can't clean windows

[EricBruns]

So this makes me feel really lame, but I can't seem to find the answer to cleaning the exterior windows of my house.

History - couple years ago I rented a boom lift to repair insect and weather damage to the wood of the lofty peaks of the house that are 30-40 feet. Many of the windows go to the peak in a Lindal Cedar home design.

For some reason I thought, these windows are too freaking high to get up here very often since I won't have a boom available so let's put some Rain-X on these windows. In hind sight it was probably really dumb. It didn't take long to notice that it didn't have the desired long lasting clean I hoped for.

Fast forward to this year, I stained/sealed the exterior of the house and rented another boom for the week. Thought I would reclean the windows and get all the Rain-X residue off. Seemed to work okay until I looked from the inside out and noticed foggy/streaky results. So, over and over with windex, scrub and dry, scrub and dry. Doesn't seem to completely get clean.

So, is there a different cleaner? A technique? Not sure what to do here.

Ready go! Thx!

[toolmiser]

I use water with some ammonia, and just a little dawn dish washing liquid. I apply with a fabric covered scrubber, and squeegee it off.

Not an expert but they usually look better when done than before. I actually did a few today to encourage rain.

[fredhargis]

I use water with some ammonia, and just a little dawn dish washing liquid.  I apply with a fabric covered scrubber, and squeegee it off.  

Not an expert but they usually look better when done than before.  I actually did a few today to encourage rain.

That's what I do, both the ammonia/Dawn and the encouraging rain!

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Rain X has an oil in it and never ever use it on your car windshield. Yes it repels water but if you need to use wipers they will scream. 

I found this stuff in Walmart years ago and use it on both the cars and the house windows. Does not streak and takes dirt off real well and wipes off with paper towels. Works for me. 

https://www.amazon.com/Stoner-Car-Care-9...4301&psc=1

[tomsteve]

wash windows with dawn dish soap and rinse.not wipe it off but rinse with strezm of water. dry with rag.
follow up with stoners invisible glass and a rubber squeegee. spray it on, squeegee it off.

[Phil Thien]

Squeegee dry.

Buff the dry windows with crumpled up newspaper.

[Robert Adams]

Squeegee dry.

Buff the dry windows with crumpled up newspaper.

         Newspaper... What's that. I vaguely remember a kid that would throw a funny looking rolled up log at the house every morning many years ago.



            As for rain X. It works great but you have to apply it properly. You need to clean the glass extremely well. Put on a thin coat, let it dry then you need to buff it off until the haze is gone. When done the product primarily fills the imperfections in the glass. There is no oily or visible residue when done right if there is then most likely the glass wasn't clean to start with or it wasn't buffed off properly. It's like waxing a car and just as much fun... If I were needing to strip oil and unknowns off of glass I will use Kerosene or mineral spirits or urethane reducer etc. Just depends on what the glass is on and what is on the glass. Also microfiber cloths work great on glass and often eliminate the need for harsh chemicals. 


           The way they clean base housing bathrooms between tennants is with Kerosene. They use it  to clean all the tile, ceramic and glass in them. Just a bit of information...

[jteneyck]

What RA said.  Rain-X works great if you use it properly, at least on car windshields.  Wipers don't squeak, they just throw the water off not that you'll need them much for awhile after you apply Rain-X.  

I use Unger Glass Cleaner for my house windows.  Put it on with their terri cloth applicator on the end of a pole, then squeegee it off.  No streaks, no haze.   For the high windows on my mom's house I use the Windex hose end spray/rinse stuff.  Not perfect but you don't need perfect when it's 30 ft up.  

John

[Cooler]

On my car I used Dawn (dish washing soap) and rinsed.  Then I washed the glass again with a mixture of vinegar, water and just enough Dawn to give the mixture some "slip" to make squeegeeing smooth.  It is also my summer windshield washer solution.

I've given up on commercial car washes.  They are required to recycle all of their water and filter it and re-use it.  While the filtration will remove solids, the Rain-X, tire shine, anti-spotting agents, etc. remain in solution.  It leaves a surface that feels vaguely like the surface of a candle and it is a dust magnet.  On dark colored cars the car will look dirty after one or two days. 

I hand wash.

I also have very high plate glass windows.  I have a telescoping pole, a brush, a sheepskin applicator and a squeegee.  It seems to work fine with my own windshield washer mix.  (see above)

The residue left when you use Windex will haze over.   All that soap has to be rinsed off.  My admixture of vinegar and Dawn uses far less soap and does not haze over so quickly.

[Bill Wilson]

I used to have a car that I practically had to use Rain-X on the windshield.  If I didn't, the wipers would squeal incessantly.  Brand new wipers (not cheap ones either), clean windshield and no matter what, they would squeak.  It was like that from the day we bought the car, brand new.  The only solution I found, after years of trying many different brands of blades, was to use Rain-X.  I had to put it on several times a year, so it was a pain, because it was pretty labor intensive to properly clean and treat the windshield that often, but it was worth it to eliminate the squeaks.  We owned that car for 10 years and I grew to despise it, for a number of reasons, but this one was near the top of the list.