There is no single right answer, but there is a good rule of thumb: most homes need the inside of the windows cleaned about twice a year. Some homes need it more often, and a few can stretch it longer. It comes down to who lives there, which rooms the windows are in, and what the air around your house carries in.
The short answer
For a typical home, clean the inside glass every six months. Spring and fall work well because the sun sits lower in the sky and shows every streak and smudge. If you have kids, pets or a busy kitchen, plan on every three months or spot clean the worst windows in between.
What makes inside glass get dirty faster
Inside windows do not get rained on or blasted by wind, so people assume they stay clean. They do not. These are the things we see most often in homes across the Inland Empire, the mountain communities and the desert:
- Kids and pets. Hand prints and nose prints on sliding doors and low windows show up within days. These are the windows worth cleaning most often.
- Cooking. Kitchen windows pick up a thin layer of grease from the stove. It holds dust and looks hazy even when the glass seems clean up close.
- Fireplaces and wood stoves. Common in Lake Arrowhead, Running Springs and Crestline cabins. Smoke leaves a film on the inside of the glass, especially in winter.
- Bathrooms. Steam and hairspray build up on bathroom glass and mirrors faster than anywhere else in the house.
- Wind and dust. In the Coachella Valley and much of the Inland Empire, fine dust comes in every time a door or window opens, and it settles on the sills and glass.
- Smoking. Tobacco smoke leaves a yellow film that needs more than a quick wipe to remove.
A simple schedule by room
- Sliding glass doors and low windows: spot clean monthly if you have kids or pets.
- Kitchen windows: every three months.
- Living areas and bedrooms: twice a year.
- High windows, clerestories and skylights: once or twice a year, usually with a professional because of the height.
Clean the inside and outside together
If you only clean one side, the other side still makes the window look dirty. It is also hard to tell which side a streak is on. Cleaning both sides on the same day gives you the full result and saves a second round of moving furniture and blinds. In dusty areas the outside usually needs attention more often than the inside, so many of our customers do the outside every visit and the inside every other visit.
Signs it is time
- You can see streaks or haze when the afternoon sun hits the glass.
- Rooms look darker than they used to.
- The sills and tracks have a layer of dust or dead bugs.
- You are getting ready to sell, hosting guests or moving in.
Want it handled for you?
If keeping up with this sounds like one more chore, a window cleaning maintenance plan puts your home on a set schedule so you never have to think about it. We clean inside and outside glass, and we handle the tall windows that are hard to reach safely. See our residential window cleaning service, or read how long clean windows last to plan how often to book. When you are ready, request a free quote.