Window Cleaning Your House Windows

[Parts-King]

I have access to all sorts of glass cleaners, samples of this and that etc, but always struggle to clean the house windows (or in my case-the bungalow) The windows are always streaky, i have used all sorts of additives, plain water, vinegar, Windowlene and all manner of products but just cannot get a good clean window

I was thinking of getting on of these Karcher Glass cleaners, anyone used one or have any better suggestions? I think I have done a good job then sit down and start to see streaks and runs that drive me insane

http://www.screwfix.com/p/karcher-wv50-3-6v-cordless-window-vacuum-12v/81128?kpid=81128&cm_mmc=Google-_-Product%20Listing%20Ads-_-Sales%20Tracking-_-sales%20tracking%20url&gclid=CKqin6_33LoCFfMdtAod7mYASg#

Help!

Kingo

[FROSTYBALLS]

My sister has one and she thinks they're really good. Slightly cheaper at Amazon (£48) - http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/280-0822992-7772265?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=window%20vacuum&sprefix=window+vacuu%2Caps&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Awindow%20vacuum&sepatfbtf=true&tc=1384180015939&ajr=sabc

[Parts-King]

I see Karcher do a few types, I would not mind paying for any of them if they work OK

[silly sausage]

Bought one when they were 'the rage', it's sat in the garage doing nothing but collecting dust. I found it a bit bulky and the waste reservoir is small. 5/10.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Copy of Which? first review:

"Karcher Window Vac WV 50 Plus

The first window vacuum cleaner on the market, Karcher claims its Window Vac WV 50 Plus will save you time when cleaning windows and other smooth surfaces and won’t leave streaks. But is the Karcher window vacuum much better than a standard squeegee? And is it worth splashing out £59.99 on? We took a first look to find out.

Watching someone using a squeegee with ease is a beautiful thing to see, but for the rest of us who just can’t produce a streak-free finish no matter how hard we try, the new Karcher Window Vac WV 50 Plus is a tempting proposition.

It’s a handheld vacuum cleaner that promises to suck the moisture from surfaces including windows, mirrors, shower screens and tiles.

Cleaner windows

The Karcher window vac is available to buy on its own but we tried the WV 50 Plus version which comes with a detergent spray-bottle and microfibre cloth head. You can use these to clean your surface before using the window vac to dry it.

We’d read on other websites that people had found that the bottle fell off easily, splashing detergent on the floor, but we found it secure and didn’t have any problems. You simply mix the detergent supplied with water and then spray onto the window. Then wipe clean with the micro-fibre cloth head.

As you can imagine, the cloth head became grey and grubby after cleaning some windows so we tried putting it in the washing machine as recommended. It came out cleaner than before but we reckon you’d need to replace it after a while to continue getting good results.

Almost streak-free finish

Once we’d wiped our windows clean, we used the window vac to dry them. There’s a bit of a technique to getting a streak-free finish, but it is do-able and easier than when using a standard squeegee. The head needs good contact with the glass to work well so check that the head isn’t too big for the window that you want to clean (it measures 28cm across). There is a smaller head available to buy as an extra accessory, which measures 17cm across and costs £14.99.

We found the vac light and comfortable to use. The distance from the hand position to the top means that you can reach quite far with it, which is useful for tall windows. The vac makes a reasonable level of noise, but no louder than the average hairdryer. It sucks the water off the glass and collects it in a tank at the front, which is easy to empty out afterwards.

We also tried the vac on other smooth surfaces such as bathroom tiles and car bodywork, where it did a similarly good job. The vac is rechargeable and when we tried it out it took two hours to charge and gave 15 minutes of continuous cleaning time.

Which? first look verdict

We found the Karcher window vac easy to use and, with a bit of practice, we managed to get a streak-free finish on our windows. It is much more expensive than a standard squeegee but if a streak-free finish is important to you, it may appeal.

And if you’re wondering whether you’d use a window vac regularly enough to warrant buying one, cleaning condensation off windows and keeping glass shower doors clean are two other jobs that it excels at.

The Karcher Window Vac WV 50 Plus costs £59.99 and is available from a number of retailers including Argos, Currys, Tesco Direct and Amazon.co.uk.

If window cleaning is the main aim for you, you might want to think about getting a steam cleaner? Take a look at our guide to buying a steam cleaner.

Pros: Easy to use, can give a streak-free finish, our tester thought it actually made cleaning windows fun!

Cons: It’s expensive. A squeegee is much cheaper so it might be worth persisting and learning the art of using one to save money."

[Davrav]

Warm water and white vinegar to wash with a scrim cloth. Buff up with a dry scrim cloth. Simples

[Parts-King]

I like the idea that it gets rid of condensation too, something else my gaff seems to suffer from!

[Big Kev]

Newspaper as final wipe......Good God....where have youz been.......?

I like the idea that it gets rid of condensation too, something else my gaff seems to suffer from!

Crack loft door open John.......give the trapped air of your one storey mud hut somewhere to go. Houses with upstairs act like a circulation chimney/extractor.

[Parts-King]

Mudhut :lol:

Now then.........must get a ladder, no need for one normally in a bungalow

[Big Kev]

I see Karcher do a few types, I would not mind paying for any of them if they work OK

They do leave a wee line here and there, Kingerz min.....final wipe newspaper, the more print ink the betterer. Would I recommend.....deffo.....great for outside of car windows just prior to setting off too. Can only be used dead uprightor slight angle, depending on amount of watter in bottle.

[Raistlin]

I use Showroom Shine Waterless Car Wax & Polish on my windows both inside and out, use it on mirrors, shower stalls and any big white box in the kitchen.

It works great and I find that the rain beads off and the more you use it the quicker it takes to finish.

Just a quick spritz then wipe off, done to a shiny finish.

I used to pay a window cleaner £15.00 a month until I tried it now £15.00 buys a years supply and cleans to a much better standard,.

Giving more time to get on with the more serious things in life