I am going to attempt to clean our windows inside and out tomorrow. We are on the 3rd floor and the windows open inwards. Anyone got any top suggestions for how to do it best?
Get two cloths - one for cleaning and one for shining/drying. The first can be anything (I use the same cloth for cleaning all the surfaces in my flat) the second should be one designed for glass.
Fill your sink with normal soapy water - washing up liquid is fine. Clean windows with the first cloth and before they dry polish them with the glass cloth.
The Karcher window vacuum is great for getting a streak-free finish without effort. You don't need their expensive cleaning fluid though. Water+vinegar is best, prewash with washing up liquid if very dirty.
I would recommend cleaning with a sponge/squeegee with an extension pole. This means you can keep both feet on the ground and avoid having to stand on a ladder.
... wipe the inside glass horizontally, and the outside glass vertically. Then you can admire the smears, and you will easily know which side is smeared. Finish with screwed up newspaper.
This is what I was going to say too. LOVE mine. We have large windows and after quickly perfecting my technique I can knock out a few large sliding doors or windows in no time! It comes with a single serving of cleaning liquid concentrate so buy an extra bottle when you get the machine. Or I am sure vinegar/water would be fine too.
The windows open inwards, so states the OP. What floor she is on is irrelevant.
There are far too many accidents at home from people standing on chairs, step stools and need to reach high. An extension pole eliminates the need to stand on anything but the floor.
Not sure what your problem might have been, but I vacuum only when wet. If the area is too big and it dries before I get to the vacuum part it will streak horribly. You need firm pressure on the vacuum but don't have to push too hard. The angle you hold it isn't too critical but I tend to keep the yellow body kinda parallel with the window. Hmm, I also keep a towel handy because the squirt bottle does drip if I don't screw on the top right, and also I frequently dry off the top of the squeegee. I really don't know if I need to or not but is habit from squeegee-ing windows in the past... I do love it, I hope you can figure yours out! It saves my sanity with all the kids fingerprints on our huge bank of windows and the constant construction dust...