It'll be nothing but blue skies.Mistake #1: Choosing a sunny day to clean your windows. Gone are the murky, pollen-coated glass you've come to accept as the norm.

The most rewarding part of this process is going to come about 20 minutes later when you catch a glimpse out of your windows. Just be sure they're thoroughly sprayed-if you leave some soap on the windows you might have splotching or streaking. Let it sit for about 15 seconds then starting rinsing again. Spray your windows down thoroughly with the Rinse setting, then give them a good coat with the soapy Clean mode. You do not want to let the suds dry on the windows, and it will happen in a snap if you let it. Now here's the thing, you need to work quickly, especially if it's a sunny, warm day. If you have mold spots around your window panes-which is an issue with my 50-plus-year-old windows-you'll need to apply a mold-fighting treatment to wipe out that particular issue. It provides a concentrated, high-powered stream of water that can kick off stuck-on cobwebs, clear stubborn pollen, or even dirt and grime. The sprayer is controlled by a dial that turns it off or to rinse or clean mode. One side connects to your garden hose and the other is a sprayer.

The bottle is similar in design to Windex Original Glass Cleaner, but with a two-sided nozzle.

My sister told me about Windex Outdoor Window Glass & Patio Cleaner and, once I got my hands on a bottle, I could barely get it hooked up to my hose fast enough. It's enough to keep putting off the undesirable task for weeks, months even, which somehow always leads to 'well, there's always next year.' But not this time. Cleaning exterior windows is a chore-even when not factoring in the need for a ladder, cleaning solutions, towels, and, dependent on the time of year, a full-on hazmat suit to protect from the inevitable springtime pollen cloud.

Windex outdoor