The Four-Step Spring Cleaning Task That’ll Bring You Instant Joy

Yesterday we devoted some time to dusting the areas up above, and today we’re going to set our sights on another high spot that’s sometimes overlooked. When you think of welcoming spring, you might imagine yourself tossing open the windows to let in the fresh air. That’s why we’re going to dedicate some time today to getting them clean and sparkling. 

But not just any window — we’re going to devote ourselves to cleaning our favorite one. Maybe it’s the one in the living room that you look out of regularly, or the one in your bedroom that lets in the sunshine first thing in the morning. Either way, let’s clean your “favorite view.”

Carve out some time today to clean the window of your choosing — and don’t forget the window dressing, too. That’s not to say you can’t clean all your windows, but that’s a heavy lift and we’re looking for some instant joy here, right? 

• Clean and dust the blinds, shades, or curtains. You can vacuum or steam clean them if it’s the type of material that can handle that. For curtains, remove them from the window and give them a wash based on their care instructions. (The same goes for drying, too.) While they are off and drying, you can proceed with the other steps before putting them back on your window.
• Clean the window glass (and screen). Depending on if you are cleaning just the interior or exterior side of your windows — it’s best if you can do both! — you can go about it many ways. When cleaning both sides, start by opening up the window and popping off the screen if you have one, and washing that first with some soapy water. There are many methods to clean windows — whether you rely on reusing newspapers and some homemade remedy or prefer a dedicated window cleaner, like Sprayway — so pick what’s best and right for yours. To leave it streak- and lint-free, consider using a squeegee, be careful to go in crisscrossing strokes, then follow it with a clean and dry cloth, going in one direction only.
• Clean the sills and tracks. If you already opened your windows, leave them open for this one! Use a vacuum cleaner that can get into crevices — like this Black+Decker one or this one from Bissell — or if you don’t have one, you can try this paper towel trick! Use an old toothbrush or a small scrub brush and all-purpose cleaner to scrub away at the tracks to pick up any hard debris.
• Wipe everything down. Use a damp rag or microfiber cloth and wipe everything from the sills and frames to the tracks, then close up the window. 

PRO TIP: Some of my favorite window-cleaning tips come from these stories: one from professional high-rise cleaners (who know a thing or two about hard-to-clean windows!) and this fun one from a writer’s grandma, who has a few surprising tips that are worth a try.

Tell us where your favorite window is located — and the view it gives you! — in the comments below.

• Sign up for email updates or SMS alerts.
• Visit the 2023 Spring Cleaning Cure page and catch up on assignments.
• Join the Apartment Therapy Cure Facebook group.
• Download the Spring Cleaning Cure calendar.
• Check off that you’ve completed this task and track your overall Spring Cleaning Cure progress here!

The Cure Program is a tradition here at Apartment Therapy — it happens every January, April, and September. Click here to learn more about the year-round program and when to sign up.