Don’t wash those windows just yet—9 reasons to wait (Alvar Aalto thought so too)

As soon as the spring sunlight appears, my dread returns. The lovely northern light reveals the grimy truth that the dim winter days have kindly concealed: my windows are in terrible shape. Raise your hand if washing them is one of your least favorite household chores. Doing it all at once would take at least an entire day, but I never have the time or energy to clean every window in one go, so it usually stretches into a two-week project.

And so my reluctant mind begins coming up with reasons to delay. I can easily think of at least nine excuses to skip washing my windows next weekend, and the next. I always end up doing it eventually, of course, because I can’t stand looking at grimy windows for too long.

1. There’s never a perfect time.

It’s still freezing, the wind is howling, or the sun is blazing. And who washes windows in the rain? Maybe the best move is to wait until pollen season is over. But then I’ll be too busy, with the kids’ sports schedule taking over.

2. It might be impossible, even dangerous, or at least unreasonably difficult.

In an older house, the latches can be painfully tight. In my previous home, I could barely reach the outside of the double-pane vent window after wrestling out the metal pins between the panes. My five-meter telescoping handle does reach my highest windows, but it’s tough to squeegee them properly. And since the company that made our balcony glass messed up, the panes don’t pivot, meaning I’m practically risking my life trying to reach the outside.

3. Now it’s someone else’s turn.

I’ve been washing the windows in our shared homes for 25 years, so wouldn’t it be fair for my spouse to do it for the next 25? I could even pay my teenagers—there’s no better way to learn than by doing.

4. Not everyone else does it, either.

A coworker admitted they haven’t washed their windows in at least two years. If you never got around to it, nothing catastrophic would happen. It’s a bold idea, but maybe you'd just get used to it, like a crack in the wall or a sticky lock.

5. I’m prioritizing according to my values.

There are far more important things in life than having spotless windows.

6. They’ll just get dirty again anyway.

It’s frustrating to see streaks and drips after all that work. And a few weeks later, fresh dirt, fingerprints, and bird droppings appear on the glass again.

7. You can always outsource it.

I always promise myself that next year I’ll hire someone. But in this economy? All my money goes to everyday expenses.

8. Alvar Aalto told us there’s no need.

It’s often said that the Finnish architect believed light filters more beautifully through dirty windows. I figure it would take years of grime for that soft-focus effect—and I’d need plenty of mental fortitude to accept the dirt. But thanks anyway, Alvar.

9. There’s a robot for this, too.

The 500-euro price tag and my doubts about its effectiveness have held me back. But we already have a robot vacuum, so I tested a window-cleaning robot that did a decent job. We ended up buying that test model for our neighborhood to share. It doesn’t clean perfectly—but neither do I.