You finally took the leap and decided to get residential window tinting for your home’s windows. That’s great! You get to reap a lot of benefits, ranging from reduced energy bills to extended longevity of furniture and other cloth items. Once the tint is up, you can forget about it. Right? Wrong.

While residential window tint is fairly easy to care for, it can’t simply be forgotten about. This is a common mistake for homeowners that can result in reduced longevity of tint film, which reduces the overall return on investment (ROI).

So how do you take proper care of your new window tint? Follow the useful information below.

Vital Info for Residential Window Tint Care

Protecting Your Windows

First, to protect your window tint you should avoid anything that might scratch it. This includes any furniture which may push against the window film, or the use of any abrasive cleaning supplies. You should not, for example, use metal sponges or hard scrubbing brushes to clean windows which have window film on them.

Cleaning Your Windows

That brings us to cleaning your residential window tint. It is okay to clean windows which have film, but it should be done in a gentle manner. Avoid harsh chemicals or cleaning supplies. There are two safe options:

1. Use a damp microfiber wash cloth and hot, soapy water. Plain dish soap is fine. After washing the windows with the damp wash cloth, gently wipe it dry with another one.
2. Spray a gentle, ammonia-free cleaner on the windows and scrape away with a cloth or rubber squeegee.

If Window Tint Becomes Damaged or You Have Questions

If your residential window tint becomes damaged in any way, it is best to call the professional installers you initially used to either (A) fix the issue, or (B) replace it. The original installers used will be most familiar with the type of window film used.

If you have questions about your window tint, reaching out to the original installers is your best option once again. They should be able to answer any questions that may arise. If they cannot answer a question you have, an online search of reliable sources should prove useful.

Don’t Forget to Let Windows Cure

Directly after the window film is installed it needs to “cure.” In other words, it needs to fully dry between the film and the window. This process generally takes a week but could take a little longer depending on climate and other factors.

During this time, you should avoid cleaning your windows or touching the tint film at all if possible. If the film does not cure properly, it could lead to damage, permanent streaking, blotchiness, or generally discoloration.

If you follow the information listed above, you can ensure that your window tint will remain effective for the longest period possible. Not only is this cost effective because it increases your ROI, but it is also much less stressful.