The Ultimate In Streak Free
I have talked a lot about some easy house cleaning tips. Today’s tip will get you thinking. What does it take to get the easiest streak free shine? I warn you, at Maid to Shine we go to great lengths to get the the perfect shine!
First and Foremost
Of course the first thing you should do for a streak free shine is purchase some microfiber towels (you can look at a previous post here). If you learn to use this towel properly, it will solve 90% of your streaking problems. This is why professional car wash shops will use these babies on your car. We actually talked to a car wash that switched from shammies to microfiber after using them!
Step two, the cleaner you use.
I will only use natural cleaners. So using that blue window stuff is OUT! And just because the label says “all natural” you should know that it is a marketing ploy! We love to see how our products scored at www.ewg.org before we purchase them. You would be surprised at some of the ratings. EWG goes through all the ingredients on the bottle and tells you how safe they are!
Make sure to pick a good product that is a degreaser. Also make sure that if you are using it on any wood products that the pH level is near zero, otherwise you will take off your finish. And unless you are cleaning mud off, less product you use is more towards a streak free shine.
 Step three, what is in your water?
Here is where we get radical. Using tap water is going to leave behind partials that will streak. Colorado Springs Utilities comes out with a yearly report on the water quality and what is in your water. you can download the report here. At Maid to Shine, we buy our liquid in bulk and at super concentrated levels and then mix it with water.  However, we do not use tap water, we use reverse osmosis water.
The tap water starts at a couple hundred particles per million of “stuff” in it. Then it goes through this process:
- The water runs through a per-filter to get out large partials such as sand.
- It runs through 2 carbon filters to bring it down to about 37 parts per million
- Then the water is pushed through the RO filter and it drops to 2 parts per million
- Lastly the water is put through a de-ionizing filter that puts the water at less than 1 part per billion. No iron, no chlorine, no fluoride, and no chemicals.
Most people stop there, however pure water is actually dangerous. Water becomes acidic in its pure form and will eat through copper if not taken care of. We add a final pH filter to make the water come to a pH of zero (your wood will thank us!).
Nothing in the water means nothing left to streak! Of course you don’t have to go that far! A great cleaning solution and a microfiber towel will get the work done, we just push the envelope a little.
Did this help you? Post a comment and tell us about it. You can find other time saving house cleaning tips from Maid to Shine here.
One of the joys of making your own non-toxic cleaning products at home is being able to utilize the cleaning power of nature by using essential oils.
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I love using essential oils! Tea tree is my favorite.
Great tips and helpful suggestions in this post. On some jobs – the tough ones – it’s going to take some serious elbow grease and good cleaning solutions to get it done right. Consider callinig in the pros when facing a big job, like exterior wondows.
[…] like the water we use, we like to take take clean to the ultimate level. This is why throughout our offices we have air […]
Thanks so much for the very helpful cleaning tips. It’s amazing to think that the quality of the tap water can make such an impact on the cleaning results, but it makes perfect sense. Our water filtration clients will be happy to learn about this added benefit of water filtration!
You are welcome, the type of water you use does make a big difference!
Great post and indispensable tips for getting surfaces to shine! Windows and mirrors make a big difference to the light and feel of a room, so keep them clean and sparkling.
From one cleaning company to another, I have to say that when you go above and beyond like you do it does not go unnoticed! Thank you for the link to the website where I can check the rating of my cleaners!
Kristina @ Dust Away Maid recently posted…Stress Free Holidays
I never would have thought of that. Great post. Love your blog.
Thanks for the useful and helpful house cleaning tips to make our home windows and floors shiny and sparkling. One can easily keep their house clean following these tips and will save a lot of money and time.
Thank you for sharing these easy to perform cleaning tips as well as some reminders in choosing the cleaning materials. I always use natural and diy cleaners because it is safe and save my money.