A FORMER Buckingham Palace cleaner has revealed the 69p hack she used to keep the royal windows streak-free.
When gazing through the windows on a visit to the famed royal palace, it is impossible not to notice that the glass is always gleaming.
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And although you may be forgiven for thinking that the cleaners use expensive tools to get the windows sparkling, this is not in fact the case.
Anne Simmons, 57, worked at Buckingham Palace for 10 years, and was part of a discreet team that maintained over 700 windows in the palace.
Speaking to Pure Window Cleaning, she said: “There’s a misconception that royal cleaning is all high-tech and high-budget.
“But many of the methods we used day to day were things you’d find in any ordinary British home.
“Because the goal wasn’t just to clean — it was to preserve.”
Washing up Liquid
Anne revealed that she and the other palace cleaner never used glass spray to tackle the windows, as this leaves streaks.
She said: “We never used supermarket glass sprays.
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“They leave streaks and residues on older glass.
“We used distilled water — always — mixed with a small drop of washing-up liquid. No fragrances, no colours. It cut through the grime without damaging anything.”
Anne revealed that washing up liquid and water was used on both the interior and exterior window panes, especially ones which were delicate and old.
To try out this method yourself, pick up some washing up liquid (69p from Tesco, a drop of it in a spray bottle, alongside distilled water and spray it on your windows.
For a streak-free finish, make sure to use a flat, microfibre cloth to wipe down the glass.
Newspaper
Another budget method Anne and her team used on the palace windows was old newspapers.
She said: “It was the best thing for buffing glass.
The household items you’re not cleaning often enough
IF you want to ensure your home is squeaky clean, you’ll need to listen up. Below are the household items you’re forgetting to clean, and how to get them sparkling…
Remote Controls: Wipe with a disinfectant cloth. Use a cotton bud for crevices.
Light Switches: Wipe with a disinfectant wipe. Use a mild soap solution for tough stains.
Door Handles: Clean with an antibacterial spray. Wipe down regularly.
Underneath and Behind Appliances: Vacuum or sweep regularly. Mop with a suitable cleaner.
Shower Curtains and Liners: Wash in the washing machine. Use a bleach solution for stubborn mildew.
Kitchen Sponges and Dishcloths: Microwave damp sponges for one minute. Wash dishcloths in the washing machine.
Computer Keyboards and Mice: Use compressed air to remove debris. Wipe with a disinfectant wipe.
“Microfibre is good, but newspaper lifts grease without dragging fibres across the surface.
“It gave everything a gleam — especially on sunny days when reflections mattered.”
To try this method out at home, simply buff your windows with an old newspaper, after cleaning them with washing up liquid and water.
Freezing Microfibre Cloths
Perhaps one of the most unusual of Anne’s cleaning methods is using frozen microfibre towels to scrub windows.
She explained: “We’d keep a set of microfibre cloths in the freezer — especially in the summer.
“The cold helped prevent fogging when cleaning indoors, especially in rooms with heavy drapery or lots of guests.
“It also helped reduce static, so dust didn’t settle back onto the glass.”
