How to Clean Wooden French Windows Easily

Old houses often have old windows than can be a challenge to clean. One of the toughest of all window styles for cleaning is the glazed wooden french window. Unlike regular windows that can be sprayed and wiped down, glazed multi paned windows need careful handling to avoid damage, smears, and drips.

I have wooden french windows all over my house. Here are few of the techniques I use to make this cleaning task a little easier.

Home made cleaner. Instead of using a spray cleaner which drips down the glass and into the painted wood, I make up my own window cleaner which is applied with a sponge. The best homemade cleaner for wooden french windows combines 1 cup of rubbing alcohol, 1 cup of water, and 1 tablespoon of vinegar. The rubbing alcohol evaporates quickly which helps reduce smearing.

Apply with a sponge. To apply the cleanser to the individual panes of glass, I use a sponge which has been dipped into the solution and gently squeezed to hold a minimal of cleaning solution. The solution is then applied in a side to side motion until the entire pane (including the corners) has been scrubbed.

Tip: To avoid dripping on clean windows, wash only one pane at a time and always work from top to bottom.

Polish to a shine. The tricky part is polishing the glass to a shine. While it’s easy to dry the center of the pane, getting into the corners can be tricky since the painted wood tends to smear onto the glass. What I do is dry the center of the pane first, then fold a corner of the drying cloth into a triangular shape to easily reach into the corners without touching the glazing.

Clean when the sun is on the window. Except during the summer when the sun’s heat will increase the drying time of a window cleaner, I always clean my wooden french windows when they are in full sunlight. This makes it much easy to see missed areas and smears.

Washing windows is not an enjoyable task for anyone, especially old wooden french windows. These four tips will at least make this unpleasant task a little easier.

More by this contributor:
How to create privacy screening for your porch.
How to spring clean your garage the eco friendly way.
10 time saving tips for spring cleaning.