It’s understandable if you’re not clamoring to take on this chore, but we promise it can bring immediate rewards in quality of light, freshness of air, and more. Besides, we’re making it easy with step-by-step instructions and expert advice from professional window washer Micah Nijjar of Micah’s Window Cleaning in the San Francisco Bay Area.

One note before we dive in: Remember that insect screens are for keeping bugs out, not people in. Always take care to keep children safe around open windows — find tips about window safety here.

Here’s the equipment you’ll need:

• Bucket.
• Cleaning solution — Nijjar recommends 2 to 3 gallons of water with a 10-second squeeze of dish soap.
• A T-bar scrubber

From the inside, open the latches locking your insect screen into the frame. Gently push it out of its track or channel. You should now be able to go outside and remove it completely.

Inspect your insect screen for any torn or damaged mesh — this will help keep bugs and rodents out of your home. If it’s time to replace, consider upgrading to a TruScene® insect screen, which lets in 25% more fresh air and provides 50% more clarity than our conventional aluminum insect screens.

Here’s Nijjar’s pro method for cleaning an insect screen:

Start by hosing down the insect screen. Then, dunk your T-bar scrubber in your cleaning solution and scrub both the front and back with light pressure. Tap each side lightly on a plastic surface, like your bucket, to help remove the soapy mixture. Hose it off and leave it to air dry.