How To Clean & Remove Fingerprints From Glass

No matter how hard you try to keep your windows clean they wind up dirty. Whether it’s your auto glass, TV screen, car windows, or other glass surface – it’s almost always caused by fingerprints.

Opening and closing your window or adjusting curtains and blinds might get fingerprints on your windows. If you have kids or pets who like to put their faces right up to the glass, you could get smudges on your windows from that too.

Keeping your glass clean helps make your home looks sparkling clean. But, it’s a good idea to make sure you’re cleaning your windows the right way. Not taking care in cleaning might result in damage to your glass, or making the smudge worse. Other times people don’t know how to get fingerprints off glass.

Before you go shopping for an expensive glass cleaning kit, you might want to DIY with what you have. So here are some expert tips on how to clean you windows to keep them smudge and fingerprint free:

Do Not Clean Glass With Paper Towel

Using paper towels to try and clean your window can actually make your windows look worse.

It may seem to be the most obvious way to remove fingerprints from glass surfaces. If you’re like most people, your first instinct is to grab a roll of paper towels when you see smudges or fingerprints on your windows. Next, you’ll grab a glass cleaning product to clean them off the window. But, window cleaner won’t work on oily fingerprints and paper towels are terrible to clean windows with.

You should never use paper towels. That’s because paper towels tend to shed when they’re wet. They leave behind little bits of wet paper that stick to the window and they also can leave behind lint and debris.

Use a Microfiber Cloth to Clean Fingerprints

A microfiber cloth or cotton cloth might be able to clean your windows even when it’s dry.

Instead of paper towel, keep a microfiber cloth or two with your cleaning supplies intended for cleaning glass. A cotton cloth can also do the same job.

A clean, dry, and soft microfiber cloth will do a much better job removing fingerprints and smudges. Wipe the window glass with a dry microfiber cloth to take care of dust, debris and smudges.

Use A Degreaser or DIY Window Cleaner

One option is to use a regular degreaser liquid if you have one, or you can use a drop of dish soap mixed with hot tap water. If you can get your hands on de-ionized water that works even better.

Human hands have natural oils all over them. Fingerprints appear on a window because the oils have transferred to the window in the shape of the fingers and finger tips. So cleaning those fingerprints with plain water won’t get rid of them.

You need to use a cleaning product designed to remove grease and oil. Try to mix one up yourself with a little de-greasing liquid or dish soap. Dip the microfiber cloth into the liquid and use that to wipe off smudges and handprints. That’s the best way to clean fingerprints off of glass.

Use A Squeegee For A Streak-free Shine

A squeegee is a very versatile and easy to use tool that you should have on hand for cleaning windows.

A squeegee makes cleaning windows a lot easier. It’s a good idea to have several sizes of squeegees if you have different types of windows.

A squeegee can help if you have any left over smudging or streaking after you clean the fingerprints. After you clean the fingerprints, wash the entire window in plain hot water and squeegee it. That will give your windows a streak free shine, allowing natural light in through the window.

It’s not easy to avoid getting fingerprints or smudges on windows. But, they can be easy to clean if you know what to do and no need for a glass cleaning kits.

On the other hand, hiring a professional window cleaning company can make job even easier.

A professional window cleaner will make the job easy!

Annual Professional Cleaning

It’s a good idea to have your windows cleaned by a professional at least once a year.

Springtime is the ideal time of year for this. This way your windows look great for the warm season. A professional cleaning will make sure they’re cleaned from top to bottom, and any fingerprints will be a small problem for you to handle.

Once cleaned, a professional can treat your window with a special coating. The coating will help prevent smudging and fingerprints in the future, keeping your windows sparkling all year round.

A Professional Will Examine Window Damage

During a professional cleaning the technician will examine your windows.

Common window issues include chipping, cracking, pitting, or other damage. Also, they will make sure your window frame is in good shape as well. If there are signs of mold, signs of damage, or other concerns that need your attention a window tech will let you know.

That way you can protect your family from potential hazards and protect your windows from damage. Replacing windows is expensive and time consuming. But getting once a year window cleaning and inspection along with DIY cleaning throughout the year will keep your home’s windows in great shape.