Let it shine! Easy ways to make your home sparkle
Isn't it glorious when the summer sun shines in through your window? Well, until you notice all those sticky fingerprints and dirty smears, that is...
Follow these steps for crystal clear-windows - plus we'll show you how to bounce the light around with sparkling mirrors, tiles and stainless steel.
Achieve spotless windows
1. Clean on a cloudy day
While it's easier to see marks on a sunny day, direct sunlight will dry your windows too quickly, which will leave streaks and effectively undo all your hard work! A cloudy day is best, although make sure rain isn't forecast.
2. Bust the dust
Shake down curtains or dust down blinds (see our tips on How to clean Venetian blinds) and then use a dustpan and brush to sweep any dust and cobwebs off the windowsill, around the frame and out of the corners. Tip: use an old toothbrush to really clean out the nooks and crannies.
3. Soap up
Fill a washing-up bowl with warm water and add a small squirt of Fairy Liquid. Soak and squeeze out a clean sponge and wash your windows from top to bottom.
4. Dry time
Use a squeegee to remove excess water, moving from top to bottom in a close 'S' shape. Next use a damp, wrung-out chamois cloth to clear up any remaining water. Mop up any spills around the frame or on the sill with a dry rag.
5. Polish it off
Finally, buff your windows with some screwed-up newspaper to leave them spotless and gleaming.
Make your surfaces sparkle
Seeing as you've gone to all the effort of getting your windows gleaming, you may as well make the most of the natural light that's streaming in and polish up your shiny surfaces too.
Clean any glass or mirrored surfaces with a little soapy warm water and buff dry with a microfibre cloth.
For tiles and stainless steel, the first step is to get rid of any limescale - the chalky deposit left behind by hard water. Limescale clouds up your stainless steel and tiles and clogs up your showerhead and tap faucets.
But it's easy to get rid of it using Viakal Limescale Remover. Simply spray it on your steel and tiles and wipe with a damp cloth. For tougher spots, leave it to work for five minutes before rinsing.
Dry the surface with a clean towel and then buff away any streaks with a microfibre cloth. Done!
Have you tried Viakal Limescale Remover? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on our tried and tested page.