Vinyl Color windows appear like glass, but if you clean them like glass, then you risk damaging them. The composition or structure of these windows seems thick, clear-plastic food wrap, but they are much stronger and somewhat more flexible. When washed the right way, they come back to a smooth, glass-like look, even after being slightly shoved on through the cleaning process.

Safe Suds

When it is time to clean your sunroom’s vinyl windows, skip glass cleaner, bleach, ammonia or another harsh, chemical-based cleaner. A bucket of warm water and small squirt of mild eco-friendly dish soap or gentle wool-laundering liquid detergent supply you with a safer, less corrosive alternative for cleaning plastic. Use a soft fabric for washing, and a clean, dry chamois to clean excessive or excessive water. When cleaning overhead, wear safety glasses to shield your eyes from splashes.

A Pane to Eliminate

In case the windows come out easily, take out the uppermost pane, starting on the sunroom’s far right side, for cleaning. Working from the top down helps you avoid splashing or smudging previously cleaned panes below, while functioning in 1 direction helps you stay organized. Based on the window design, you may need to grasp the sides of the pane’s frame, and lift it from its lower track, tilt the bottom forward and lower it from its upper track. Clean both sides of the plastic and the aluminum or plastic frame. Vacuum the dry track, and replace the panes, working one at a time.

A Safe Reach

For repaired windows that are tough to achieve, use a stepladder, step stool or long-handled, soft mop — use just as much pressure as needed to remove dirt or smudges using a mop. Pushed on or distorted plastic should go back to its initial shape in a couple of minutes. Replace torn panels; refer to the manufacturer’s manual for replacement instructions and purchase suggestions. Outdoors, clean hard-to-reach panes, such as a slanted plastic-paned “roof,” with a hose with a spray nozzle on a gentle setting, and a ladder, even if needed. Never climb on top of a plastic glass or — — sunroom to clean it or for another reason.

Waiting on the Weather

Cleaning vinyl sunroom windows to a hot, sunny day causes the sudsy water to dry rapidly, likely before you have a chance to wipe it away to decrease water spots. Wait to an overcast day so that you may properly clean and shine the panes, ridding them almost completely of any residue for better results. Again, a long-handled, dry mop comes in handy for hard-to-reach places.