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Cleaning

How to Clean Nicotine Stained Windows

Nicotine Stained Windows In November 2010 our landlord put in new windows. They aren’t better than the old ones but the great thing about these windows is they open in to clean the outside glass.

The windows haven’t been cleaned since being installed. 😮 It’s been bugging me for a good 6 months today I got a jump-start on an early spring cleaning.

Our apartment has two problems with keeping the windows clean; There are three heavy smokers in the house the windows get stained real fast. plus we’re on a main street, beside the building is a the town shop, so lots of diesel trucks passing but with the soot to match.

How Long Will This Take?

5 to 10 minutes per window. I did 11 full size windows and a door in 2 hours including a couple of smoke breaks.

What You Will Need:

  • Windex – Cheap stuff from the dollar store works just as well.
  • Bleach – This cuts the nicotine, grime, and soot.
  • Spray Bottle – 50/50 bleach with warm water
  • Rags – an old t-shirt works fine
  • Paper Towels

5 Steps to Squeaky Clean Windows:

  1. Spray a good dousing of bleach water on the glass and frame.  Avoid getting bleach on the frames if they’re wood!
  2. If possible pop the windows out so you can clean the outside. Spray the outside down with bleach too.
  3. Give it a few minutes to penetrate. With a rag wipe the bleach off on both sides. We’re not going for picture perfect in the step just get all the big stuff off.
  4. Take clean paper towel and wipe the remaining bleach off both sides.
  5. Spray a generous amount of Windex on both sides and wipe in a straight up and down or side to side. Paying attention to the edges.

That’s it! All my windows came pretty much picture perfect using the method above. Should I start a cleaning service now? 😀