Windows are cleaner with no streaks if you use one kitchen ingredient - not vinegar

Getting a streak-free finish when cleaning the windows can feel a bit like a chore. But one expert says there's a household essential that will get you a cleaner looking finish.

According to cleaning expert Emma Morris, you should start off by using a high-quality squeegee. She says the optimal squeegee has a soft sponge on one side and a rubber back on the other. Emma recommends investing in something that is "going to last long term". She then suggests using water with a little bit of washing-up liquid and a microfibre cloth to get a better finish.

Speaking to ABC News, she said: "Go over the window with the soft side of the squeegee, squeegee it off with the rubber side, and the microfibre cloth just takes off any of those water marks that might be left ... so there's a streak-free shine."

Emma suggests using whatever washing up liquid is "on special". Although she steers away from brand-name cleaning sprays.

She also suggests using lukewarm water, particularly in areas that are warmer as windows are susceptible to cracking. Emma believes that products not specifically designed for window cleaning should be avoided.

She claims they leave windows "smudged" and make it more difficult to get that elusive streak-free finish. Another product she avoids is vinegar.

Although it is often seen as a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly solution, Emma explains that vinegar can attract unwanted flies. Emma's tip for using washing up liquid on your windows has previously been supported by experts at Rightmove.

They suggest using a tablespoon of washing up liquid with some warm water to make the perfect window cleaner. The property selling website said: "Get your bucket and fill it with warm water, then add a few drops (about a tablespoonful) of washing-up liquid.

"What you don't want here is bubbles in the bucket. If you put too much detergent in and you create a foam, start again - soap equals streaks."

The website however offered a word of caution for those difficult upstairs windows. It warns homeowners it could be best to use a window cleaner instead of trying to take your bucket up a ladder, to avoid it sloshing about everywhere.

The website also recommends using a "light wash" across the whole window pane. It says you should only need to scrub harder to remove difficult marks, such as tree sap.

According to Rightmove, the "important part" is making sure you remove the water from the window. It adds: "You can't call your windows clean until this part is over, because they are essentially coated in dirty water. If you let the water evaporate, the dirt will remain, only now it'll be mixed with sticky soap."