A double sink with a large window

How to Dry Clean Windows—No Water, Bucket, or Squeegee Required

 

I have this thing for clean windows. I love them, which means I have an opposite and equal dislike for dirty windows. And when I say clean windows, I mean the kind of clean that makes windows sparkle like diamonds in the morning sun.

A kitchen with a sink and a large window

 

If I could, I’d have a professional window-washing service come to my home every week to clean every single window—inside and out. But I have a two-story house with lots of windows so right there you can understand why I can’t and I don’t.

On a lark and only because I wanted my flower garden to look better through the window in my kitchen, I grabbed this car wash mitt, made of microfiber chenille that I’d purchased some time previously, in an attempt to control all the dust being generated by a home remodeling project going on at the time. (It worked great for that!)

A close up of a car wash mitt

 

It’s stringy, floppy, and fun to use. It is super soft and feels slightly “prickly.” Used dry, it acts like a giant dust magnet. I was in no mood to start washing windows, so the idea popped into my head to give the windows a quick dusting. I didn’t see how I could make them look any worse.

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I put on that dry mitt and went over the outside of the window to see if I could remove any of the dirt, dust, and watermarks that were obscuring my view.

Amazingly, that loosened all of the dust and scrubbed away most of the watermarks, too. I shook out the mitt to get rid of the dirt and dust it picked up, then went over the window a second time, as if polishing it. I actually heard a “squeak!”

If “sparkling like a diamond” is 100% fabulous, then my dry-cleaning technique got that window to 90%. And it took less than 5 minutes—no water, wet wads of paper towel, or newspaper. No buckets or squeegees. And I cannot see even a hint of scratching, which one might assume could happen. Of course, we are warned to never dry rub fine auto paint because that can act as a light sanding and all. But back to my windows. Another five minutes and I’d given several other nearby windows a good dry-cleaning as well.

By the way, I did experiment with other “dusting” devices like a cotton towel, feather duster, paper towels, and even my favorite handheld vac (which I use every day of my life and cannot imagine life without) on yet another dirty window—all with pathetic results. All those things did was to push the dust and dirt around. None of these options even fazed the watermarks.

While any kind of microfiber cloth or mitt will remove dust from any dry surface, there’s something about this particular type of chenille microfiber washing mitt that has the ability to dry-clean windows. The brand is Chemical Guys, a company that makes premium microfiber products for the automotive industry.

One last thing: Dry cleaning windows is not the same as full-on window washing, which I do recommend at least once a year. Dry cleaning is a maintenance method, a stop-gap effort to keep windows looking sharp between those big washings!d


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15 replies
  1. Mariann says:

    I ordered the microfiber mitt and used it to wash my windows and they turned out great. They need more then just dusting so I used a mixture of rubbing alcohol, water and few drops of Dawn in a spray bottle. Love the mitt! Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Anne Clare says:

    Dear Mary,
    I’m so glad you joined the group with the topic today!! I’ve been putting off my window washing for TOO long AND I had a mitt like that that’s been sitting in my closet, so I pulled it out and in 15 minutes I “dry-cleaned” my windows!!!!!!! It was FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE it, and YOU!!

    Reply
  3. Jeannie says:

    Sarah…I recently purchased a pack of microfiber cloths on Amazon. The instructions specifically state to only wash microfiber with other microfiber items and to line dry. This fabric is unique and needs to be laundered in a careful manner, so I’ve learned. Hope that helps!

    Reply
  4. Brenda says:

    I think I saw in the questions section of amazon that these are manufactured in China. I am trying to buy products made closer to home. Can you recommend something made in the US?
    Always a fan,
    Brenda

    Reply
    • Mary Hunt says:

      I think most people are thinking like you, Brenda. And I think it is going to be a process to bring manufacturing back to the USA. Microfiber, for example, is only manufactured in China mostly, some in So. Korea. So far I cannot discover any manufacturing of that particular synthetic material in the USA. So, we can hope that this has been a big wakeup call for all kinds of companies. In the meantime we have to understand that companies like Chemical Guys have big inventory, will need to change their manufacturing methods in steps and phases. I don’t think this is something that will change overnight! But rest assured I am on a mission to discover and recommend USA made products provided they meet our EC standards of performance, and represent a great value as well.

      Reply
  5. Gina Stevens says:

    My dear! You’re a mind reader! Window washing is on tomorrow’s schedule and I have one of those mitts!! Air Hugs!

    Reply
  6. Pat B. says:

    Thanks!!! The french doors out to our back patio have made me nutso for years. I just went to Amazon and ordered a mitt.

    Reply
    • Mary Hunt says:

      Perfect for dusting any surface. I wash it in a bucket of hot water with a tiny bit of Blue Dawn; rinse completely, then hang to air dry. Never in the washer/dryer and never with any softener products.

      Reply
      • Lida says:

        Thank you!
        It is very affordable. Will give it a try. You always come up with awesome ideas!

      • Sarah says:

        Why not in the washer and dryer? I have one for car washing, and I’ve been washing it that way. It seems ok to me…is there something I don’t know? I don’t use softener products, some family members are allergic.

      • Mary Hunt says:

        Oh that is fun, Gina! Can’t wait until real hugs are back in vogue 🙂

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