Have you ever watched a professional window washer do his or her 
job, and wonder how s/he does such a perfect job so quickly, 
and only with the simplest of tools?  When it comes to window 
washing, there are some important tricks of the trade that you 
need to learn, before you can be confident in the fact that you 
wash windows like a pro.  Believe it or not, when you know what 
you're doing, you may actually find that you enjoy window 
washing.

The first trick is to arm yourself with the right window washing 
tools.  This includes a good quality squeegee. applicator, 
scraper, window bucket, and microfiber cloths. The squeegee 
should be a 10" to 16" professional quality brass or stainless 
steel squeegee, depending on the size of window you'll be 
cleaning.  To compliment the work your squeegee will do, you'll 
also want a quality window scrubber and possibly an extension 
pole if you'll be working on high windows.  You don't want to 
leave lint on the window from your cloths, so we suggest using 
microfiber cloths, which are lint-free. You might also consider 
purchasing a tool belt especially designed to hold your window 
washing tools. This will allow you to complete the job faster -
you'll need to do less bending by setting one tool down and 
picking another up.   

Though window washing can be done at any time, the best 
conditions for washing windows are when it is a cool, cloudy (but 
not rainy) day. You never want to wash windows in direct sunlight 
because they'll dry out too fast and leave streaks.

Your technique should be as follows:  fill your window washing 
bucket with cool or lukewarm water (never hot) and add a small 
amount of dishwashing soap.  Wipe away any cobwebs or debris on 
or around the window. Dip the applicator into the bucket and run 
your hand across the applicator to get rid of excess liquid. Wet 
the window with the applicator and scrub. The window will begin 
to feel clean when it is done, as it will no longer have any 
rough patches.  If you need to use a scraper to get rid of 
stubborn spots, be sure that the window is wet - never scrape 
a dry window.

Now for the streak-free window.  When window washing, you can 
ensure that you won't leave any streaks by using a dry rubber 
blade.  Place this blade against the top of the window, and pull 
down smoothly, using a rag to dry your blade between each stroke. 
Repeat this process until the window is complete, being sure to 
overlap the dry edge of the squeegee with the dry portion of the 
window in order to prevent drips and streaks. To complete the 
window, you need to do one final stroke from left to right at the 
very bottom of the window.  Use a dry microfiber cloth and run it 
around the edges of the window to soak up any remaining drips. 

As you improve your basic window washing technique, you may want 
to learn other techniques such as the swirl, which can make the 
job go even quicker. When using the more advanced techniques 
you'll be able to wash a window in one step without having to 
stop and wipe your squeegee between strokes.

Congratulations, you now have a sparkling clean window! 

Steve Hanson is co-founding member of The Janitorial Store (TM), 
an online community for owners and managers of cleaning companies 
who want to build a more profitable and successful cleaning 
business. Sign up for Trash Talk: Tip of the Week at 
http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com and receive a Free Gift!