Here's the one day you should never clean windows, according to experts

A bright, sunny day might seem like a great opportunity to clean the windows, but the opposite is true. The key thing here is temperature. If it's hot outside, the sun can dry the windows too quickly, which is usually the cause of streaks in the first place. That's because the water and window cleaning product evaporate in the heat, leaving behind spots and streaks.

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We asked cleaning experts what they thought about it, and asked them when we should be washing them.

Fabulosa says, 'When it comes to cleaning windows, there are lots of myths and old wives' tales around, but this one about avoiding cleaning windows on a hot day is actually true.' The online world of cleaning hacks is of course full of tips and ideas ranging in efficacy. Some suggest using newspaper, while others simply let the rain clean them - which we're certainly a little dubious about.

'When it's sunny, your windows heat up and act as a conductor of heat,' says Fabulosa. 'So any water applied when cleaning them evaporates. This leads to streaks and marks.'

'We recommend cleaning the inside and outside of your windows on a cloudy day, and to get streak-free windows, use Fabulosa's Mint Swirl Glass Spray.' The £1.15 spray dissolves grease, removes smudge marks, and gives that desirable streak-free shine.

Adam Pawson from leading window manufacturer Safestyle agrees that heat from sunlight will have you working 'much harder and faster'. 'The polish and soap dries quickly once applied to the window, giving you less time to effectively scrape it off with a squeegee or buff it out with a cloth,' Adam says. 

If you have no option but to clean the windows when it’s bright, he recommends lathering up and cleaning just a small area or single window pane at a time before moving onto the next section to avoid soap suds drying onto the glass.

Window cleaning can't be avoided, as window panes and frames will always pick up dirt, grime, and watermarks from constant exposure to the outside world. Regular cleaning will help maintain traditional windows, and will also make a remarkable difference to the level of natural light in any room. Maximizing the amount of light in a room by making sure the windows are clean will make a significant difference to how you feel in it.

So, if you were thinking of cleaning the windows as part of your spring clean - or getting them done professionally - wait for a cloudy day. What you really want to avoid is trying to clean with windows when they're in direct sunlight, because they will heat up.

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What weather is best for cleaning windows?

It's best to clean your windows on an overcast day. You can also wash them early in the morning while temperatures are relatively low. Cleaning them in the heat of the day could make for a never-ending task as streaks continue to appear, which is not something anybody needs.