How To Clean Windowsills And Window Tracks
Though you probably clean your window glass with some regularity, you may unintentionally neglect the windowsills and tracks. However, these areas need cleaning, too. After all, the last thing you want is for houseguests to walk over and peer out your crystal-clear windows only to look down and see tracks filled with silt or dusty windowsills.
Use the following how-to guides to keep your windowsills, frames and tracks worthy of the shiny glass they support.
How to Clean Windowsills
Like baseboards, windowsills attract their fair share of dust. Additionally, if you’re lucky enough to live in a climate that allows you to open your windows often, your sills maybe covered with gummy smudges and fingerprints.You’ll need:
- Spray bottle
- Dishwashing liquid
- microfiber cloths
- Wipe the windowsills with a dry microfiber to remove dust.
- Mix a few drops of dishwashing liquid with warm water in a spray bottle.
- Spritz a microfiber cloth with the solution (avoiding oversaturation).
- Gently wipe windowsills and frames, applying more pressure with fingertips for stubborn smudges.
Maintain cleanliness by dusting weekly or biweekly during routine house cleaning.
Note: It’s especially important to apply your cleaner to the cloth — and not the windowsills themselves — if you have wooden window frames. Oversaturating wood can damage the finish or paint. Worse yet, too much liquid could cause the wood to warp.
How to Clean Window Tracks
Even if you never open your windows, dirt, dust and dead insects will find a way into your window tracks. Because of this, you should make cleaning the tracks a part of your housekeeping agenda during your fall or spring cleaning.If the dirt or dust in your window tracks is loose, you can use a vacuum cleaner attachment or a small crevice tool to clean it out. For packed on grit, however, you’ll need to put a little more elbow grease into the process.
You’ll need:
- Vacuum with crevice tool
- Plastic putty knife
- Disposable wipes
- Microfiber cloth
- Prepare the area by using a vacuum cleaner with a crevice tool attachment to clear out any loose soil, dust bunnies or expired insects.
- Use a disposable wipe to remove soil build up from the center of the track.
- Wrap a disposable wipe around a plastic putty knife and angle knife to clean the crevices and corners.
- Wipe the track dry with a clean microfiber cloth.
- Repeat as necessary until all of the dirt is removed.
Make sure your sparkling windowpanes aren’t dulled by dirty surroundings; dedicate a few minutes each week to cleaning windowsills and tracks. The overall effect will be worth it in the long run.
Need a Professional's Touch? Call Merry Maids!
Want to take your clean windows to the next level? Check out these tips for cleaning curtains and learn how to keep your blinds free of dust. And if windows aren’t necessarily your thing, you can always reach out to your Merry Maids office to see if they offer local window cleaning and washing services.
