I cleaned my windows yesterday.
I know. Alert the media.
Typically I wouldn’t consider this newsworthy enough for the blog. (After all, NewlyWoodwards is the place for hard-hitting news.)
But as I was wiping down the glass on the insides and outsides of the windows, I realized that I have been avoiding this very task for nearly two years.
Yes. I haven’t washed my widows in two years. Which I’m certain is enough to make you give me the judgy eyes. Not the first time. Won’t be the last.
I planned to clean them before Henry was born. I actually added it to a very official list of things on the fridge that were to be completed before baby arrived.
But then I got very tired and very large. And I just didn’t want to.
Then I had Henry and was going to clean the windows before maternity leave ended.
Instead, I was essentially drowning in bodily fluids and love for those 10 weeks.
And the windows continued to mock me. Because friends, they really were dirty. But it seemed like a lot of work and what if there were streaks and blah blah blah.
But then yesterday I got home and looked at my dining room window in disgust. And I decided, “enough.”
So I whipped up a batch of a new to me glass cleaner and went to town. And an hour later, all my downstairs windows were sparkly. I could actually see my backyard.
Here’s the “recipe” for the cleaner, if you are interested.
DIY glass cleaner
Modified from She Wears Many Hats
1 cup water
1/8 cup white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Dawn
Shake ingredients together in a spray bottle. Spray on glass and wipe with paper towel. Finish with a clean, dry paper towel to avoid streaks.
Anyhoo – I decided I would tell you about this silliness because I’m certain we all have something in our life that we have been avoiding.
Clean the windows, friend. Clean those windows.
Now I just gotta finish the upstairs windows. Maybe next year?
This is really funny because I JUST cleaned our downstairs windows for the first time since moved in (two years ago!) and used a homemade cleaner, as well! Mine was a little different from yours but it worked SO well and I love how cheap/natural it was. 🙂
I’ve never tried but I really like anything green or DIY, especially since I have really bad allergies.
Definitely need to get on this one… thanks for the reminder 😉
The windows in the new house are FILTHY. Outside and inside. I’m about to try the dawn and jetdry outside window cleaner concoction, I’ll let you know how it goes. Then maybe I’ll get around to the inside. Or hire someone to do it. That sound like more fun.
um yes. i have a storm door that is totally disgusting when the light shines thru it (but perfectly clean in the dark!!) off to think about cleaning it…
I avoid window cleaning to the point that it gets done by me once every four months or so. My husband is the window Nazi. He cleans the inside ledge between the screen and the actual window like his life depends on it. He totally judges me lol! This is how he earned the responsibility of window cleaning. I’ll do toilets over windows. And dusting. I freakin hate dusting.
We only clean windows if we invited someone over for a party or dinner, and then we only clean our big front window and our arcadia door–partly because they’re noticeable, mostly because they attract the most four-year-old finger and nose prints.
I’m procrastinating on writing blog posts. I have more time to myself now, so I keep getting wrapped up in other things. Reading other people’s posts counts as blogging, right?
Window cleaning is the worst. Now that you have practice you can clean mine before craft night.
Wow, did you do all your windows? Impressive! I just focus on the ones we look out most often and call it good! Heck, they get goobed up with kid prints (not just fingerprints, but face and tongue prints too), so I always feel like windows are a losing battle and I really prefer to fight the battles I can win. Thanks for the kick in the pants!
Go, Kim! The shiniest windows on the block!
It’s way too hot to clean windows now. We do it in the fall, when we open everything up. And we use newspaper instead of paper towels.
Cleaning windows is not something that I contemplate. It’s just never been something that seemed necessary. I’m 100% certain that the windows in my parents house have not been cleaned in upwards of 20 years. At least. I don’t have the best role models when it comes to house cleaning.
However, my grandmother was recently admitted to the hospital (she’s fine now) and she was in the middle of cleaning her windows when my mother forced her to go. I volunteered to go finish the job. I know, I’m a saint. lol Her recipe is just vinegar and water, which is unimportant, but I was shocked at the difference a clean window makes.
The reason I haven’t done it at “my” house? We have 14 windows just on the main floor. That is A LOT of screen wrestling.
There is nothing that dawn and vinegar can’t clean! I love that stuff
My windows are in desperate need of cleaning…buuuuuuut we have storm windows plus regular windows with lots of divide lights in them, so it’s quite the task. I need a magic wand or a genie.
Also- random- my grandma always said “now that’s a kick in the pants” whenever she thought something was funny. Thanks for reminding me of her with your title!
I need to do that! I just don’t want to! It involves ladders and patience. Two things I hate! xo Kristin
we use the same mix! my tip from my Noni is to use newspapers for windows and mirrors
no streaks!
I’m spring, er summer, cleaning this weekend. I should probably clean my windows.
Right. I should clean mine at some point too. I’m terrible at cleaning windows. Especially the ones the dogs drool on, because really, what’s the point? (Dear Cindy that’s gross. Get it together) Did you love the glass cleaner? I might try that. Maybe. Don’t hold me to it.