Dry PTFE's a solid tip, hadn't thought of that one. I've mostly stuck with silicone sprays, but yeah, the dust attraction is annoying. Might give PTFE a go next time—anything to cut down on cleaning chores sounds good to me...
Dry PTFE's been my go-to for a while now, honestly. Silicone sprays work fine at first, but like you said, dust sticks to them like crazy. Switched over after I noticed the silicone was actually making my window tracks gunkier in the long run—ended up spending more time cleaning out that sticky mess than I'd like. PTFE stays cleaner way longer, and the windows glide smoother too. Worth giving it a shot next time you're doing maintenance...
Dry PTFE's solid, but honestly, I've had decent luck with graphite powder too. Messy at first, yeah, but once you get the hang of applying it sparingly, it keeps things sliding smooth without attracting dust. Silicone sprays drove me nuts—always ended up with that gummy buildup after a few months. PTFE's cleaner for sure, but graphite's another good option if you're looking to experiment a bit...
Graphite powder's decent, but I gave up on it after my wife nearly banned me from the house—got it everywhere the first time. Switched to candle wax years ago. Just rub a bit along the tracks every spring, and windows glide easy without any mess or buildup. Old-school trick from my dad, still works like a charm. Plus, no weird residue or attracting dust...win-win.
Candle wax is definitely cleaner than graphite, but have you noticed any issues with wax buildup over time? I've used silicone spray myself—it's pretty mess-free and doesn't attract dust either. Only downside is you gotta be careful not to overspray onto the glass itself...can get slippery. Curious if anyone's compared silicone spray directly with candle wax for long-term effectiveness or ease of application?
"Only downside is you gotta be careful not to overspray onto the glass itself...can get slippery."
Yeah, silicone spray can definitely be slippery if you're not careful—I learned that the hard way after nearly losing my grip on a window once! Personally, I've found candle wax effective, but buildup can be annoying after a while. Has anyone tried beeswax instead? Heard it's smoother and less prone to buildup, plus eco-friendly too. Wondering how it stacks up against silicone spray in terms of ease and long-term results...
I've messed around with beeswax a bit, and honestly, it's not bad. Definitely smoother than candle wax, and you don't get that flaky buildup as quickly. But here's the catch—it's still wax. Eventually, dust and grime stick to it, and you end up needing to clean it off and reapply every so often anyway. Not the end of the world, but still a bit of a hassle.
One thing I've tried that surprised me was actually graphite powder. Yeah, the same stuff you'd use on locks or hinges. It's dry, doesn't attract dust like waxes or silicone sprays, and it lasts a surprisingly long time. The downside is it's messy when applying—my hands looked like I'd been fingerprinted at the police station—but once it's on, it's pretty clean. Just gotta be careful not to smear it all over your window frames in the process.
Also, just a side note on silicone spray: I get the slippery glass thing, but my bigger gripe was how it seemed to attract dust after a while. Maybe it's just me, but after a couple months, my windows looked dirtier than before I started. Anyone else notice that?
Anyway, there's probably no perfect solution here—each method has its quirks. But hey, if it keeps me from having to replace windows anytime soon, I'll deal with a little graphite mess or beeswax buildup now and then...
Graphite powder, huh? I tried that once on some stubborn sliding patio doors, and yeah, my hands looked like I'd been digging coal mines all day. Worked great though—doors slid like butter for months. But man, the cleanup afterward... I swear I was finding graphite smudges on random surfaces for weeks.
I've had mixed luck with silicone spray too. It starts off amazing, but you're right about the dust attraction. After a while, it felt like my windows were dirt magnets. Beeswax is decent, but honestly, I've found car wax to be a pretty solid middle ground. It goes on easy, buffs out clear, and doesn't seem to attract as much grime as silicone. Sure, you still gotta reapply every now and then, but it's less messy than graphite and less sticky than beeswax.
At the end of the day though, windows are just one of those things—no matter what you do, they're gonna need some TLC eventually. Still beats replacing them every few years...
"I've found car wax to be a pretty solid middle ground."
Interesting, never thought about car wax for windows...does it leave any streaks or haze in direct sunlight? I've been using silicone spray, but the dust buildup drives me nuts after a while.
I've messed around with car wax on windows before, and honestly, it can be hit or miss. If you buff it out really well, it's usually fine, but if you're in a hurry (like I usually am), you'll probably end up with some annoying streaks when the sun hits just right. Silicone spray drove me nuts too—dust magnet city. Lately, I've been using Rain-X glass treatment instead...pretty easy to apply, and no dust issues so far.