In my house there are two smokers, the outside of the house is regularly used as a bombing range for the local pigeons, I AM NOT a domestic Goddess and cleaning the windows is my second most hated chore in the world after ironing. Before moving to this house I paid a window cleaner once a fortnight to clean the windows both outside and inside. Yes thats how much I detest cleaning them, even my world famous cheapness didnt prevent me from quite happily paying someone else to get them clean! Then we moved and, to be frank, this areas window cleaner is a little work shy.

Resigned to the fact that I would now (yuck) have to (ick) clean my OWN windows (heaven forbid) I hit the supermarkets with a flourish and found something out; cleaners sold for the home market are in the main CRAP! Having conducted my own extensive Window Cleaning Product tests during which many a lesser brand was tossed by the way side (well into the bin) I have come up with an outright winner, one that actually does the job.

Mr Muscle Window and Glass cleaner comes in a tall clear plastic bottle that is shaped in such a way that it is easy to grip while spraying the surface. To aid this procedure further there are three shaped indentations on the inside edge of the bottle that serve as finger grips. The lid is screw-on; the trigger mechanism is encased in clear plastic with a green nozzle and trigger. The nozzle is square shaped and can be turned on and off. All very safety conscious and all that but given the fact that the trigger can simply be screwed on and off the bottle, I wouldnt recommend this be kept anywhere where children can get their mitts on it.

The glass cleaner itself, all 500mls of it, is a mid green in colour and given the fact that the bottle is clear its easy to see how much you have left. It has a slightly odd smell, not unpleasant but then again not something you are going to turn cartwheels for either! Mr Muscle Window and Glass Cleaner contain
s vinegar and yes you can smell it. Not as an overpowering whiff thank goodness, there are other perfumy scents disguising it. What they are I have no idea but they do give the cleaner an overall flowery scent. I guess the point that Im labouring to get to is that this is nowhere near as disgusting as I thought it would smell. A lot of Mr Muscle products are somewhat potent in the aroma department and Im glad this one is almost pleasant to my nasal passages.

Now to the crucial part, the usage of said window cleaner! Couldnt be simpler; yes even I have found this one a synch to use! Turn the nozzle to the ON position, spray evenly over the window/glass surface and wipe off with kitchen towel or a clean and dry cloth. Personally I use Bounty kitchen towel as its as good as cloth, 2 sheets at a time. Thats enough I find to wipe over my huge lounge window and the same again for my smaller but still fair sized other windows. Its also perfect for use on glass-topped tables (not that I would even contemplate one of those in this house); mirrors and Ive even used it on tiles and my chrome taps, which produces a dazzling shine.

Both inside the house and outside this cleaner really does produce excellent results. Ive found my windows to be left with a perfect finish without any streaks or smears. The best part about this though is that it really takes no effort at all. Just spray on and wipe off is truly all that is needed. Although the blurb on the bottle states you really shouldnt use this particular cleaner on UPVC window frames I do and have had no adverse effects. In fact it cuts through grime on them effortlessly and I think its all a matter of taking care. Obviously you shouldnt spray it on the frames and then walk away and do something else. As with all cleaning products, if you?re at all in doubt as to its suitability on a surface you should do a spot check somewhere where it doesnt matter if it all goes horribly wrong!

Despite my notoriou
sly sensitive skin Ive found that Im fine with this product and my skin is certainly coming into contact with it as it soaks through the kitchen towel. Clearly I'm not recommending you liberally spray it all over your hands/arms (cause that would be silly) but that most people should be fine and not need to use gloves whilst using this cleaner!

This 500ml bottle cost me I think around the £1.50 mark and its proving to be extremely good value for money. You dont need huge amounts of the cleaner to get the desired finish and even here where Im using it weekly on fairly large windows both inside and out its lasting well. Im estimating this bottle will last me around 4/5 month?s which isnt bad! Im giving it a full five stars simply because it does what it says which is a rarity in the world of glass cleaners! As to the thorny question of it converting me into LIKING cleaning windows? Has it heck; but at least its made the job quick and easy to complete leaving me more time for more favourable pastimes!