While people tend to focus on the inside of their homes, they tend to forget about the outside of their homes. The exterior is just as important as the interior. Trust me when everything is clean, everything will look it’s best. In this article, you will everything you need to know about how to clean aluminum, windows, and furniture.

How to Clean Aluminum Windows

Materials & Tools

• 1/4 vinegar
• water
• 1/2 liquid dish soap
• S.O.S pads
• spray bottle
• rags
• duster
• homemade window cleaner
• commercial cleaner

Remove Blinds and Curtain Drapes

Removing them will prevent you from damaging them and you can clean them by hand. You can use a duster on the blinds to get all that dust off, and then go over with soap and water. I recommend wearing a mask though, because if you’re anything like me

There are a few ways to clean these types of windows, I personally use the DIY way simply because I am a DIY person.

Also, this method will not leave you with streaks.

DIY Home Window Cleaner

Here is a nice tip: I usually clean my windows on cloudy, gray skies type of days because when the sun is out it just dries your solution on your window faster then your window will be streaky.

Grab your spray bottle, mix in 1/4 vinegar (for those of you who like measurements) and 1/2 teaspoon of dish soap, throw in 2 cups of water and give your spray bottle a good shake. (If you don’t happen to have vinegar, just use lemon juice).

These ingredients are nice because the acidity cuts through the grime. You can use this for your glass doors too if you have them.

Usually, I’ll add some lavender or whatever essential oil you prefer, to mask that vinegar smell.

Spray the solution on the window and wipe with a lint-free cloth or microfiber cloth. It must be a lint-free cloth because using a sponge or a regular cloth will definitely leave streaks.

If your windows are just dusty, then you don’t necessarily need a cleaning solution, you can just take your duster, or microfiber cloth and clear the dust and then use a clean cloth to go behind it.

S.O.S pads

“Save Our Saucepans” These were invented in 1917 by Ed Cox (his wife being the one coming up with the name). If you have really dirty grime, stuck-on grime that looks impossible to clean, One swipe with these, and the rest is history! They been around since 1917, then they are really great.

How to Clean Aluminum Siding Materials & Tools

• gloves
• nails
• hammer
• long-handled brush/ or siding brush
• vinegar
• water
• liquid dish detergent
• bleach
• bucket
• garden hose

I have dealt with aluminum sidings before and I learned, that you always want to check for rot or mildew. You don’t want to pressure wash while there is rot or mildew because you will loosen the boards this way; Also you need to nail back up any loose boards.

If you are not a DIY-er like me, you might want to contact a siding contractor;

Look for weird green stains, For mildew, you need a strong cleaner to actually destroy mildew so it won’t creep back on you.

WEAR GLOVES FOR THIS (especially if you have any open wounds or cuts)

Fill up your bucket with water and add 3/4 cups of bleach and household vinegar. (Wear goggles as well) This will protect your eyes cause sometimes bleach can irritate the eyes and make them slightly red.

Avoid mixing the bleach with any cleaner that has ammonia. You don’t want to accidentally whip up some deadly concoction.

Note: TEST FIRST, since you are using harsh chemicals such as bleach, you might want to spot test first to see if you get any damage. Better be safe than sorry.

Grab your long-handled brush and dip it in the solution and start wiping down your boards starting from the bottom to the top. This will prevent our siding from getting permanent streaks. Rinse as you work, have your garden hose nearby.

How to Clean Aluminum Furniture

Use a garden hose to spray down metal, No pressure wash. To keep it simple you can use mild detergent and water, and with a soft cloth wipe down the furniture.

Obviously there is more ways than this but this is just what I do in my experience with furniture. I just keep things simple. I hope you learned something and happy aluminum cleaning!