If you live in Northeast Florida, you've probably noticed that your windows never seem to stay clean for long. You're not imagining it. Our coastal climate throws a unique mix of salt, pollen, humidity and storms at the glass on your home, and each one leaves its own kind of mess.
Here's what's going on, and what you can do about it.
Salt air: the haze you can't quite wipe away
Ocean breezes carry tiny droplets of salt water inland. When they land on your windows and the water evaporates, a thin, cloudy film of salt is left behind. Homes in Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Vedra, St. Augustine Beach and Amelia Island see the most of it, but salt can travel well inland on windy days, and homes along the Intracoastal Waterway and the St. Johns River get their share too.
Salt film is a problem for a few reasons:
- It blocks light and your view. Even a thin layer makes glass look dull and hazy.
- It attracts more grime. Salt residue holds onto moisture, so dust and pollen stick to it more easily.
- It gets harder to remove over time. Combined with minerals from rain and sprinklers and baked by the Florida sun, buildup that's left alone for a long time can become stubborn and may even damage the glass surface.
Tip: A quick rinse with a garden hose after a windy week can help between cleanings, but rinsing alone usually leaves spots behind. For a true streak-free finish, the glass needs to be washed and properly dried.
Pine and oak pollen: Florida's yellow season
Every late winter and spring, pine and oak trees across Northeast Florida release huge amounts of pollen. If you've seen your car, patio furniture and pool turn yellow-green, you know exactly what we mean. Your windows, screens and window sills get the same coating.
Pollen is sticky, and once it mixes with morning dew or a light rain, it smears instead of blowing away. It also packs into window screens, where every breeze pushes it right back onto the glass.
Tip: Wait until the heaviest pollen has passed before scheduling a deep window cleaning. Many Jacksonville homeowners book a cleaning in late spring for exactly this reason.
Humidity, rain and hard-water spots
Our humidity keeps glass damp for long stretches, which helps dirt cling. Afternoon thunderstorms splash sand and soil onto lower windows. And if your irrigation system hits the house, it can leave mineral deposits (hard-water spots) that won't come off with a regular glass cleaner.
Tip: Check that your sprinkler heads aren't spraying your windows. Adjusting a few heads can save your lower windows from a lot of spotting.
Lovebugs and storm debris
Twice a year, usually in late spring and again in late summer, lovebug season arrives in Florida. Their remains are acidic and can stick hard to glass and frames if they're left for long. During hurricane season, wind-driven rain and debris can also leave windows streaked and gritty.
How to keep your windows clear year-round
- Rinse exterior glass occasionally with a hose after windy or stormy stretches.
- Clean your screens. A dirty screen re-dirties clean glass. Remove, gently wash and dry them before reinstalling.
- Vacuum your window tracks. Sand, pollen and dead bugs collect there and make windows hard to open.
- Fix sprinkler overspray that hits your windows.
- Schedule regular professional cleanings. Most homes in our area do well with exterior cleaning at least twice a year, with homes close to the water often benefiting from more.
Let Emerald's handle the hard part
Cleaning every window, screen and track on a two-story home in the Florida heat is a big job. Emerald's offers residential window cleaning in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Green Cove Springs, Yulee and the surrounding towns.
Call or text 904-902-2002 or request a free quote.