Winter is the time of year when your screens and windows will get the dirtiest, so here's some instructions on how to clean your screens and one tip on how to keep your screens and windows cleaner through the fall, winter, and spring months.
To clean your screens, all you need is a pencil, stiff scrub brush or hand-broom, a tarp, a garden hose and spray nozzle, a couple of rags, and a bucket of lightly soapy water.
As you remove each screen from the window, write on the outside edge of the frame, which window it came from. I always work the same way around the room – clockwise - so my numbers will make sense I use codes like MB1 (for master bedroom, 1st window, etc.). If the screen frames are dark and you can read the writing, use a piece of Frog Tape to write on. Take each screen outside and keep separate stacks for 1st and 2nd floors.
Lay out the tarp on the grass (this saves your knees and waters your lawn at the same time) and then lay down one screen on the tarp. Dunk your brush or hand-broom in the soapy water and scrub each side. If the lawn is too soft for you to get a good scrubbing, you may have to put the screens and tarp on the driveway. Then stand the screen against something like a tree or fence and spray it gently with a garden hose and spray nozzle. Pick up the screen and bump the end which is furthest away from you against something that won't scratch or damage the screen. The top of your bucket works well for this. Hold the screen in one hand and use one of your towels or rags and gently hit the screen. This knocks the water out of the screen that is still there after tapping it on the bucket. Then wipe off the screen frame with your towel. After this, stand the screen against something in the sun and let it dry. It's a good idea, before taking the clean screens back in your house, to turn them over to make sure that all the water has drained off them. If not, leave them in the sun for a little longer.
The TIP!
To keep your screens and windows clean through the months in which we get snow here in Colorado Springs, remove your screens (after the flies are gone), label each one so you know where it belongs, and store them somewhere safe. On those warm winter days when you want fresh air, you can still open your windows and not worry about bugs coming in. During the snowy months, snow and dirt get trapped between the screen and window. When the snow melts, it leaves the dirt behind on your screens and windows. This should leave you with cleaner glass come spring time!
