. To get more moisture out, wrap the cloth lengthways around a tap and twist it round.
2
Wipe in long, even strokes in one direction. Top to bottom, or left to right. Going back and forth puts dirt straight back on the glass you have just cleared.
3
Fold the cloth in four and turn it as you go. Once a side is full, move on to a clean one. That gives you eight clean sides in a row.
4
Done. With a damp cloth the glass dries virtually streak-free. You only need to buff it dry if the cloth was too wet.

Is your cloth new? Then soak it first for 15 minutes in lukewarm or warm water and wring it out well. You do that once per cloth, and only when it is new. So not before every clean, and not after a wash either.

iZi-Clean Wonder Cloth for cleaning windows streak-free with water alone — Just water. The cloth does the rest.

Why does water alone beat a cleaning product?

Because chemical cleaners leave something behind, and water does not.

A microfibre cloth is woven from fibres that have been split extremely fine. That creates an enormous amount of surface area, which draws dirt and grease towards it and holds on to them. So the cloth takes the dirt up rather than dissolving it. No chemicals needed.

A cleaning product does the opposite: it loosens the dirt and then leaves a thin film of its own behind. You see that film again later as a haze, and it picks up fresh dust faster too. That is why windows seem to go grubby again more quickly after a product.

Onions, vinegar, methylated spirit and newspaper: what actually works?

Vinegar helps against grease. The rest leave something on your glass, and water is the only one that does not.

Home remedy	What happens
Vinegar	Cuts through grease. Handy as a pre-treatment on greasy glass: go over it with plain water afterwards. On natural stone around your frames, leave the vinegar out.
Methylated spirit	Evaporates fast, so you often get streaks before you have finished the stroke. Can attack the paint on your window frames.
Newspaper	Rubs the glass dry, but leaves ink and paper dust behind. With the soy inks used in modern papers it smears more than it polishes.
Onion	An old folk remedy for grime. The sugar in it actually leaves a sticky layer that dust clings to.
Glass cleaner with added shine	Gives instant shine, but that shine agent is exactly the film that comes back later as a haze.

If you are switching from one of these to water alone, the first few cleans are mostly you stripping off that old layer. It can look a little streaky while you do. Go over the same window two or three times and it stays clear after that.

Which cloth you reach for matters more than which product you leave out. In one minute you can see which cloth gives you streak-free glass, and how many you need.

Still streaky? Read the six tips

If you still get streaks after a few goes, it comes down to one of six things: the cloth was not wrung out hard enough, there is an old layer on the glass, there is fabric conditioner in your cloth, grease has come across from the kitchen, or there is grit you should have taken off first.

Read the six tips for streak-free windows, with the fix for each one.

Does this work on other surfaces too?

On just about anything smooth.

The same cloth and the same technique work on mirrors, your TV, your phone and laptop screens, stainless steel, the cooker hood, the hob, kitchen cupboards and the inside and outside of your car.

Do keep one cloth just for glass. A cloth that has been near the hob has picked up grease and will spread it over your window as a thin film. A colour per room makes that easy without thinking about it.

The bathroom is the one place where it works a little differently: after a shower you get there faster with a drying towel for the bathroom, which lifts the water off the shower screen and the tiles before it can dry on.

What you need for this

iZi-Clean Wonder Cloth, pack of 12 · the value pack, enough for a cloth of its own in every room
Wonder Cloth, pack of 4 · to try it out first
Drying Towel M · holds up to 800 ml of water, for when you want to buff dry

Frequently asked questions about cleaning windows

Do I really not need glass cleaner?

No. The fibres take the dirt up themselves, so water is enough. A product loosens the dirt and then leaves a layer of its own behind, and you see that layer again later as a haze.

Do I have to soak my cloth every time?

No, and this is the question we get asked most. 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.

Can I clean my windows in the sun?

Yes, that is fine. 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 exactly where you will see those streaks most clearly.

Why do I see streaks when I am doing everything right?

Nearly always because the cloth is too wet. Wring it out harder until it feels just damp. Still streaky? Have a look at the six tips against streaks, where you will find the other five causes.

Can I use the cloth on the outside of my windows too?

Yes. If there is grit or coarse dirt on them, take that off first with a separate cloth or a sponge. Grains of sand can scratch the glass.

How do I wash the cloth after use?

Rinse it out with water after use. Every so often, wash it at 40 degrees, separately from cotton, without fabric conditioner and never in the tumble dryer. There is no more to it than that. The care instructions set it out in full.