If your Gulf-side windows look fine at noon and cloudy at sunset, that's salt. Here's where it comes from and what to do about it.
Where it comes from
Waves breaking on the beach throw fine droplets of seawater into the air, and onshore wind carries them inland. When a droplet lands on glass and the water evaporates, the salt stays. Glass facing the Gulf, and upper floors with nothing in front of them, collect the most. A house a few streets back gets less, but not none.
Why it sticks
Salt pulls moisture out of humid air. On a muggy 30A morning, a salty window stays a little damp, and damp glass holds onto sand and pollen. Over a few weeks that turns into the gritty, even haze you see in low light.
What not to do
- Don't wipe it dry. Salt crystals and beach sand drag across the glass and can scratch it.
- Don't hose it off with sprinkler or well water. The salt may go, but the minerals in the hose water dry into spots, and those spots are harder to remove than the salt was.
- Don't expect spray glass cleaner to do much on a big window. It tends to smear salt around rather than lift it.
What works
Plenty of water, a soft brush, and a rinse that doesn't leave minerals behind. That's how we clean outside glass: a water-fed pole with filtered water. Fresh salt film comes off easily that way. Film that's sat through a summer of heat and storms takes more work.
How often
Glass that faces the Gulf usually looks best cleaned every month or two. Houses set back from the water can go every three months. That's why our plans run monthly, every two months or quarterly. Waiting for the view to go cloudy means every visit starts from the hardest point.
