Using a homemade glass cleaner to clean windows and mirrors is a safe and cheap way to get streak-free windows and mirrors. With all natural ingredients, making a diy window cleaner is safe and harmless to little ones. This simple recipe contains simple ingredients and can be made in minutes and used on other surfaces than just glass. Plus, you’ll save so much money! Whether you’re cleaning window glass surfaces or your bathroom mirror, this DIY cleaner, naturally gets the job done with no streaking!
I haven’t bought Windex in decades. Using vinegar, distilled water and essential oils has been my go-to. It was about time I shared this simple homemade window and glass cleaner. However, there are even more cleaning solution ingredient options for you to make your best homemade window cleaner for your home!
Why Make Your Own Window and Glass Cleaner?
One great reason to make your own glass cleaner is that homemade versions are safer than commercial glass cleaners like Windex. If your child or pet gets into this recipe, very little harm will be done. You also won’t need to worry when using it that you are inhaling harsh chemicals with strong odors. A store-bought glass cleaner is full of toxic chemicals.
The second reason is that you will save money. Making your own glass cleaner takes minutes and costs pennies! Windex is $4+ dollars these days!
Another great reason to make homemade window cleaner is that you can use this natural window cleaner recipe as an all-purpose cleaner. It can be used on car windows, shower doors, mirrors, countertops and appliances.
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Possible Ingredients To Use for Your Own Glass Cleaner:
There are so many homemade window cleaner recipes floating around the internet and Pinterest that it can be difficult to decide which is best for you. Below I’ve compiled popular natural ingredient options for cleaning glass. My recipe works best for me but you may want to experiment with other additives depending on your particular needs.
- Distilled water is the best since it is free of minerals that are typically in hard water and can cause water stains.
- Rubbing alcohol dissolves quickly reducing streaks and is a powerful solvent and disinfectant.
- White vinegar contains acetic acid which helps break down mineral deposits, water spots and stubborn grime without damaging surfaces.
- Corn starch can be used as a gentle abrasive that can help dislodge stubborn particles on dirty windows.
- Baking soda is more abrasive substance but can also help remove mineral deposits, filmy residue and other particles. Use with caution. On major hard water spots I make it into a paste and scrub it on the windows rather than adding it into the spray.
- Essential oils can help dissolve oils and greasy smudges, customize your homemade solutions and will give a streak-free finish. Citrus essential oils in particular have cleansing properties.
- Liquid dish soap, when used very sparingly, can remove grease and buildup but if too much is added, streaks can be a problem. Dawn dish soap is the best commercial dish soap when it comes to de-greasing.
- Lemon juice is mildly acidic and cuts through grease and grime easily.
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What You Need to Make Homemade Window Cleaner:
- Empty Spray Bottle (16 oz.)
- Microfiber Cloth or Lint Free Cloth
- Funnel
- 1 cup Distilled Water
- 1 cup White Vinegar
- 10 drops Lemon Essential Oil
- 5 drops Lavender Essential Oil or Tea Tree Essential Oil
The Best (and easiest) Homemade Window Cleaner Recipe!
Make your own homemade window and glass cleaner within in seconds and with only 2 affordable ingredients-one being water!! Add in essential oils, lemon or corn starch for extra de gunking power or not! You can make this recipe as easy or as extra as you like!
Materials
- 1 cup Distilled Water
- 1 cup White Vinegar
- 10 drops Lemon Essential Oil
- 5 drops Lavender Essential Oil or Tea Tree Essential Oil
Tools
- Empty Spray Bottle (16 oz.)
- Microfiber Cloth or Lint Free Cloth
- Funnel
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a clean spray bottle. I recommend using a funnel.
- Replace the spray cap and shake the ingredients to combine.
Notes
This recipe makes 16 oz.
Recipe Notes:
If you’ve washed your glass for years with Windex or Formula 409 your glass will have a subtle waxy film. By adding dish soap you can eliminate this quite easily.
**For extra grease cutting action add 5-10 drops of dish soap to this recipe.
When adding essential oils to my cleaning products, I do compromise on essential oil quality. I buy 4 oz. bottles from THIS brand and only use them in DIY cleaning products. You will find the scents don’t compare to a higher quality of essential oil but when it comes to household chores and DIY cleaning products, I prefer to save money in this way. Since I remake this product over and over, it makes sense. If you are just trying out this DIY, feel free to use your higher quality oils if that’s what you have on hand. Once you decide if this is something you’ll remake you can consider buying large bottles of a cheaper essential oil.
This recipe makes 16 oz. Because it contains half vinegar, it does have a smell initially but dissipates after a few minutes of cleaning. See below if you would rather make an alcohol based recipe to avoid the vinegar smell.
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Alcohol Based Glass Cleaner Recipe:
If you are looking for a multi-purpose cleaner that will clean bacteria and germs as well as give you a streak-free shine, I recommend using rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol).
- 1 cup of Distilled Water
- 1 cup of Rubbing Alcohol
- 1 tbsp. White Vinegar
This is a great recipe for all surfaces including door knobs and handles.
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Tips and Tricks for Streak-Free Shine:
- Use the right tools. A microfiber cloth or lint-free cloth is best. A squeegee is also a great addition. Paper towels actually leave dust and lint. Believe it or not, coffee filters work great too!
- Avoid cleaning the windows in the heat of the day. Hot glass will make your glass cleaner spray dry out too quickly and this could leave streaks and spots. A cloudy day is a good day to clean windows, especially outside windows.
- After spraying, wait before you wipe. If you allow the window cleaner to sit, it has time to loosen dirt and grime.
- Using a dry, clean microfiber cloth, remove dust and loose dirt first to get better streak-free results.
- Clean your windows with warm water. Warm or hot water has a better ability to clean more thoroughly.
Making your own window cleaner is so easy and definitely one of the homemade cleaners that blow a commercial cleaner out of the water. Do yourself and your household a favor and make this DIY recipe. This homemade window cleaner is cheap and crazy effective! Don’t forget to check out all my household DIY recipes.
xx, Jenni
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