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By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 DRE# ER40011786

Clean windows

 

Listing your home in the Spring brings flowers, leaves and the ability to see the beautiful landscaping outside, UNLESS your windows are dirty!     With not much moisture (rain or snow) in Denver, the windows should be crystal clear!    With clean windows, it allows sunshine to pour into a home, making it show much lighter & brighter.

With the grass turning green, the trees are leafing out more and more each day, having a clear view of the Washing windowslot and neighborhood the buyers are contemplating a purchase is important.      When the window above the kitchen sink is spotted and looks dirty, it reflects on the home for sale.    The front glass door, the back slider or patio doors and the mirrors in the bathrooms are so important to keep clean!   

The homemade recipe for clean windows has been vinegar & water, and drying with newspaper for a streak-free window.    If you have used commercial products, and there is a wax build-up on the glass, add a dab of liquid dish soap to the vinegar & water mixture, and it will remove that residue.     

Here is a good mixture to have on hand (whether your home is on the market or not) - 

1/4 cup of vinegar, 1/2 tsp of liquid soap or detergent, and 2 cups of water in a spray bottle.     Shake to blend mixture and you are ready for that sparkling touch!    

Another homemade blend - 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 cups of club soda (you can replace with water) and 1 tsp of cornstarch.    Put all into a spray bottle and mix!  

Cleaning Windows

 

Wouldn't you want those buyers to have a CRYSTAL CLEAR VISION of their desire to purchase your listing?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by

Joan Cox
Broker/Owner, REALTOR®
House to Home, Inc.

Serving the Denver Metro area including all suburbs


Helping Buyers and Sellers achieve their real estate dreams, one house at a time!

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Comments(22)

Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Clark, YOU DON'T do windows....   It is fun to hire that project out!   I don't do ladders.....

May 05, 2011 04:25 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Cynthia, I was reading on a web site this morning, that many commercials cleaners leave a thick residue, and that the dish soap combination SHOULD eliminate it!    Good luck, let me know when you have a nice clean window again!

May 05, 2011 04:26 AM
Belinda Spillman
Aspen Lane Real Estate Colorful Colorado - Aurora, CO
Colorado Living!

Hi Joan,  Rene Brin blogged about a great product called invisible glass which I got and it works great.

May 05, 2011 04:50 AM
Peggy Chirico
Prudential CT Realty - Manchester, CT
REALTOR® 860-748-8900, Hartford & Tolland County Real Estate

Hi Joan - I was just thinking it's time to do the windows - but I have to wait til the pollen clears.  It's really bad this year!

May 05, 2011 06:37 AM
Lawrence "Larry" & Sheila Agranoff. Cell: 631-805-4400
The Top Team @ Charles Rutenberg Realty 255 Executive Dr, Plainview NY 11803 - Plainview, NY
Long Island Condo and Home Specialists

Joan, Forgot about that newspaper trick as I used to use it ~ will rustle up those papers again and see if it still works!

May 05, 2011 06:58 AM
Larry Atkins
State Wide Realty Co. - Farmville, VA
Veteran Owned & Operated

Joan, so often the windows are forgotten when sellers go through cleaning when preparing to sell! These are some great tips to let the light in.

May 05, 2011 08:04 AM
Ginny Gorman
RI Real Estate Services ~ 401-529-7849~ RI Waterfront Real Estate - North Kingstown, RI
Homes for Sale in Southern RI and beyond

Joan, i love the cleaning the organic way...most of my sellers are great about windows right now...it's me that has the problem because the salt water spray travels & i can't keep them clean on the north side at all...oh well..

May 05, 2011 08:21 AM
Anita Clark
Coldwell Banker Access Realty ~ 478.960.8055 - Warner Robins, GA
Realtor - Homes for Sale in Warner Robins GA

Great tips Joan...in the hustle and bustle of getting a house in show-me shape, the windows are often overlooked.

May 05, 2011 09:25 AM
Bob & Leilani Souza
Souza Realty 916.408.5500 - Roseville, CA
Greater Sacramento Area Homes, Land & Investments

Ah yes, Joan...there is nothing that finishes off a home better than sparkling clean windows! Thanks for the tips on cleaning them! :)

Leilani

May 05, 2011 12:42 PM
Suzanne McLaughlin
Sabinske & Associates, Inc. (Albertville, St. Michael) - Saint Michael, MN
Sabinske & Associates, Realtor

Joan, there is nothing better than clean windows in the spring....or any time of year for that matter.  Your "recipe" looks great.  I use a similar one and vary it by the conditions....sometimes more vingear, sometimes a bit more detergent depending on what I am cleaning.  But, never Windex or those other cleaners.

Thanks. 

May 05, 2011 01:12 PM
Silvia Dukes PA, Broker Associate, CRS, CIPS, SRES
Tropic Shores Realty - Ich spreche Deutsch! - Spring Hill, FL
Florida Waterfront and Country Club Living

Joan, cleaning windows is a sure way to make it rain! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!  :-)  But seriously, it's nice to be looking through clear glass into the world! 

May 05, 2011 01:55 PM
Pat Haddad, ABR, CRS, ePRO, GRI
Keller Williams Indianapolis Metro NE - Carmel, IN
Carmel, Fishers, Westfield IN Real Estate Expert

Jpan--Do I ever feel dumb!  I have never ever suggested my clients clean windows!  I love this post and your recipes for homemade solutions!  Just had to suggest this one!!

May 05, 2011 03:40 PM
David Artigliere
Reading, Pottstown, Norristown, Philadelphia - Collegeville, PA
ARTI Home Inspections, ASHI Certified Home Inspect

Great suggestion.  Keep those homes sparkling!

May 05, 2011 04:16 PM
Kristine Ginsberg
Elite Staging and Redesign, LLC - Short Hills, NJ
NJ Home Stager

Joan - as a stager, I'm always trying to impress upon my clients what a difference cleaning their windows will make! Thanks for washing tip - I think I'll make up a batch this weekend and do the same - after this long winter, my windows need a good cleaning!

May 05, 2011 04:38 PM
DeeDee Riley
Lyon Real Estate - El Dorado Hills CA - El Dorado Hills, CA
Realtor - El Dorado Hills & the Surrounding Areas

Couldn't agree with you more Joan!  I was just showing houses to a client yesterday and noticed one of the first things she did was to look out the kitchen window.  Even though the houses were small, her view out that window was important.  Do you mind if I share this on my Facebook Page?

May 05, 2011 04:49 PM
Linda D. Pufford
Stage with Divine Style - Home Staging - Novato, CA
ASPM, Marin/Sonoma Home Stager

Hi Joan,

This is a fantastic recipe for cleaning windows.  I've been using newspapers for years but didn't have a recipe to clean the windows...  thanks for the great idea!!!  I too am suggesting this!!!

May 05, 2011 07:52 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Belinda, I found these as a mixture you could make at home, and try to be green at the same time.

Peggy, our allergies have been in high gear for a month or so now too --- pollen is bad!

Larry & Sheila, good job, I have not had a newspaper here for years!

May 07, 2011 02:30 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Larry, the sellers DO forget about the windows, and they too are so important --- light is important.

Ginny, I did not know you lived so close to the ocean --- very kewl!

Anita, yes, and they should NOT be overlooked.

May 07, 2011 02:31 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Leilani, thanks, and thanks for re=blogging this too!

Suzanne, with so much attention on the use of chemicals and need to be GREEN, these recipes are better!

Silvia, then I will wash my windows today, as we are in dire need of rain....

May 07, 2011 02:33 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Pat, you are an awesome Realtor, and surprised this was not on your list!    Thank you for the suggest.

David, the windows just "complete" the clean look throughout the home.

Kristine, mine do too, and the weather is perfect this weekend --- sounds like a good chore to complete.

 

May 07, 2011 02:36 AM