Can’t decide where the smear and streaks are?
Ok, wash one side of the window in a horizontal fashion and the other side vertical. This will allow to identifying immediately what side is not done well.
However, if you use the right solution and polish them well, there won’t be any marks.
Here’s how.
First of all, clean your windows on a regular basis. This will make light work of the job in hand every time you do it. It’s not a job for spring; it’s a job for the year. Especially just after Christmas if you have had fake snow and stick on snow men all over your windows. If you widows were clean when you applied such things, they will peel and wipe off with ease and the cleaning process wont be a massive task.
Outside you can use soapy water and a long handled sponge to reach. A window cleaner is the best bet but if you must do it your self……then this is the best way. Once you know that the window is all clean, you can dry it off. Use a clean old dry cloth to do this.
A well washed Cotton t-shirt or a blackboard eraser will do a good job of polishing up the glass. Some crumpled up news paper will do a fantastic job of bringing the glass to a perfect diamond like sparkle. It will also leave a clear film that is resistant to picking up dirt.
These rules apply indoors too. The only difference being, you probably wont have to have long handle and you might not want to get water everywhere. Instead you could try your own solution cleaner instead of spending money on the more expensive commercial cleaners.
Water, 1/4 teaspoon dishwashing detergent, 2 tablespoons ammonia (3 tablespoons of lemon juice or 3 tablespoons vinegar can be used instead of ammonia) 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol, and a spray bottle will do the same as bought chemicals. Use the same clothes and method as above. To get into the corners try a soft toothbrush or a cotton bud. You can also use tooth paste to reduce the appearance of fine scratches on glass. You should also remember to be careful of any wood work around the window. Many chemicals can cause damage to paint etc.
Many windows also have PVC surrounds. These can become yellow over time. Bleach may make them look white again but in truth, bleach will yellow plastic. The best thing here is to clean these with a good clean cloth using a little sugar soap. This should restore the whiteness and not have a yellowing reaction in the future. Enjoy your windows that look that clean, your guests will have to put greasy finger prints on them while touching them just to be sure you really do have glass in the perfectly clean white frame.
PS, Make sure you are careful of any wild life that may have taken up residents on your frames. They might just be little spiders and bugs but the environment depends on them. They don’t know that its your window, they just see it as a café or a hotel. As ugly as they can be, they have a major impact on the survival of human kind.