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This is a badge bit (BB) that is part of the PEP curriculum.  Completing this BB is part of getting the sand badge in Nest.

In this Badge Bit, you will clean four windows, inside and out.


Some articles and videos making your own natural glass cleaner, and cleaning windows:

Homemade Glass Cleaner
Homemade Glass Cleaner Recipe
How To Make Cleaning Outside Windows Fast, Easy and Fun








To complete this BB, the minimum requirements are that you must clean four windows, inside and out.

To document this BB, post pictures or a 2-minute video depicting the following:
  • Before: Four Dirty Windows
  • Action 1: Your glass cleaner, with a description
  • Action 2: You cleaning windows
  • After: Four Clean Windows!
  • COMMENTS:
     
    steward
    Posts: 15472
    Location: Northern WI (zone 4)
    4824
    7
    hunting trees books food preservation solar woodworking
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    Approved submission
    Did some cleaning today.  Our window washing strategy is a paper towel with water and a dry towel.  The paper towel gets the gunk softened and removed, the dry towel is used to rub the window until the water all evaporates.  If you don't rub till it's completely dry we get streaks.  We've tried with regular cloth instead of paper towels and it didn't work as well for some reason.

    Dirty windows are blatantly obvious when you're looking at them.  They are very hard to photograph!
    Dirty-window-1.jpg
    Dirty window #1
    Dirty window #1
    Dirty-window-2.jpg
    Dirty window #2
    Dirty window #2
    Dirty-window-3.jpg
    Dirty window #3
    Dirty window #3
    Dirty-window-4.jpg
    Dirty window #4
    Dirty window #4
    Close-up-of-window-1.jpg
    Close up of window #1
    Close up of window #1
    Closeup-of-window-3-(blob-on-side-of-barn).jpg
    Closeup of window #3 (blob on side of barn)
    Closeup of window #3 (blob on side of barn)
    Closeup-of-window-4.jpg
    Closeup of window #4
    Closeup of window #4
    Rubbing-off-the-water.jpg
    Rubbing off the water
    Rubbing off the water
    Cleaning-solution.jpg
    Cleaning solution
    Cleaning solution
    Casement-windows-sometimes-require-a-long-arm-(second-story).jpg
    Casement windows sometimes require a long arm (second story)
    Casement windows sometimes require a long arm (second story)
    Clean-window-1.jpg
    Clean window #1
    Clean window #1
    Clean-window-2.jpg
    Clean window #2
    Clean window #2
    Clean-window-3.jpg
    Clean window #3
    Clean window #3
    Clean-window-4.jpg
    Clean window #4
    Clean window #4
    Staff note (Steve Thorn) :

    I certify this BB is complete!

     
    Posts: 53
    Location: PNW zone 8b
    64
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    I will agree with Mike Jay, pictures of windows require a skill beyond mine.  Getting rid of streaks also seems an elusive skill.  My main hope was to remove all the fly poop that accumulates during the summer and that was accomplished.  I used Seventh Generation dish soap, water and a rag for all the grime. Then rubbing alcohol with paper towel to cut the grease streaks. Four windows on the front of the house and  the bonus window on the front door, maybe next time do the cleaning at night without the sun shining(glare) in my eyes.  
    dirty.jpg
    dirty
    dirty
    dirty.jpg
    dirty
    dirty
    clean.jpg
    clean
    clean
    clean.jpg
    clean
    clean
    clean.jpg
    clean
    clean
    supplies.jpg
    supplies
    supplies
    front-door-bonus.jpg
    front door bonus
    front door bonus
    Staff note (Mike Haasl) :

    I certify this BB is complete!

     
    pollinator
    Posts: 108
    Location: Japan
    65
    kids home care personal care foraging urban cooking medical herbs solar ungarbage
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    Hard to photograph window stains but tried my best. I used diluted citric acid powder (in the brown spray bottle) as the main cleaning product and wiped after with a little bit of alcohol on a rag.
    IMG_20201029_140209.jpg
    Products
    Products
    IMG_20201029_084020.jpg
    Before 1
    Before 1
    IMG_20201029_083803.jpg
    Before 2
    Before 2
    IMG_20201029_083833.jpg
    Before 3 (yesterday)
    Before 3 (yesterday)
    IMG_20201029_075823.jpg
    Close up
    Close up
    IMG_20201029_133417.jpg
    Before 4 (outside)
    Before 4 (outside)
    IMG_20201029_133533.jpg
    In progress 1
    In progress 1
    IMG_20201029_090332.jpg
    In progress 2
    In progress 2
    IMG_20201029_135700.jpg
    After 1
    After 1
    IMG_20201029_135630.jpg
    After 2
    After 2
    IMG_20201029_135721.jpg
    After 3
    After 3
    IMG_20201029_135737.jpg
    After 4
    After 4
    Staff note (jordan barton) :

    I hereby certify this badge bit complete!

     
    Posts: 308
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    qualified as someone who cleaned windows for 8 years (not residential)
    if you have anything more than a couple small windows to clean
    get a tbar and squeegee
    use a small amount of dish soap in water
    soak the window with the tbar and swirl it around a bit until it slides easily especially along the edges
    but along the top edge wring out the tbar a bit and soak up any excess water so you do not get drips
    if it persistently drips because of gaps etc along the top edge then wring out the corner of the tbar before washing that particular window

    get the kind of squeegee which has a replaceable rubber and is made of brass or stainless steel
    you might need more than one squeegee if there are narrow windows like the one above
    if small ones arent available buy a second regular sized one and cut it to length

    inside... lay towels on the window ledge to soak up dripping dirty water
    wring out the tbar and apply less water.. might have to be done twice

    ladders are dangerous if you are going to use one you never reach to the side centre youreself on the ladder always
    i was always tied into 3 ropes when working at heights

    it will still take a while to do a whole house inside and out but will take way less time
     
    Posts: 40
    Location: Virginia
    34
    forest garden building homestead
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    Submission flagged incomplete
    My pictures don't really do justice to how dirty some of these windows were.  There were 7 windows and a door but I'll refrain from THAT many pictures, unfortunately I'm too techno illiterate to do compilation photos.  Window cleaner materials also included.
    Making-Window-Cleaner.jpg
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    Dirty-2.jpg
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    Dirty-3.jpg
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    Dirty-5.jpg
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    Cleaned-1.jpg
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    Cleaned-3.jpg
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    Cleaned-5.jpg
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    Staff note (gir bot) :

    Someone flagged this submission as not complete.
    BBV price: 1
    Note: Needs an action shot of you cleaning the windows.

     
    pioneer
    Posts: 84
    Location: Upstate South Carolina, USA
    32
    7
    kids hunting foraging building bee rocket stoves
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    Approved submission
    My badge bit submission
    4 dirty windows, cleaned inside and out. It’s very nice to no longer see the kids greasy fingerprints inside and dirt/ bird poop when looking outside!
    Now that I have these recipes for diy cleaner, we’ll try that instead of the Ecos stuff.
    9A9CDCAD-116F-427C-B57C-BFA3A0CE5250.jpeg
    Dirty 1
    Dirty 1
    7B1949D4-57B6-490B-829A-8F1713546D50.jpeg
    Dirty 2
    Dirty 2
    82F06631-F24E-475D-A983-8AB0B44EAE2A.jpeg
    Dirty 3
    Dirty 3
    D7FF128A-7FE0-41A1-84A5-AFF2EF9EAD64.jpeg
    Dirty 4
    Dirty 4
    91A07897-7C7F-465F-B736-16DDB3B9E1CC.jpeg
    Action - cleaning
    Action - cleaning
    4D2E40CD-01F3-4B0F-BCED-1AAC2FE9DFA9.jpeg
    Action - cleaning
    Action - cleaning
    EBF97C9E-17FC-4372-A863-CDBB0E8D68A4.jpeg
    Action - cleaner
    Action - cleaner
    EC07E399-02F0-408A-A9B9-26506C804591.jpeg
    Clean 1
    Clean 1
    D727ACEF-C0DA-4B31-9578-E53FF51F7481.jpeg
    Clean 2
    Clean 2
    063A6A76-7425-4A0F-928A-2EE87DBC0209.jpeg
    Clean 3
    Clean 3
    4C514BBC-9338-40A1-A57C-3D0CB0E36481.jpeg
    Clean 4
    Clean 4
    Staff note (gir bot) :

    Leigh Tate approved this submission.

     
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    Special fundraiser JUST for the permaculture bootcamp!
    https://permies.com/w/bel-fundraiser
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