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Put Down That Vacuum: A Paint Roller Is the Secret to Dust-Free Window Screens

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Cracking open a window is a cheap way to cool your house, but you need to know how to clean a window screen to maximize your savings. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to do this — even if you’re dealing with window screens that can’t be removed. All you need is a lint roller.

During the warmer months it can get expensive to have the air conditioner blasting in every room. Cracking a few windows is a money-saving alternative, but it works best when you have a clean window screen. So how can you get rid of the dirt, pollen, and dead bugs that have lodged themselves in there? Take a lint roller and delicately run it across your window screen. After a few gentle swipes, you should see nature’s leftovers start to disppear. Once the paper is no longer sticky, remove it and continue cleaning.

This lint-roller trick will come in handy if you’re worried about how to clean window screens that cannot be removed, or if you’d rather not deal with removing yours. The old-fashioned way of cleaning window screens is to pop them out and hose them down, but that’s more effort than we’d like to exert on a Saturday. And sometimes we forget to label the screens, so we lose track of which window they came from once they’re finally clean. 

Buy a lint roller refill ($6.59, Amazon) and wrap it around a paint roller if you want to cover more surface area in one motion. A paint roller becomes especially useful if you have tall windows and you’re struggling to clean the tops with your lint roller. 

Lint rollers are available online in bulk ($16.95, Amazon) if you don’t already have a dozen sitting in your closet. We recommend trying a reusable window and screen cleaner (it looks just like a mini paint roller) if you’re trying to reduce the amount of trash you make. 

Now that you’re an expert at cleaning window screens, your reward is a refreshing nap. Position your favorite armchair near a newly cleaned window screen and doze off in a perfectly chilly room. 

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