Window cleaning can be a hard task if you've never done it before.  For daily cleaning, you can get by with a bottle of windex and paper towels, but outdoor cleaning and the tougher stuff really requires better equipment and information.

I wanted to provide a few different bits of information that can help you be more efficient in cleaning windows.

Here is the recipe I use to put together a big batch of window cleaning fluid. If you were to buy a gallon of Windex, it would probably cost 5 times as much as it costs for you to put the fluid below together.

2 cups rubbing alcohol (70 percent isopropyl)
1/2 cup ammonia
1 tsp dish detergent (liquid)
top with water until you have 1 gallon of window cleaner

You probably have most of this at your house already.  If you don't have ammonia, you can pick it up at Lowe's or Home Depot.  Many people think that it is toxic or bad for the environment, but that is a fallacy.  It is perfectly safe and has no negative impact on the environment.

One cool and cost-effective tip for window cleaning is to use newspaper to wipe up after washing.  Newspaper is free (most people have stacks just sitting around) and the best part is that it leaves no streaks!  It doesn't leave lint like old t-shirts, towels, or papertowels, and it is super cost effective!

If you are going to be cleaning a lot of windows, it would be best to get all of the equipment you need first.  The best way to find out what you need is by watching the video below.  In this video a professional details the equipment he uses to clean windows on a daily basis.  Much of it you can purchase from Home Depot or Lowes.