Part of keeping a clean home is keeping clean windows, and part of keeping clean windows is keeping clean screens. Even though cleaning screens is neither difficult nor time consuming, many homeowners shy away from the task because they simply don’t know how to overcome it. Here is a step by step guide on how to clean your screens.
Preparation – Before you start pulling your screens out of your windows, it’s important to do some prep work. First, find a place outside that is ideal for washing screens. You’ll need a hose and a spot where you don’t mind pouring ammonia onto the ground. After you’ve
found the ideal location, you need to make your cleaning mixture. To do this, all you have to do is mix ammonia with water and add some detergent. For one part ammonia, add two parts water. So, if you start with one cup of ammonia, add in two cups water and then just a little bit of detergent to finish. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle.
Think ahead – As you gather the screens for washing, mark each one so that you know which window it belongs to. You can do this by attaching painters tape to the bottom and marking the tape with a pen. This is important because not all of your screens are likely to be the same size. In order to save yourself future frustration, mark each one as you remove it from each window.
Wash – Here comes the fun part: take each screen and hose it down with water. This will dislodge any heavy, large, or loose particles. After each one has been pre-soaked, go ahead and spray each with your ammonia-based solution. By the time you get done spraying the last of the screens, you’ll be able start rinsing the first screen you treated. Make sure you rinse thoroughly, as you don’t want to leave any ammonia behind.
Dry – After the screens have been washed and rinsed, leave them to air dry. You can also rub them down with a lint-free cloth; just be careful not to rub too hard, as screens are delicate and can bend, rip, or tear easily.
Re-install and maintain – After you’ve re-installed each screen, it’s important to keep up regular cleanings. In-between screen washings, you can remove dust and dirt particles using a vacuum attachment. You can also use a damp cloth to wipe down screens — again, just be careful not to rub too firmly.
