The Secret Ingredient That'll Make Cleaning Your Window Screens So Easy

Cleaning window screens requires lots of effort when unknown gunk is stuck to them. They spend their entire time outside blocking flies, birds, mosquitoes, bees, and other bugs, as well as pieces of debris, from entering your home. Since window screens are used as a protective barrier, they can get dirty quickly. It's vital to clean the screens as often as you wash your windows, and the frequency will depend on the conditions where you live — dustier areas may need to be cleaned more often. Washing down the window screens with a hose and sponge can take time and won't always leave them squeaky clean. Instead, using soda water to clean the surfaces will help remove stubborn marks.

Soda water is affordable and accessible. It's sold in bottles or packs at grocery stores, gas stations, and other retailers for less than $10. The beverage's fizziness acts as a powerful cleaning agent that will keep you from having to scrub your window screens with soap and water. Soda water has carbonic acid properties that help lift stains and sticky residues. Plus, if your screens have rusty areas from rain or sprinklers, the carbonic acid can reverse the corrosion on the metal. Use a little soda water on your window screens and watch how the dirt and marks disappear.

To complete this hack, you'll need soda water, a spray bottle, and a sponge. You can either remove your window screens or leave them in place for a quicker clean. Add your soda water to the spray bottle and spray down the surface of the screens. Let the soda water sit, then wipe down the screens with a damp sponge. If you're having trouble removing a few stubborn stains, respray the surfaces until they're spotless. In addition, if you don't have a spray bottle at home, you can always pour the soda water over the window screen, which will still work to clean it.

To remove rusty areas, let the soda water sit for a couple of hours to let it work its magic. It won't completely reverse the corrosion but will help improve the screen's appearance. If you soak the window screens in soda water a few times a month, the rusty areas will become lighter. This beverage can also be used to clean kitchen counters and remove food stains from bakeware and clothes. You won't have to create homemade cleaning solutions as often if you keep this fizzy drink nearby.