Most of my windows require a very tall ladder to reach, so mine are dirty most of the time. Luckily, you can't really tell that they are dirty because the dirt is evenly distributed, but I love the week after they are cleaned because they are so sparkly. I only have screens on four windows and I can reach those to take them off and wash regularly. It's amazing how dirty they get.

Well, right now ours are bad, BUT our window washer guy comes Fridayâ¦yahoo!! We've always done our own, but can't in our current homeâ¦too high. We also have the gutters done, too. I love it when they're done. We usually have him come twice/year & my DH does the ones he can reach as needed in between.

I love clean house and car windows.

Ours our very high as well so we have the outside windows and screens professionally cleaned 2 or 3 times a year (I am in Oregon so they get fairly dirty, fairly fast). I get the indoor windows and shutters cleaned as needed, usually once a year but they really don't get very dirty.

I've convinced myself that I am unable to wash windows (or paint). I have an unbelievable # of windows for the size of my home, but I have a wonderful guy who can do the insides and outsides, both upstairs and down for about $175. He's fast and always is finished in around 2 hours. Omigosh, I love him! So I have him come every 3 months or so. Sometimes in the winter I have him just do the downstairs main living area, because the rest of the windows get rained on so quickly it seems like a waste of $.

Our dog does that. {{gwi:8817}} Al

Clean windows make such a difference when you live in the country and looking at the outdoors through them is an every day pleasure. I can understand if it feels less important to urban and suburban dwellers who don't have a heck of a lot to look out at. I clean the insides every couple of months (more often if I notice they need it) and the outsides 2-3 times per year. I don't have any high spaces so cleaning the inside is easy and makes me smile even if the outsides have to wait for 1) winter to pass 2) getting the ladder out for the second story.

Screens we pull out and clean twice a year - spring and fall.

Oh, city dwellers have plenty to look at. We people watch instead of animal watch. And you never know when you might need to catch the license plate number of a car speeding away.

And clean windows just let in more light.

The former owner installed new, energy efficient windows. I keep washing them, but they seem to have some sort of oily residue on them that doesn't come off. I can get the dirt off, and it is a treat to have windows that will tilt down so you can wash the outside, but the residue makes them never really look clean.

The window in the front door gets washed monthly, as even with the roof of the front porch sheltering it, it gets filthy.

I have rarely washed a window in my whole married life. My husband is the window cleaner around our place. He does a great job. This time of year it is hard to keep up though with all the pollen and now that we are dry, the dust.

tina

I have them cleaned once in awhile and I love the way they look and the view outside. They get dusty again so quickly! I clean dog nose prints off a couple of times a week.

I try. I do it myself once every few months, or when the combination of dust and sprinkles turns into mud.

It's a PITA, since they hall have screens which must be removed and replaced.

Fortunately, none taller in this house to require anything more than a footstool and a long handled squeegee.

While I love clean windows, ours are not as well maintained as I would wish. On the inside, absolutely but not so much the outside. We need a different ladder to get the second story outside ones done. I could not bring myself to pay someone to do it, as the cost would likely be more as we are in a more rural area and as soon as I have it done, we would have a dust storm, which would not be bad until a day or 2 later there would be just a smattering of rain to make splotches in the dust. You may have motivated me to do my screens over the holiday weekend though.

Our front windows get washed inside and out once a week unless it is below freezing then the outside doesn't get done. We do it, there aren't many.

One of our back windows is not very accessible and has not been washed on the outside since we moved in.

We have a lot of windows and too many that we are unable to do ourselves. We have a guy come every August and he does the inside and out for about $175. He is very fast and does a fabulous job. Well worth the money. I'd consider having him come every six months but that puts into winter and snow, so no sense in that. They don't get that dirty anyway, so annually is fine.

If you wash your own windows what do you use? When I do it myself it takes me a lot longer and never looks as good. I haven't tried the squeegee like the pros use.

My husband does the windows a few times a year. He uses the Windex outdoor cleaning pad. Fortunately he is able to reach our windows without a ladder, though he uses a long pole for some. Our house is on a slope with a daylight basement, so only a couple of windows are hard to reach. He swears by the Windex pads.

Here is a link that might be useful: Windex outdoor cleaning pad

Oh dear. Thanks for the reminder. I won't tell you how long it's been since our windows were washed. Calling the window cleaners today! We have a local window cleaning company that we have used several times. They're great and I should have called them months ago!

Yes, thank you for the reminder! I always wait until the spring pollen has gone. This year it seemed to last forever and then it rained and rained endlessly. I also need to find a new window cleaning company. Not an easy task where we live. I have the tilt-type windows and can do it myself, and have done so to a few of mine I look out every day, but the whole thing needs to be done - screens, sills, etc. and I'd rather hire it out.

Wow - I can't believe that windex outdoor cleaning pad works so well. Might have to try that

gibby, I use a vinegar and water solution, a squeegee, and paper towels. Advice from Martha.

We have gorgeous water views, and lots of big windows, picture windows and four french doors - but keeping them clean is one of my pet peeves. Fortunately, many of the windows have tilt in sashes, so I can wash these both inside and outside of the glass myself. DH washes our picture windows with a squeegee and vinegar and water, and I use vinegar and water with newspapers for the ones I do.

Mine are so dirty right now it is horrifying. We just haven't had a minute to do them. I need to just do one or two a day until they're done.

I'm fortunate...DH does our windows...there's only a couple of them that he needs my help with. Otherwise, he gets annoyed and then attacks them.

He makes his own solution: 1/4 c rubbing alcohol, 1/4 c white distilled vinegar, 1 Tbls corn starch, 2 c water.

He applies with a rag and uses a squeegee to dry it off.

I'm afraid washing my windows right now would make them worse with all the buildup on them. They are better off like they are than me smearing the dirt all over!

But after seeing a few of you post with prices, it might be worth looking into. We have the tilt-in windows for easy cleaning but it's still a pain in the neck.

I asked DH if we could just powerwash them from the ground...apparently I didn't realize how hard that water releases. Good thing I didn't try to do it myself and surprise him! It would have been a BIG surprise!

We have a ton of windows and a big two story house so DIY is not an option. Truthfully, I don't have them done as often as I should since it is over $700 every time. If it was only $175, it would get them done much more often.

Has no one tried the windex foam cleaner for outside windows that you attach to the hose? It reaches easily my 1 1/2 story windows; I assume it would reach 2nd story windows, too. There are probably other similar brands. My windows really come out sparkling, and it's certainly easy!

RE: windex foam cleaner that's attached to a garden hose- we live in a rural area and the outside faucets have hard water and I tried that and it was a disaster.

RE: Windex outdoor cleaning pad - I made a modified version that worked for me. I took a bucket of vinegar water and an microfiber cloth put it on a swifter broom mop. It worked great. I rinsed the cloth after each window. Not perfect, but for a quick clean up it worked rather well.

I hate to wash windows so it only gets done once or maybe twice a year. It looks so much better when done tho. When the wind picks up the dust during in a rain shower on our windy rural hill it makes for a mess.

Our windows are dirty! Definitely can't do our 2nd story ones, but the 1st floor . .yes . . .it needs to be done! Adding to my very long list of must do!