The Easiest Way to Clean Dirty Window Tracks

Window cleaning feels like a monumental task. And you’re not wrong: The window frame needs to be dusted, the screen needs to be cleaned, the sill needs to be wiped down, and the glass needs to be polished to a see-through shine. And then there’s the de-gunking of window tracks.

If you’ve ever attempted to clean window tracks, you may be familiar with the tactics of nudging a rag into nooks and crannies with a butterknife, painstakingly picking up flecks of grime with multiple tiny cotton swabs, or just dousing the entire thing with water to flush the whole mess out of there (making a bigger mess in the process). But there’s good news: There is a smart, affordable technique that will make this dreaded chore much, much easier.

It involves a sponge and a bit of customization. Here’s what to do.

• Sponge (Something like this is ideal because the pack is inexpensive, and the sponges are foam with a tougher layer on top to help keep your knife from cutting too far through the sponge)
• Marker
• Utility knife 

1. Mark the sponge: Set the sponge along your window track whichever way covers the whole track. Then, use a marker to mark the sponge at the points where the track “rises.” The idea is that these parts of the track will slip up into the sponge so that the bottom of the sponge can make contact with the lower, flat parts of the track. 
2. Cut the sponge: Use the utility knife to cut lines through the sponge, wherever you’ve marked. Slice all the way until your blade hits the rougher portion. 
3. Slide the sponge along the tracks: Once your lines are cut, slip the sponge over the tracks and drag it along (back and forth) to clean up the dust and grime. Rinse the sponge as needed and work your way through each window.

Now, rather than jiggling rag-wrapped butter knives or the tiny points of one million cotton swabs along your tracks, you can simply wipe a custom-made sponge back and forth a few times before calling it a day!