It may not be among the chores you usually like to do, but the proper cleaning of windows plays an important role in your well-being and also on your wallet. There are many benefits that the proper maintenance and cleaning of windows (glass, frames, handles and, if present, mosquito nets, and curtains) brings, although sometimes we may think, after a quick look, that it is not yet time to intervene.
Rain and fingerprints are certainly the most noticeable traces, but there are also a number of enemies of cleanliness that we risk ignoring, such as dust, pollen, allergens, and dirt, all of which settle silently on our window surfaces without us noticing and become a potential problem over time.
Let's take a look at five immediate benefits of thorough window cleaning.
An old adage goes "a penny saved is a penny earned"; nothing could be truer and in the case of windows it could be a pretty penny. Dedicating a little time to the frequent cleaning of the frames, in fact, allows you to always have under control the state of health of the window: the rails, handles, and hinges, although of good workmanship, require a little 'care to prevent them from deteriorating.
If the window's working system is kept clean, the chances of it breaking are greatly reduced. Making sure that everything is working for the best could save us from damage and exorbitant repair bills.
Another reason why it is worth committing some of your time to window cleaning or hiring a window cleaning Montreal company is related to comfort. It's easy to imagine that a dirty window (whether it's the glass, the track, the frames, or the insect screen) will retain a good amount of dust and potential allergens such as pollen.
Although at first glance the amount of dirt may not seem to alarm us, remember that most of the outside air enters through the windows. This means that every time we leave the window open to 'change the air', the draughts will carry dust, spores, and allergens into the house with all the health consequences we can imagine.
Even the mood benefits from a regularly cleaned window; rain, dirt, or smoke (from a chimney, cigarette or even constant use of candles) leave a dark, opaque film on the glass which, over time, imperceptibly reduces the amount of light that can penetrate the home. The consequences are as subtle as they are annoying: the plants will struggle to carry out their normal photosynthesis process and the inhabitants of the house will feel the effect on their mood.
In fact, it has now been proven that there is a close relationship between a good mood and exposure to natural light. In countries where there are limited hours of light (or no light at all at certain times of the year), there are more nervous disorders, headaches, and peaks of mood discontinuity that can lead to depression.
We may not think about it, but when we are in our homes, windows are our eyes on the world. If they are dirty or neglected even the home environment will tend to unnoticeably conform, with predictable consequences on mood and health.
But it is good to remember that windows are also visible from the outside; dirty frames, glass covered with fingerprints, and traces of rain are really bad business cards.
With simple maintenance and a bit of attention you can even improve the real estate value of a house; like the interior structure, in fact, if you take care of the windows you will leave an undoubtedly better impression from the outside, an advantage that should not be overlooked.
We've talked about how you can take action with good window cleaning and save yourself some money and hassle, but there's an even more direct benefit to our household expenses: energy savings.
Good maintenance allows us to improve the energy efficiency of our home in at least two ways: by checking the frame and the tightness of the closure, we can be sure that the window performs its function in a relevant way, without letting in drafts or letting out hot air. The good seal of the frames and closures has a direct and sustained weight on the bill.
Furthermore, cleaning the windows allows not only light to enter (with the advantages we have talked about), but also UV rays which, as they can no longer get out, will heat the home environment; an efficient, free and natural method of heating that we risk undermining without proper maintenance of our windows, particularly in the winter months.
We've seen five benefits of proper and timely window cleaning, and fortunately, the task itself is nothing complicated.