Homemade Glass Cleaner: Simple and Effective.
2012
Homemade glass cleaner. So simple. So effective. Not sure why it took me so long to make the switch from the toxic blue stuff to my own natural version. In fact, my glass cleaner was one of the very last chemical products to leave my house. For quite some time I’d use my safe baking soda and vinegar solutions to clean my bathroom only to pull out some rubber gloves and the blue stuff to clean my mirrors. What was I thinking?
But that is a thing of the past because I love my homemade glass cleaner. And so will you.
Why ditch the blue stuff?
First of all, it’s blue. Maybe it’s just me, but the color alone scares me. I’m still not sure why chemical companies think we need to use “Liquitint Sky Blue Dye” in a cleaning product, but it’s there. Clearly.
Know what else is in there? Things like:
- Ammonia
- 2 Hexoxyethanol
- Ammonium Hydroxide
- Mirapol Surf S-210
- Viden EGM
- Sodium C14-17 Sec-Alkyl Sulfonat
- Synthetic Fragrances
There are a number of reasons why we should rethink toxic cleaners. Taking baby steps toward a toxic-free home isn’t very difficult. Just like making this homemade glass cleaner isn’t very difficult.
Did I mention that homemade glass cleaner is WAY cheaper?
Seriously, these ingredients are super inexpensive making homemade glass cleaner a no-brainer. Save money. Ditch the chemicals. Help the planet. I think that’s what they call a trifecta of green-living.
Homemade Glass Cleaner
Ingredients:
2 cups water
2 tsp corn starch (yes, corn starch)
1/4 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
1/4 cup white or apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice (option, but helps cut some of the strong vinegar/alcohol smell)
Directions:
Mix everything in a spray bottle and shake before use. Simple. The end.
I even let my little girl get her hands all over my mirror to show you the cleaning power of homemade glass cleaner. Check this out:
So there you have it. Do you use homemade glass cleaner? What is your recipe like?
If making your own cleaning products doesn’t appeal to you, be sure to check out some quality, safe, and non-toxic cleaning products for purchase in here.
This post is part of Wow Me Wednesday, The Mommy Club, Healthy 2Day, Make Your Own Monday, Motivation Monday, Monday Mania, Clever Chicks, Sweet Sharing Monday, Fat Tuesday, Party Wave Wednesday, and Frugal Days Sustainable Ways.
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Thanks for the tips/recipe for the homemade glass cleaner – I will have to give it a try!
Hope you like it, Summer.
This is great! I’ve been looking for a natural glass/mirror cleaner. Pinning!
Thanks, Lauren.
Thank you so much for posting this! We always try to use homemade or natural but I didn’t have anything for glass cleaner.
Glad to help, Kristiina.
This is great! I’m looking for something that is safe for wood floors too.
I think I might have something for wood floors. I need to check my files…
Mine’s even simpler
1/3 of vinegar, a drop of natural dishwashing soap and some water. I’ve considered adding some alcohol to make it dry faster but really, it’s not necessary.
I got my recipe over at http://www.leevoer.net (which is in Dutch) and lovin’ it!
Awesome!
Love this! I use vinegar and water and it is okay but not great. Will try this. Why the cornstarch? Definitely a surprise ingredient!!
The cornstarch helps with streaking. It seems to work for us.
This works fantastic! I even let my 4 year old help make it.
I love that you let your 4 year old help. THAT is why I love making my own (safe) stuff. Yay!
Thank you so much! I was wondering if there was a recipe out there without ammonia in it…! This will be great! I pinned!
hugs x
Crystelle
Hope you like it, Crystelle.
Interesting ingredients. I’ll have to give it a try. I like the idea of adding lemon to cut the vinegar smell. My husband hates it.
I’ve been using vinegar and water with crumpled newspaper. I’ve always been told that newspaper worked well for cleaning windows, but for some reason I never believed it…and I never had newspapers. This actually works great to eliminate streaks!
I’ve heard that, too. But like you, we never have newspapers around.
great recipe… love to see what the corn starch adds. I have been using a 1/3 each of H20, vinegar, and rubbing alcohol. I like using the wintergreen rubbing alcohol for the smell
not sure if this adds something nasty, but I love the smell…. I use it or hydrogen peroxide for disinfecting.
Awesome, Kirsten. The Cornstarch is pretty cool… helps with streaks.
This is great! Thanks so much for sharing. I’m trying to change my cleaning products to ones that are all-natural so this looks like a great substitute for the blue stuff
Found you via The Chicken Chick.
Thanks for stopping by, Tammy.
Great post – I love replacing the store bought stuff with healthier versions!
I would love to have you share this on Thursday at Tasty Traditions: http://myculturedpalate.com/
Thanks, Dina-Marie! I will definitely stop by and share.
Thank you for your submission on Nourishing Treasures’ Make Your Own! Monday link-up.
Check back tomorrow when the new link-up is running to see if you were one of the top 3 featured posts!
I made my own window cleaner for a while and then nearly ten years ago came across the microfiber cloths. For glass cleaning, one damp one and one dry one. No mixing at all. Cleans without anything but water and your cloth. Wipe the glass/window/mirror down with the damp one….buff dry with the dry one. Perfect. No streaks, no lint, no worry (and nothing to mix up!)
Use either wet, damp, or dry depending on what your job is. Toss in the wash when dirty. (I don’t use commercial detergents – I make my own laundry soap, and you don’t EVER want to use fabric softener on them – shame, shame – you shouldn’t be using it anyway!) You can either dry them in the dryer or hang to dry. They last forever.
Microfiber cloths get into cracks and crevices that no other cloth will reach, removing dirt and germs, and, they hold ten times their weight in water.
I use them as dish cloths (not dish towels – although you could….I just don’t like to touch them dry), and I can actually dry off a pot or pan with a WET microfiber dish cloth! I love these things. You can buy them anywhere and they are not expensive. Color code them for each job…..red -kitchen, blue-bathroom, green- windows/glass, orange-dusting/wiping, etc. You’ll be glad you did.
This is what I call serendipitous! I JUST read about these things a couple of hours before your comment. I’ll definitely have to check it out. Thanks!
I fell in love with microfiber! I use them to clean most everyhing! No more squabbles when the little ones help me clean. They get there own color and there own “zone” to clean. I love making my own homemade cleaning products, but the microfiber has put most of them out of commission.
Babs, is there a brand you recommend? I keep hearing people rave about microfiber, and I have a bunch that I use, but I just cannot make myself love them. All they seem to do is spread the water and lint around my countertops, especially the marble (I don’t notice as much on my laminate) and forget glass (I use newspaper).
Thanks for the recipe, Robin! I use vinegar and water with essential oils. Essential oils do a great job with scent (and cleaning, too, if you use a citrus oil). You should store in a glass spray bottle, though, because a high quality oil will pull the toxins right out of your plastic.
Does anyone know if the cornstarch can be replaced with arrowroot?
I haven’t tried it… but I usually find that the two can be used interchangeably pretty well in most everything else.
I use equal parts of vinegar and water with several drops of essential oil to clean windows, bathrooms, counters, etc. I also use micro fiber clothes to stop any streaking.
I need some micro fiber cloths, stat!
if you want, I can put you in touch with someone you can buy the cloths from. They are amazing!
This is a great recipe! I am headed to the grocery store today and will definitely pick up some corn starch so that I can try it! It will be a great tool to add to my “organic/green arsenal” Thanks for sharing!
Hope you like it!