When you’ve got houses to flip, most likely you’ll have windows to replace or clean. And if you’re wondering if it’s still possible to take all that dust and dirt that’s blurring your light windows, then the answer is a weird-sounding cleaning tool called a squeegee. Even professional cleaners of New York apartments use this tool. You’ve probably seen one at McDonald’s or Burger King being used by a crew wiping clean the windows while you’re waiting for your Big Mac or Whopper.

The best known type of this tool – used by those in property rehabbing, professional New York skyscraper window cleaners, and your local fastfood crew – us the hand-held window squeegee. It is basically a clip that holds the rubber blade in place. When these are used for houses to flip, they are usually used with soapy water applied through a sponge. Some squeegees are already equipped with a sponge or a cloth. Some come with extended, telescoping handles. The good thing with owning a squeegee is that it’s usable for other smooth surfaces in the property. For instance, you can also clean shower doors and bathrooms tiles with it.

When you buy a squeegee, be sure to pick a size that’s suited for most house rehab projects. If you’re working on larger windows, then use a wider one. If you’re dealing with multi-pane windows, what you can do is to customize the size of the rubber blade to make the squeegee fit exactly within the pane. This will speed up the cleaning of the windows and other property rehabbing activities. A utility knife is enough to cut the rubber to size. As for the handle, you can cut them hacksaw if needed.

With the squeegee ready, you can now proceed to preparing a soapy solution. To better save money and to prevent possible scratches due to strong chemicals, you can simply use dishwashing liquid mixed in a bucket of warm water. Soak a strip applicator on the bucket and apply the solution. Make sure you press the applicator a bit more on areas where dirt is concentrated.

Now it’s time to use the weird-sounding tool. For larger panes, start at the top left corner, pulling it and erasing the soap from the window. If you’re right handed, you will be pulling it on a reverse-S pattern. Be sure to have old linen napkins or cloth diapers ready because you’ll use them to wipe the blade after each stroke. Then, using a wrung-dry chamois, rub off remaining water on the edges. Use a rag for the windowsill. For smaller panes and multi-panes, apply the soapy water with a handheld sponge. Then, use your customized squeegee to wipe off the soap downwards. Use the same procedure for the edges and the windowsill.

When property rehabbing windows that have mineral stains, you would have to clean that first using cleansing powders or very fine steel wool first. Then, proceed with the steps stated above. When you’ve got houses to flip and windows to clean, a squeegee is a tool that’s very useful, not to mention, cheap for its versatility.