Why do my windows streak no matter what I use?

The usual culprits are cleaning in direct sun, spraying too much product, wiping with a dirty or linty cloth, or wetting glass that still has dry dust on it. Fix the sequence and conditions before switching products.

How often should windows be cleaned?

Twice a year inside and out suits most homes, commonly spring and fall. Homes near heavy traffic, pollen, or coastal spray may want exteriors done more often, while tracks and sills can ride along with your deep cleans.

Do I clean the screen or the glass first?

Screens first, then tracks and sills, then glass. Everything that comes off the dirty parts has to go somewhere, so the glass is always the last surface you touch.

Does professional window cleaning include tracks and screens?

Not always — many services quote by the pane, with tracks and screens as add-ons. Ask when you compare quotes, and say how many windows and floors your home has so pricing is accurate.

What is the best tool — cloth, squeegee, or spray?

For small interior panes, a lightly applied cleaner and two cloths — one to clean, one to buff — is hard to beat. For large panes and exteriors, a squeegee wins on speed and finish. Whichever you use, the rule is the same: never let liquid dry on the glass by itself.

How long does a whole house of windows take?

A neglected home's first full pass — screens, tracks, and both sides of the glass — can eat most of a weekend. Twice-yearly maintenance passes go far faster, and professional crews compress the job by splitting panes, tracks, and screens between people.

Why do my windows look dirty again right after rain?

Rain is mostly clean; what streaks is the dirt it picks up from screens, frames, and the top of the glass on the way down. Clean screens and frames — not just panes — and rain stops leaving tracks.

Checklist

Window Cleaning Checklist: Panes, Tracks, Sills, and Screens

Streaky windows usually come from cleaning in the wrong order, not the wrong product. This checklist works through each window in a sequence — dry dirt first, screens and tracks before glass — so the pane you polish last stays clean.

Content reviewed July 19, 2026. No prices on this page are quotes — request one from cleaners serving your exact ZIP code.

The sequence that prevents streaks

Two rules drive the whole checklist. First, remove dry dirt before any liquid touches the window — wet dust turns to mud and smears. Second, clean the dirty parts (screens, tracks, sills, frames) before the glass, so nothing drips onto or blows against a pane you have already polished. Pick a cloudy day or a shaded time; direct sun dries cleaner before you can wipe it, which is the other main cause of streaks.

The first full pass on neglected windows is the slow one — tracks and screens carry years of grit, and a single window done properly can take a surprising chunk of time. Maintenance passes afterward go several times faster, which is a reason to get through the whole house once rather than perfecting three windows.

Work one window at a time, top of the house to bottom if you have multiple floors
Dry first: dust and vacuum before spraying anything
Screens and tracks before sills, sills before glass
Glass last, and buff it dry immediately
Avoid direct sunlight on the glass while you clean

Screens: remove, wash, dry

Screens hold a surprising amount of dust and pollen, and cleaning glass behind a dirty screen is wasted effort — the next rain rinses screen grime straight onto the pane. Twice a year is enough for most screens, provided they go back on dry; reinstalling damp screens glues the next round of dust in place.

Remove screens and label their positions if sizes vary
Vacuum both sides with a brush attachment, or brush them down dry
Wash with mild soapy water and a soft brush, rinse with a gentle spray
Stand screens to air-dry completely before reinstalling
Check for tears and bent frames while they are out

Tracks and frames

Tracks collect dead insects, grit, and grime that jam sliders and feed mold when rain sits in them. They are also the messiest part of the job, which is exactly why they come before the glass.

Vacuum loose debris from the tracks with a crevice tool
Loosen packed grime with a stiff brush or an old toothbrush in the corners
Wipe tracks with soapy water, using a cloth wrapped over a flat tool to reach the channels
Clear the weep holes at the bottom of the exterior track so water can drain
Wipe down the frame and the meeting rails, then dry the track

Sills and interior panes

With the dirty work done, the glass itself goes fast. Use a light hand with product — over-spraying is a common cause of residue streaks — and swap cloths as soon as they get damp and dirty.

Dust the sill and wipe it clean before touching the glass above it
Dust the pane and its corners dry first, including the top edge of the lower sash
Apply glass cleaner sparingly to the cloth or lightly to the glass
Wipe in an S-pattern from top to bottom rather than circles
Buff dry with a clean lint-free cloth; switch cloths often
Check the pane from an angle in the light and touch up missed spots

Pacing a whole house — and adapting to yours

Nobody enjoys the fourteenth window, so plan the campaign, not just the technique. Split by floor or by facade — one side of the house per session keeps the results visible from the curb — and do the rooms that matter most first in case the plan slips.

Prioritize kitchen and main living area glass first, guest room glass last
Sprinklers that hit the glass: expect hard-water spotting on those panes and treat them with descaler before the standard wash
Dogs and kids: nose and hand prints live on the bottom third of glass doors — a weekly spot-wipe of just that zone keeps full cleans quarterly
Older homes with storm windows: budget double time; every opening is two windows, and the cavity between them collects flies and dust
Pollen season: wait until the heavy drop has passed, or you will wash the same film off twice in a month
Skylights and transoms: give them dust and cobweb passes between full cleans, and save the ladder work for one dedicated session

Exterior glass and when to call a pro

Exterior panes carry heavier soil — rain spotting, pollen film, and screen residue — so wash them with soapy water before the final polish, and expect to change cloths more often. A squeegee pulled top to bottom in overlapping strokes, with the blade wiped between passes, gives the cleanest exterior finish. On upper floors, check whether the sashes tilt inward for cleaning — many double-hung windows do — before deciding a ladder is necessary.

Know where your limits are: second-story exteriors, fixed panes over stairs, and anything requiring a ladder on uneven ground are the point where hiring out makes sense. Window cleaning is a listed service on HouseGlow — enter your ZIP code to compare cleaners who serve your area, and ask whether tracks and screens are included or priced separately, since many quotes count panes only.

Frequently asked questions

Why do my windows streak no matter what I use?: The usual culprits are cleaning in direct sun, spraying too much product, wiping with a dirty or linty cloth, or wetting glass that still has dry dust on it. Fix the sequence and conditions before switching products.
How often should windows be cleaned?: Twice a year inside and out suits most homes, commonly spring and fall. Homes near heavy traffic, pollen, or coastal spray may want exteriors done more often, while tracks and sills can ride along with your deep cleans.
Do I clean the screen or the glass first?: Screens first, then tracks and sills, then glass. Everything that comes off the dirty parts has to go somewhere, so the glass is always the last surface you touch.
Does professional window cleaning include tracks and screens?: Not always — many services quote by the pane, with tracks and screens as add-ons. Ask when you compare quotes, and say how many windows and floors your home has so pricing is accurate.
What is the best tool — cloth, squeegee, or spray?: For small interior panes, a lightly applied cleaner and two cloths — one to clean, one to buff — is hard to beat. For large panes and exteriors, a squeegee wins on speed and finish. Whichever you use, the rule is the same: never let liquid dry on the glass by itself.
How long does a whole house of windows take?: A neglected home's first full pass — screens, tracks, and both sides of the glass — can eat most of a weekend. Twice-yearly maintenance passes go far faster, and professional crews compress the job by splitting panes, tracks, and screens between people.
Why do my windows look dirty again right after rain?: Rain is mostly clean; what streaks is the dirt it picks up from screens, frames, and the top of the glass on the way down. Clean screens and frames — not just panes — and rain stops leaving tracks.