4 Things to Know About Cleaning Window Screens

Use dish soap and a soft brush Pop the screen out, lay it flat, scrub gently with soapy water, rinse with a hose, and let it dry completely before reinstalling.

Check for tears, bent frames, and loose spline While the screen is off, inspect the mesh for rips, the frame for bends, and the rubber spline cord holding the screen in place.

Ignore small pinholes, replace big rips Tiny holes don’t matter. For large tears, replace the mesh or buy a new screen—they’re cheap enough to swap out.

Re-spline sagging screens yourself If the screen is stretched or loose, you can fix it with a new spline cord and a spline roller for just a few dollars.