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The “Does It Work?” Challenge: Cleaning Windows & Mirrors with Newspaper

by on Mar 12, 2012

It’s cleaning and organization month on Curbly! This week we’re taking a look at those household tips and tricks you’ve always heard or read about, but wondered if they really worked. I handed our Official Curbly Test Kitchen Tester (moi) a bevy of assignments, all to answer one burning question: Does it work?

First up: Cleaning glass with newspaper. I must confess, my Dad taught me this trick years ago. It’s something about the lack of lint on the paper (vs. paper towels or a rag). And, the ink does not interfere because glass cannot absorb ink. 

Cleaning Glass with Newspaper

My experience: Worked like a charm. No lint, no streaks, very absorbent, easy to maneuver around the window.

Next, I thought I’d try coffee filters. I’d heard that these work in the same way.

created at: 03/11/2012

My experience: Effective, however I had to use a small stack at a time to get the level of absorbency I needed. Also, the surface area of the coffee filters are fairly small, so I felt like I was chasing the glass cleaner all around the place. These might be better for smaller areas, like picture frames.

So, does it work?

created at: 03/11/2012

Now if only there were an easy way to reach my second story windows from the outside…

Check back tomorrow for Part 2 of the challenge: Using baking soda to polish silver. Will it work?

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1 Comments

  1. I use baking soda dissolved in warm water. Spread the solution on your glass/mirrors and let dry for a minute. You will have a white film on the surface which you wipe off with newspaper. Crystal clear every time.