When it comes to cleaning the home, there are multiple surfaces requiring attention in the, and one particularly challenging area is glass.
Two of the most common glass fixtures in homes are mirrors and windows, which typically become marked with fingerprints or water spots, particularly from young children. Glass is thought to be hard to clean because its clear nature makes any streaks, marks or smears instantly noticeable, unlike opaque surfaces.
It’s also a more delicate material than others, so extra caution must be exercised during cleaning to avoid using products that might cause harm. A professional house cleaner named Alyssa posts tutorials and advice on TikTok to help others in sprucing up their homes.
In one clip, she shared a simple hack for cleaning glass. The cleaning guru fixed a glass cloth to her Swiffer combination sweeper-mop handle for “easy and ergonomic cleaning”.
Alyssa showed how she uses this technique to effortlessly clean windows and eliminate streaks and marks. In the video, she manoeuvred the Swiffer with the glass cloth from right to left, then bottom to top, making sure to clean the entire window.
The caption for the TikTok post reads: “This technique is ideal for maintenance glass cleaning – if your glass is more grimy, follow this process but use a microfiber cloth on your Swiffer first!”
Swiffer, an American brand known for its lightweight cleaning tools, is primarily recognised for its disposable, dry and wet cloths used for sweeping and mopping floors. However, Alyssa’s TikTok post reveals it can also be used for window cleaning.
The Swiffer Sweeper uses disposable cloths that attach to a flat, rectangular head on a long handle. This gets rid of the need for a bucket when mopping and facilitates easy cleaning without causing strain by bending over.
A Swiffer can be used with either wet or dry disposable cloths to trap dirt, dust and grime. The rotating head allows you to pivot and reach corners of the surface you are cleaning, whether it’s the floor or windows.
Cheryl, from the TidyMom website, explained her method for cleaning windows using a Swiffer, sharing her windows can be tilted inward. She begins by wrapping the Swiffer head with a few paper towels, then sprays the window with her chosen cleaner. Then she uses the cleaning device to access and wipe down the exterior and upper sections of her windows.
Southern Living also recommended using a Swiffer to clean mirrors by removing fingerprints and toothpaste residue. The method involves spraying the mirror with glass cleaner, securing a microfiber cloth into the Swiffer’s four corner slots, and then thoroughly wiping the surface.
Alyssa’s TikTok video has received more than 100 likes and several comments. One user said: “I do this for tall mirrors and glass.”
Another applauded: “That’s actually really good Alyssa – nice job.” A third added: “This is genius!”
A fourth remarked: “Looks much easier on the body your way. I clean harder, not smarter sometimes so these tips are great.”
Others commented “such a great hack”, “love this idea” and “I always do this in the hard to reach places”.