As the world goes green, more households are looking for simple remedies to manage their cleaning needs. Families want simple solutions that are inexpensive and free of harmful chemicals, and many seek out options that are better for the environment, too. Gone are the days when we were woefully unaware of the dangers of common cleaning supplies. In the age of the internet, why not create the perfect homemade window cleaning solution yourself?
If you are looking for an at-home recipe to clean your windows, it’s easy to whip up your own potion. There are a lot of different ingredients that you can use to cleanse your windows and create your desired result. Try mixing things up yourself to see what works best.
We recommend using the following ingredients as a base for your cleaner, along with water. Depending on the size of the job – and your spray bottle – you can use anywhere from half a cup to half a litre. We have listed them in order from least to most powerful, so keep this in mind while creating your mixture. For example, you may want to use less ammonia than you would vinegar because the latter is not as strong. We also don’t recommend mixing vinegar with ammonia, as this will reduce the effectiveness of both.
Base Ingredients
Start your solution by adding one of the following ingredients with water.
1. White Vinegar
A go-to for nearly any cleaning task, white vinegar is a great ingredient for glass and window spray. Because of its high acidity, white vinegar easily cuts through grease and grime which is why it is so popular in home cleaning remedies. The acidity in vinegar is also powerful enough to destroy germs and kill bacteria. Although vinegar is not a good cleaning option for some surfaces, such as granite, marble, and other stone tiles and materials, it is a great ingredient to include in your homemade window spray. The acidic composition also helps to quickly do away with any filmy residues that other cleaners may have left behind.
2. Rubbing Alcohol
Good old-fashioned rubbing alcohol is another superb ingredient for all of your glass and window cleaning needs. Adding rubbing alcohol to your mix can help to reduce streaking: the high rate of evaporation that this liquid encourages will stop smears from being left behind. Rubbing alcohol is another great option for the germaphobes in your house, as it sterilizes and disinfects the surfaces you use it on. Bear in mind that rubbing alcohol is highly flammable, so don’t use it to clean around your favourite candle or any other open flames.
3. Ammonia
Ammonia is an excellent glass cleaner that you are probably already familiar with – many popular brands use this strong-smelling ingredient due to its effectiveness in creating clean and pristine windows, mirrors, and glass. However, ammonia is the most toxic and hazardous ingredient we have on our list. We recommend that you use great caution when experimenting with ammonia for home cleaning, as exposure to this liquid in high concentrations can cause immediate irritation to your eyes, nose, throat, and respiratory tract. If you are going to use ammonia in your home cleaner, be sure you are only using a small amount – spraying and inhaling ammonia can damage your lungs. Ammonia is popular in cleaning products because of its fast evaporation: this characteristic in glass cleaners means that streaks and water spots are a non-factor.
Into the Mix
Now that we have gone over some base ingredients for your best at-home window cleaner, what are some other things that might perfect your recipe? The following ingredients are great additions to an already powerful home cleaning solution. We using recommend anywhere from a drop to a teaspoon.
Dish Soap
Dish soap is a simple yet powerful addition to your home glass cleaner because of its ability to cut through grease, removing sticky fingerprints and stuck-on grime.
Essential Oils
If you would like to add a little flair and fragrance to your recipe, consider a few drops of your favourite essential oil. We recommend lemon, tea tree, or eucalyptus for a fresh, clean scent.
Corn Starch
Although this is a bit of an unusual ingredient, cornstarch is great for your at-home cleaner due to its gentle ability to scour tough, stuck-on grime. It won’t scratch your glass, but it will remove those bits of ick that otherwise seem to stay.
All in a Bottle
We encourage you to mix and match these ingredients to find the best solution for your window cleaning needs. Whether you are dealing with a tidy kitchen or a dusty, muddy shop, these ingredients are sure to create a streak-free shine.