Friday, April 23, 2010

Vinegar Fridays



TGIVF!

Well, Earth Day is over, but I hope that doesn't mean we'll all go back to our old ways of not caring for the earth! I know there are a lot of Earth Day activities going on around the country (and possibly the world) on Saturday. Let's just keep it going.

One way to keep it going is with Vinegar Fridays. So...here goes.

Today we're going to talk windows.

The sun's been shining brightly in Western PA lately...brilliantly showing off all the smudges and smears on my windows. I tend to want to wash windows when it's sunny, which, as it turns out, is not such a good idea. Not if the sun is hitting the windows directly, that is. They dry too quickly and you end up with a bunch of streaks. So from now on my mantra is Wash the west facing windows in the morning, finish up the east side in the afternoon. That should work.



What do you use to clean your windows? I would love to read your comments on what works best for you. I've tried rags, newspapers and, of course, paper towels. I don't like getting newspaper print all over my hands, but I must say newspaper does the job. I recently bought a squeegie and am hooked. I think I got it at Tuesday Morning and it's a pretty red color with a comfortable handle. Anyway, that's I'll be using from now on.

And what do I use to spray on the windows? Vinegar, of course! Distilled white vinegar works really well when it comes to making your windows shine.

I do a 75/25 mix (water/vinegar) and it works well.

If you find there's a waxy build-up on your windows from commercial window cleaners, mix a solution of 2 cups water, 1 cup vinegar and a teaspoon of liquid dishwashing soap. This should take care of the wax residue.

Discovered you weren't as careful as you thought when painting and find paint splatters on your windows? Not a problem. Grab a clean paintbrush, dip it in undiluted vinegar and brush the paint right off.

If the paint is more substaintial than just a splattering, heat up some full-strength distilled white vinegar and apply it to the window. Give it time to soak in and soften the paint before scraping it off with a razor blade.

That's it for today. Just a few short tips on window cleaning with vinegar. Like I said, I'd love to hear what you use to clean your windows.

Have a fabulous weekend.

Keeping it green with vinegar,

Hana

Photo courtesy of Petr Kratochvil

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