this post was submitted on 05 Sep 2025
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me_irl
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Anyone who can get windows really, actually clean, let me know your secret. It's freakin' impossible.
There's a few scripts out there, but you'll always be better off with linux
Windex and newspaper always did the trick for me.
They still make newspapers?
See? This is why my windows haven't been clean in decades.
They do, but the white pages are nearly nonexistent now that almost everyone has a cell instead of a landline.
I haven't lived in the US for 4 years now, but when I did, we had phone books dropped on our front porch every six months. I'd see one, pick it up, carry it through the house, and deposit it directly in the recycling bin.
Why newspaper? Is it just lint free, or does it do something that paper towels won't do. I still get coupons in the mail with news print pages, so I'll have to give it a try.
I'll add to the conversation and say, denatured alcohol works great on anything that sticks or smears if you have a particularly tough spot.
It's lint-free... and free! Paper towels are definitely not the answer as they leave little bits behind.
Newspaper works really well, but in this day and age, a clean microfiber cloth may be more accessible to you
I can't handle the texture of microfiber in my hands. I get the shivers and goosebumps. I can't find a decent cleaning cloth any time I look. I remember my mom having cloth diapers from the 80s, and they worked great for 20 years or so. I should look into that.
Newspaper doesn't leave ink behind? I imagine the comics leaving a faint colorful streak.
Unless they've changed the formula it should work fine. I can't recall using the comics, there was always a more boring section to crumple up first.
The right paper towels can do the job well.
Just glass cleaner, a lint-frre cloth (like micro-fiber) and most importantly a clean and smooth squeegee. Spray it on and scrub the window in small circular motion with the cloth. Squeegee it off in a slow and steady motion from top to bottom.
Might have to repeat it again if the windows were super dirty to begin with.
Water and microfiber cloth always worked best for us.
first you wipe of the worst grime with one of those squeegees that has a sponge on the back side. try to catch dribble with old cloth or so. (some will spill if you're not a super pro. wipe it off the floor later.)
then you use a chamois leather (also available in synthetic, so it can be vegan) with glass cleaner solution that contains spirit (aka ethyl alcohol) from a spray bottle. you spray it on, then rub with the chamois. the glass cleaner kinda evaporates after the fine dirt gets into the chamois, so no residue will be left on the glass.
Huh, never had a problem with that. You gotta dry off the water after you've wiped them, to avoid lime spots from forming. Alternatively, you can use alcohol to wipe them down, which will dissipate without leaving spots.
But yeah, that's about the whole secret. Just a cloth with water and then wiping all the surfaces of the window has always worked well enough for me. But I guess, your mileage might vary depending on what kind of grime is in the air where you live...
People have mentioned these separately but I just want to say,
alcohol + microfiber cloth
I mean Windex is just colored alcohol with surfactants added to make it work better, so if alcohol works for you, glass cleaner should work even better.