Squeaky clean: 6 household jobs you can tackle with a window vac

You'd be forgiven for thinking a window vac is a one-trick pony, but it's actually a surprisingly useful tool that can help to keep your home's surfaces spotless.

While they're best known for leaving glass streak-free, window vacs can also make light work of condensation, shower screens, bathroom tiles, mirrors, kitchen surfaces, glass tables and even car windows.

Below, we run through some lesser-known uses for your trusty window vac, as well as highlighting our independent tests on the best cleaning sprays, steam cleaners and other essential tools for an immaculate home.

What is a window vac?

A window vac is a handheld cleaning gadget designed to remove moisture from windows, leaving a streak-free finish. It's a quick and efficient way to deal with water marks and leftover cleaning solution.

To clean your windows, start by spraying them with a suitable glass cleaner, or simply use water. Then wipe the surface with a cloth or sponge to loosen any dirt. Once the window is clean, run the window vac over the glass to remove excess moisture, leaving a crystal-clear, streak-free finish.

If you don't yet have a window vac, consult our guide to the best window vacs to see which models our experts recommend. 

6 things you can clean with a window vac – aside from your windows

1. Deal with mucky bathroom tiles

A window vac can make bathroom cleaning quicker by removing water from tiles after you've cleaned them, leaving surfaces dry and streak-free. Make sure you scrub away any dirt or grime first, though.

To leave your bathroom tiles glistening, start by spraying them with a top-rated bathroom cleaning spray – see our guide to the best cleaning sprays if you need to stock up. Then, scrub with a non-abrasive sponge, before wiping away any loose dirt with a soft cloth.

Turn on your window vac and slowly and methodically work your way across the tiles, overlapping each pass slightly for the best finish. Note that a window vac won't do much to clean the grout between tiles, so you'll need a grout brush or a dedicated grout cleaner to tackle it.

If you're shopping for a top-rated cleaning spray, these are among the best we've tested:

You can join Which? to see our guide to the best cleaning sprays

2. Clean your shower screen

Drying your bath, sink and other wet surfaces in the bathroom after use will help to prevent mould forming.

Using your window vac to clean the shower screen is often easier than buffing out water spots manually. First, use a cloth or soft sponge to wipe down both sides of the glass and loosen dirt clinging to the surface.

A solution of citric acid and water can help remove limescale from glass shower screens. Spray the entire shower screen and leave the solution to work for a couple of minutes before reaching for your window vac.

Start at the top of the glass with your window vac and slowly work your way down. Keep the suction nozzle pressed against the glass and move the vac in smooth motions to prevent streaks. Overlap your strokes to ensure you don’t miss any areas, and adjust the angle of the device to tackle corners.

For more tips, consult our guide on how to clean a shower screen or discover the best drain unblockers.

3. Tackle kitchen surfaces

Your window vac can offer plenty of help in the kitchen if you need to remove excess water after cleaning grease splashes or condensation after cooking.

• Cleaning your hob If you have a smooth, flat hob, such as an induction or ceramic hob, you can use a window vac to help clean it. Ensure your cooking surface is switched off and completely cold, then deal with food debris with a cloth and kitchen spray. Grab your window vac, start from the top-left corner of your hob and work down in smooth strokes, moving slightly to the right each time.
• Cleaning your splashback Tough stains can ruin the look of your splashback, so scrub them away and then remove excess moisture using your window vac.

Want to get your whole kitchen spick-and-span? Discover the best steam cleaners – our recommended models take the hard work out of refreshing your floors and surfaces

4. Freshen up your mirrors

Be sure to give your mirrors some attention to keep them looking bright and sparkling.

Remove any dust around the mirror, spray your glass-cleaning solution and wipe with a dry microfibre cloth. Avoid using rough fibres to clean your mirrors, as they could cause scratches. If you're cleaning a bathroom mirror over the sink, move anything underneath that you don't want to get wet, such as toothbrushes.

Next, you can put your window vac to work. If you're cleaning a circular mirror, run the window vac around the edge of the glass before finishing with the centre.

Learn how to tackle dust, grease, odours and stains, with our walkthrough on tricks to help you blitz the big clean

5. Restore garden tables

If you're spending more time outdoors this summer, it might be helpful to know a window vac can help you maintain glass-topped garden furniture.

Use it to remove streaks after cleaning the surface with a spray and cloth.

This is often a simpler option than hosing the furniture down and helps avoid water marks.

Clean your car, patio or driveway with our pick of the best pressure washers

6. Clear your car windows

Your window vac isn't just for your home and garden; it can also be effective against streaky car windows. If your windows are covered in fingerprints or smudges (perhaps from an excitable child or pet), give it a go.

Spray the windows with a window cleaning solution and wipe away any dirt.

It might take some practice, especially when cleaning the inside windows where space is limited, but using the window vac at the right angles can give you great results.

We don't recommend using a window vac to clean the bodywork – tiny bits of debris caught in the vacuum head could rub against the paint and cause scratches. Instead, use a sponge or a lamb's-wool wash mitt.

Can a window vac help with condensation?

While a window vac can't prevent condensation during the winter months, it can be an effective tool for tackling it. By quickly sucking up excess moisture from windows, mirrors and other hard surfaces, it helps to prevent water from pooling and causing mould or damp issues.

Regular use can reduce the need for constant wiping, making it a handy solution during colder months when condensation is more common.

See our tips on how to stop condensation and our guide to the best dehumidifiers.

Which window vacs do we recommend?

Buying an underwhelming window vac means you'll struggle to get the spotless finish you want. To help you choose wisely, we've put several popular window vacs to the test.

As part of our testing, we spray the same amount of water evenly across a large glass panel and use the window vac to clean the water off multiple times. Our experts also judge the battery life and charging time of each window vac, taking into account how many minutes of use you get per minute of charge.

We've tested and rated several window vacs, and these are among the highest-scoring models:

You can join Which? to see our guide to the best window vacs.