The Viral Hack That Claims To Clean Window Tracks With More Ease (And If It Works!)

There are few things as tricky (or annoying) to clean as window or sliding door tracks. The edges and nooks, not to mention the crannies, bring to mind a very small, very unimpressive Grand Canyon that collects and holds dirt no matter how often you dust or brush it out. If you're constantly battling your window tracks to keep them clean, it might be time to bring in a very useful and inexpensive tool that will help remove debris and buildup in an efficient manner. You may not even need to go to the store, or if you do, head to the kitchen cleaning aisle and grab a cellulose/abrasive sponge. You simply need to use a knife or scissors to cut vertical lines down the sponge, and viola: You have a cleaning tool that can get all the way down to the bottom of the tracks while accommodating the rises, too!

For this project, the type of sponge you use will dictate the results. The standard cellulose sponges may be too slim to get all the way into the crevices, while the foamier versions have more height and depth to reach between the tracks. You can try different types, but if you can get hold of the scrubber type, buy a few or a pack to keep them handy. With a utility knife (or even a kitchen knife) cut lines down the length of your sponge. You can do this according to your track's peaks and crevices, cutting enough lines that the higher edges will fit into each cut, or you can just slice three lines into the sponge. 

Cutting the same amount of slits as there are edges will allow you to get between them all, and to the dirt that is usually unreachable by wipes or regular cleaning tools. The sharper "edges" in the sponge will also pick up dust within the inner edges of the track more thoroughly, as just pushing your sponge down into these won't get the debris caught in the perpendicular areas as well. This method seems to not only remove, but hold onto dust and dirt better than other practices like using a duster, which may hold dust but can't scrub away stuck-on debris. One of the best ways to clean window tracks is to vacuum them, but the sponge trick may be even more effective thanks to its stain or build-up removing power. 

To really make this hack work to the fullest advantage, get the sponge wet and add dish soap before scrubbing the tracks, or you can add baking soda to clean windows and tracks, too. This will make it even easier to wipe away dirt that has been there awhile (or even mildew, if any has sprung up). It may be worth rinsing your cut sponge and adding more soap for another scrub to ensure all the dust has been wiped away. Keep this new version of an old tool handy for whenever you need to clean your window tracks until it starts to fall apart, then cut a new sponge to replace it. As part of your deep cleaning checklist, getting these hard-to-reach spots sparkling is a must, and it just got a little more manageable with this simple solution.