Most homeowners take pride in keeping their living spaces neat and welcoming. Counters get wiped down, carpets vacuumed, and windows polished until they sparkle. But there’s one often-forgotten detail that quietly undermines all your hard work: window tracks.

Window tracks—the narrow grooves that allow your windows to slide open and shut—are some of the dirtiest and most neglected parts of any home. While the glass gets washed and the frames dusted, the tracks are often left untouched, quietly collecting dust, dirt, mold, and even pests. What seems like a minor oversight can quickly become a major source of problems.

Neglecting your window tracks doesn’t just make your windows harder to open; it also impacts the air you breathe, the cleanliness of your home, and even the value of your property. Dirt-filled tracks can spread allergens through the air, create musty odors, attract insects, and even cause long-term damage to your windows.