It’s finally nice outside! Time to crack a window…EEEK!

You know the bottom part of your window that’s between the glass and screen that gets really dirty? Cleaning that can make a HUGE difference when enjoying the nice weather from inside your home. The best part? It takes about a minute to do. Here’s how:

Step one:

Open up your window (just the glass part) and spray your cleaner of choice onto the grime that has accumulated between the glass and screen of your window. You don’t have to clean the entire window, just this bottom part (let’s call it the inner windowsill since I’m not sure what it’s called).

Step two:

Put on some rubber gloves and grab a paper towel. You could use a sponge, but that requires an extra step (rinsing it out). By the time you do this, the grime has been loosened up by the spray and is ready for vanquishing.

Step three:

With the paper towel in one of your gloved hands, wipe the entire length of the inner windowsill. It doesn’t matter if you go from left to right or right to left. Looks cleaner already, now doesn’t it?

Step four:

Fold the paper towel over so the grime isn’t on the outside, then wipe the entire length again, going in the opposite direction you initially went in. Sometimes grime holds on for dear life but only in a certain direction when wiped. Let’s get that grime!

Step five:

Throw away your paper towel, wash your gloved hands, remove your gloves, then admire your handiwork.

These pictures aren’t befores and afters of the same window, but notice how well the one with the clean inner windowsill just looks happier and brighter than the others, even though the contact paper on the glass needs replacing and looks gross? (I need to get on that.)

Even next to a less dirty windowsill you can still see the difference:

Sometimes we aren’t able to go out and enjoy the beautiful weather, so take a minute per window and do a little wiping to make letting in the nice warm breeze a better experience for all. Tip for cat owners: if your cat likes sitting in windows, they won’t get dirt in their fur after sitting right up against the screen, getting as close as they can to the neighborhood birds and squirrels.