Window cleaning is a great way to rest your home for the new year, especially if they are left in a sorry grime-heavy state.
Some may find that despite their best efforts with various cleaning products and techniques, those pesky smudges and streaks won’t budge.
But before you reach for the white vinegar – a common household item often used to clean windows – the cleaning experts at Keen Clean have another natural solution up their sleeves.
Instead of chucking them in the bin, they suggest using tea bags – yes, you read that right – to get your windows gleaming again.
The cleaning gurus swear by black tea, claiming it “makes the best glass-cleaning solution there is around”.
It’s ever so simple. Start by saving your used tea bags, minus the milk, and store them in a container.
Once you’ve collected 10 to 15, let them steep in hot water until the mixture turns a dark brown colour. Then transfer it into a spray bottle.
Now you’ve got yourself the “perfect solution for streaky windows”. The experts reckon: “It’s the only thing that will leave your windows sparkling and streak-free as if a professional had done the cleaning.”
To use your homemade cleaner, generously spray it all over your windows and use a squeegee to remove any excess tea.
Grab a few sheets from an old newspaper – however many you need – but remember not to crumple them; they need to stay flat.
Wipe either downwards or sideways, but never both, applying pressure as you go. Keep going until all the dirt has been removed and you’re left with “perfectly streak-free windows in three minutes”.
Wiping your windows with newspaper while applying pressure ensures that no moisture is left behind, significantly reducing the chance of streaks.
The secret ingredient in black tea that makes it so effective for cleaning windows is tannic acid. It acts as a cleaning agent, breaking down dirt and grease.
The best time to clean windows is on a cloudy day or in the early morning or late afternoon. This way you can avoid direct sunlight as it can cause the cleaning solution to dry too quickly, leaving streaks.
