How To Make Homemade Window Cleaner
Learn how to make the best homemade window cleaner solutions. We have the best tips for cleaning glass with dish soap, vinegar, alcohol, and lemon juice.
Why cleaning your windows is important
Other than enjoying a better, clearer view there are many reasons why you should clean your windows. Leaving the glass dirty for long periods of time could damage and degrade the glass.
Being exposed to the elements, acid rain and dirt slowly corrode the glass leaving behind cracks and scratches. Not to mention how dust and dirt can reflect the sun’s UV rays deteriorating heating efficiency in your home. In addition, mould build-up can diminish the air quality.
How often should you clean your windows?
In general, the inside of your windows should be cleaned seasonally, a minimum of every 3-4 months while the exterior should be cleaned at least twice a year.
How often you clean your windows could depend on where you live. If you live in an area with a lot of traffic, high winds, and lots of rain, this could mean that you would need to clean your windows more often than others.
Why make your own window cleaning solution?
Commercial window cleaning products contain a lot of harsh chemicals like ammonia or harmful sulfates that could hurt your skin or cause respiration problems when inhaled.
By making your own homemade window cleaner you can protect your family and avoid causing any damage to the environment.
The best home-made window cleaning solutions
We’ve come up with the best homemade solutions to clean your windows. All of the ingredients should be easy to find in your home.
With so many ways to make homemade window cleaner, there is no real excuse holding you back.
Method 1: Cleaning your windows with dish soap
Ingredients:
- 2 cups hot water
- A few drops of liquid dish soap
This is undeniably one of the easiest and simplest homemade window/glass cleaners. Mix the hot water with a few drops of liquid dish soap in a bucket. Dip a microfibre cloth into the bucket, squeeze out any excess water, and wipe your windows.
Cold water will do the trick, but using hot or warm water is advisable as it is known for better collecting and removing dirt.
Method 2: Cleaning your windows with vinegar
Ingredients:
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- Essential oil (optional)
For homemade window cleaner with vinegar, heat up a cup of water on the stove and then add one cup of distilled white vinegar and stir together. To keep things smelling fresh, you can add a few drops of essential oil to the mixture to offset the smell of the white vinegar.
Pour the mixture into a glass spray bottle for easier use and better storage.
Method 3: Cleaning your windows with rubbing alcohol
Ingredients:
- 1-2 cups of water
- ½ cup of rubbing alcohol
- ¼ cup of white vinegar
Start by pouring both the rubbing alcohol and the white vinegar into a glass spray bottle and then add water to the mixture. To make sure the three ingredients mix well, shake the bottle vigorously for a few seconds. Make sure to store the bottle somewhere safe and away from children or any heat when you are not using it as alcohol is a highly flammable substance.
The secret behind rubbing alcohol is that it evaporates quickly in a way that doesn’t leave behind any streaks and at the same time gives the glass a beautiful shine.
Method 4: Cleaning your windows with lemon juice
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 2 cups club soda
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- Water (optional)
Mix the lemon juice and club soda in a glass spray bottle and add the cornstarch to the mix. Make sure the cornstarch dissolves completely so it doesn’t clog up the nozzle of the spray bottle.
Cornstarch makes it easier to scrub away any accumulated dirt. You could add water along with the club soda but make sure you don't add too much or you would run the risk of diluting the mixture too much.
Professional tips on cleaning windows
When cleaning your windows, you should always use a microfibre cloth to wipe the glass to make sure no lints are left behind. Newspaper is a good alternative to microfibre cloth because it is highly absorbent and made from dense fibres that make it soft on glass.
In the spirit of being environmentally friendly, use a glass spray bottle when storing homemade window cleaner instead of a plastic bottle.
Finally, when you clean your windows start from the top to the bottom to make sure that the cleaning solution doesn’t drip into areas that you went over already.
If this sounds like hard work, why not head to our website and hire a cleaner?