How to Clean Window Screens

Cleaning window screens on your Milpitas, CA window replacements is something that needs to be done on a regular basis (at least once, but preferably twice, a year). Window screens are great additions to your window replacements because they allow you to save on energy costs during nice weather, when you can open windows and get a nice breeze throughout your home and also enjoy fresh air filling the house.   

However, when you open your windows, that’s usually when you notice just how dirty those window screens are. It is easier to clean window screens than it is to clean windows and it doesn’t take a lot of time to get all the debris out of them.   

To start cleaning window screens, remove the screens and lay them on a flat surface near a garden hose. If you clean your window screens on the ground, as opposed to a concrete surface like the driveway, be sure to lay a tarp underneath them so they don’t pick up debris and dirt from the yard.  

Then gather your cleaning materials. You’ll need a bucket, a brush or a sponge, and rubber gloves. Fill the bucket with a mixture of warm water and an all-purpose household cleaner or an ammonia-based cleaner.  

Begin cleaning the window screens by putting on rubber gloves and dipping the brush or sponge into your cleaning solution. Wipe one side of the window screen down, working from top to bottom. Turn the window screen over and wipe down the other side from top to bottom. Use a brush to work on areas where dirt and debris doesn’t easily come off. Don’t forget to wipe around the frame of the window screen to remove any dirt that has accumulated there.  

Once you’ve removed all the dirt and debris from your window screens using the cleaning solution, get the garden hose and turn it on. If you don’t have a multi-setting sprayer attached, turn the water on so that it is coming out at medium pressure. Spray both sides of the window screen and the frame, working from top to bottom, to remove all of the cleaning solution and dirt.  

After the window screen is thoroughly rinsed off, tap the window screen on the ground several times to remove any excess water. Be sure to let the window screens dry thoroughly in a protected place before putting them back into the window frames, or all your hard work will be undone. The best places for drying window screens are in patio areas or in garages, where you can lean them against walls of the house. Generally, it takes about two hours to completely dry window screens.  

While the window screens are drying, check them for damage and take of any of them that need to be replaced. For those that need to be replaced, take measurements, since it’s easier to do this with window screens off the windows rather than when they are installed.  

Once your window screens are completely dry, reinstall them in the windows. If you have different sizes of window screens for different windows, it’s a good idea to wash all the window screens of the same size at the same time instead of mixing them all up together and then having to determine which window screens fit on which windows.  

To learn more about cleaning window screens for your Milpitas, CA window replacement, you can talk with our experienced team at California Custom Creations. You can call us at (408) 316-6293 to make an appointment for a free in-home consultation.