As residents of Arizona, we realize that there are few times each year when we can open the windows and really enjoy the beautiful weather. Unfortunately, the windows are often the most neglected item in our homes. Over the years windows can become hard to open as the mechanical parts degrade and dust accumulates in the tracks. It is a good idea to maintain your windows at least once a year with proper adjustment and/or lubrication. The vertical sliding windows in your home have special springs and moving parts that are often coated with a thin layer of lubricant; when the windows are being used regularly this keeps the window parts functioning properly. However, if the window goes long periods of time in the closed position, dust and dirt can accumulate on the exposed portion of spring making the component gritty. This grit can accelerate the failure of the part and give the window an overall sticky feeling. Horizontal sliding windows suffer from a similar fate when left unused for extended periods of time. Dust and debris that accumulates in the track gathers on the rollers causing the window to be difficult to open, close and lock. To further complicate matters, if you are not the original owner of the home, you have to worry about the previous owner's maintenance habits.