Whether it’s a spot of spring cleaning or a part of a general tidy up, knowing how to clean doors and windows at your home greatly improves its look and feel. 

Streak-free glass

You’ve probably cleaned a glass window at least once so far, but how challenging was it to not leave streaks? 

First, you need to wipe down the window with a clean, dry cloth to remove any excess dirt and dust. This will reduce the amount of cleaning product you need as well as making streaks less likely. Next, spray a generous amount of cleaner onto your window using a lint-free or microfiber cloth to ensure that no shedding is left stuck to the window. 

If you want to be sure that no streaks are left on the glass, consider changing the direction of how you wipe your windows between the inside and the outside of your home- this way you can easily tell where the streaks are. 

Clean your front doors

Front doors can come in a range of different styles and materials depending on your preferences. No matter whether your door is uPVC or wooden, cleaning with a soft cloth that will not leave scratches is necessary to ensure your door remains in good condition. Harsh cleaning agents are generally not needed for front doors, so a simple bucket of soapy water should suffice. Make sure that the water is changed a couple of times for very dirty doors, or you could end up with dirty smudge marks instead of a clean and welcoming first impression.

If your front door is wooden, then giving it a wipe over with some furniture or wood polish will bring back some of its shine after it has been cleaned. 

Refresh fixtures 

Dull or scuffed fixtures on a door make it look older and more worn. Consider buffing metal fittings with brass or steel polish to bring back the shine and get rid of any marks. Make sure that you wipe off any excess polish from the metal fixtures and from the door around them so as not to leave unsightly marks. 

Take care of hardware

While hardware such as locks and the handle mechanisms won’t need cleaning as such, applying a thin amount of grease will help to keep all the parts in good condition. In turn, this will extend the life of your door, as its parts won’t need to be replaced so often. 

Another aspect to consider when looking at the hardware during a clean of your front door, is to look at whether or not the lock and the frame fitting are aligned properly. If not, then this could cause problems further down the line with locking and unlocking your door. You can fix this yourself by loosening the door frame fitting and moving it into place to match the lock, or you could phone your local locksmith if you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself. 

Be gentle on seals

The seals around windows often appear quite dirty after some time, but it is important to remember to not use harsh chemicals on them. Doing so can break down the structure of the seal, causing damp to enter between the panes and heat to escape from your home. 

It is best to use a soapy water solution and a soft cloth to wipe down the seals. 

It is also important to remember that silicone seals on windows will discolour over time, and no amount of scrubbing will remove this. 

Do you have any other top tips on how to clean doors and windows at home? Share this on social media to let us know and join in the conversation! For more information on how to clean your doors and windows, contact a member of our team.