Four Alternative Ways To Clean Windows
- Vinegar. Make a solution of a ½ teaspoon of liquid soap, ¼ cup vinegar (white) and 2 cups water, and mix it in a spray bottle.
- Ammonia. Ammonia is the main ingredient used in most commercial window cleaners, and it can be more effective than vinegar.
- Lemon.
- Rubbing Alcohol for Small Projects.
All you need to do is buff the glass with a dry cloth. Remember, reach for a dry microfiber cloth rather than a cotton or paper towel. There's no need to go over the entire surface. Just buff the streaks out when you notice them.
Green Living, from National Geographic, recommends this simple recipe, plus a few extra tips for the best window cleaning outcome. In a spray bottle, mix 50% distilled vinegar (white) and 50% tap water. For extremely grimy glass, prewash with very soapy water, then go to the vinegar spray.
Homemade Streak-Free Window Cleaner
- 1/2 bottle of Jet Dry rinse aid (or approximately 3 1/2 ounces)
- 4 Tablespoons rubbing alcohol.
- 1/4 cup ammonia.
- 1/4 cup dishwashing detergent.
- 2 gallons of hot water.
Green Living, from National Geographic, recommends this simple recipe, plus a few extra tips for the best window cleaning outcome. In a spray bottle, mix 50% distilled vinegar (white) and 50% tap water. For extremely grimy glass, prewash with very soapy water, then go to the vinegar spray.
Instead of buying a new spray bottle, just use the empty Windex one. You'll need about half a cup of vinegar for every cup of rubbing alcohol, plus two cups of water. Shake it up in the bottle and you're good to go. For the best streak-free results, clean glass using newspaper instead of paper towel.
Fill an empty spray bottle with: 1 tablespoon liquid "Jet Dry" 3 tablespoons blue Dawn dish soap Fill to the top with water, shake. Spray your wet windows with the solution, scrub all over with a sponge, immediately wash off, that's it!
Green Living, from National Geographic, recommends this simple recipe, plus a few extra tips for the best window cleaning outcome. In a spray bottle, mix 50% distilled vinegar (white) and 50% tap water. For extremely grimy glass, prewash with very soapy water, then go to the vinegar spray.
Mix one part distilled vinegar to 10 parts warm water in a spray bottle. Wipe down the window with a a soft, clean, lint-free microfiber cloth or paper towel to remove dust before you spray your solution, then spray the entire surface.
INGREDIENTS
- 1⁄2 cup ammonia.
- cups rubbing alcohol.
- teaspoon Joy dishwashing soap.
- gallon water, up to.
Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner
- 3/4 cup hydrogen peroxide.
- 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar.
- 1 teaspoon unscented liquid Castile soap.
- 10 drops tea tree oil.
- 20 drops lavender essential oil.
- 2 cups water.
Mix together the water and vinegar in a
spray bottle, using a funnel as needed. Vinegar is
naturally antibacterial and antifungal and will
naturally clean your home.
What You'll Need:
- 3 cups water.
- 1/2 cup white vinegar.
- Spray bottle.
- Funnel (optional)
- 15 drops lavender or tea tree essential oil.
Vinegar. Make a solution of a ½ teaspoon of liquid soap, ¼ cup vinegar (white) and 2 cups water, and mix it in a spray bottle. This combination will be streak-free and will take off the residue left by other cleaners. Spray on and wipe off with a lint-free cloth or squeegee.
Car Wash Soap Alternatives
- Dish Liquid Soap. Dish liquid soap is formulated to cut through grease, which is what makes it highly effective for cleaning up utensils.
- Laundry Detergent.
- Hand Soap.
- Baby Shampoo.
- Wheel Cleaner.
- Baking Soda.
- Regular Household Cleaners.
- Hair Conditioner.
Recipes for Vinegar Window Washing Solution
- Mix one part hot water to one part distilled vinegar.
- Sponge cleaning: Moisten the window, using the solution, then clean.
- Squeegee cleaning: Always dampen the squeegee first and clean from the top down, wiping the edge of the squeegee after every stroke.
To make all-purpose cleaner, pour 1/2 cup of the vinegar into a spray bottle. Add in 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon castile soap, and 20 drops lemon essential oil, if using. Screw on lid and shake well. To use: shake the mixture well, and then spray onto surface and wipe clean with a damp cloth.
In a 16 oz. glass spray bottle, combine 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 3/4 cups water, 30 drops essential oil (combos could be 15 drops each, lavender and lemon; 10 drops each, eucalyptus, peppermint and wild orange; 15 drops grapefruit and 15 drops lavender; or 30 drops Protective Blend).
Corn starch naturally buffs away buildup on your mirror, really adding something to this cleaner. Now add the
vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and
water.
What You'll Need:
- Spray bottle.
- Funnel (optional)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch.
- 1/2 cup vinegar.
- 1/4 cup isopropyl rubbing alcohol.
- 1 1/2 cups water.
Making Liquid Cleaners. Mix equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle. Use distilled white vinegar and, if possible, distilled or filtered water. If you don't have those on hand, tap water will work fine.
It's simple: mix 2 tablespoons of white vinegar with a gallon of water, and dispense into a used spray bottle. Squirt on, then scrub with newspaper, not paper towels, which cause streaking.
When your water becomes so dirty that it's no longer clean and clear, dump the water and replace it with fresh cleaning solution if you still have more windows to clean. Dirty water will leave dirt and dust deposits on the glass, and this will create streaks.
Use one cup of rubbing alcohol, one cup of water, and one tablespoon of vinegar per batch. Fill the spray bottle and use as a glass cleaner.
If you're trying to do away with paper towels (see How To Go Paper Towel-Less in the Kitchen) while minimizing your laundry but still need to clean your windows, consider using newspaper. Not only does it work really well, the paper and ink acts as a light abrasive to give you really clean windows.
