If the bottom half of your downstairs windows looks "foggy" no matter how hard you scrub, you're not crazy and you don't need new glass — yet.
You're looking at hard water staining, and it's almost always caused by one thing: a sprinkler head pointed the wrong way.
What's actually happening
Tap water in our area has dissolved calcium and magnesium. When sprinkler spray hits hot glass and evaporates, those minerals stay behind. After a few weeks they crystallize. After a few months they bond to the silica in the glass itself.
Soap and a squeegee won't touch it. That's why your normal cleaner can't get rid of it.
How to stop it
- Walk your yard during the next sprinkler cycle.
- Note any head spraying onto a window — even a few drops add up.
- Adjust the arc, swap the nozzle, or move the head two feet.
That single fix prevents the problem from coming back.
Restoring stained glass
Mild stains come off with a professional acidic cleaner and a polishing pad. Severe stains need a polishing compound and a slow-speed buffer — basically resurfacing the top micro-layer of glass.
We offer hard-water restoration as an add-on to a regular clean. Most homes need it once, then never again after the sprinkler is fixed.