Windows are one of the most important features of our homes, they let in light and in turn let us view the world outside. And there’s nothing nicer than having a home with clean windows, but what if the very stuff you’re using to clean your windows is also what’s damaging them?
Low ‘E’ glass has a thin coat on the inside of the glass which helps keep the heat in during the winter and out during the summer. When cleaning your low ‘E’ glass you can treat it like any other window but here are a few tips to make your windows last, and a few things you shouldn’t do so that you don’t damage them.
Only the outside facing side of your window is low ‘E’ glass coated which means that the outside of the window can be cleaned like regular glass.
However, when cleaning the inside panes, we recommend using vinegar which has been shown to leave windows streak free. Try to avoid ammonia or alcohol based cleaners for this reason, while they won’t damage your windows, they leave streaks, and nobody likes streaks on their windows.
Fill a spray bottle with one-part vinegar and 10-parts water and liberally spray the window or wet a cloth and wipe the window down. We recommend you use a lint free towel or cloth and stop scrubbing when it’s almost dry and there’s a thin, uniform layer of moisture on the window, this technique will also help prevent streaks.
Don’t ever use a razor blade or squeegee on your low ‘E’ coated windows as it will damage them by removing the inside coat.
Clean windows are an easy way to brighten up your home, but it’s time consuming. Consumers looking for replacement windows for homes in high traffic and high dirt areas like highways or construction zones will be interested to learn about self-cleaning windows. Imagine all the time you would save never having to clean your windows ever again (or as frequently as you do).
Self-cleaning windows have a thin layer of titanium dioxide which is a white powder that helps make things shine. And since the layer is ultra-thin it goes unnoticed. So how does this help your windows clean themselves? This is done in two stages, first, with a process that reacts to light and the other that reacts to water. When ultraviolet light (which the sun provides plenty of) hits the window it reacts with water in the air to breakdown carbon based dirt coating your window.
The other great thing about this glass is that it’s water loving (which is not true of regular glass), this means that when it rains, instead of beading up like ordinary glass, it actually coats it and acts as a squeegee washing dirt away, leaving a streak free window.
If you’re looking for replacement windows for your home than Cardinal Neat self-cleaning windows are a great way to save time and keep your windows streak free, even after a rain storm. If you’re not lucky enough to have self-cleaning windows (yet), just follow the above tips to ensure that your windows aren’t damaged when you clean them.
