http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-best-window-cleaner.html
The Best Window Cleaner
By Annie B. Bond, executive producer of Care2's Green Living
A little dab of this and that from your kitchen cupboard will provide you with the
best window cleaner!
Around Earth Day 1990, every newspaper in the country (or so it seemed) offered recipes for non-toxic cleaning with the basics we all have in our kitchen cupboards, and the recipe for windows was invariably just plain vinegar and water with the option of drying the windows with old newspapers.
People by the thousands tried this and swore off cleaning with homemade recipes for good because the formula left streaks on their windows.
Unfortunately, the commercial products they had used for so many years had left a wax buildup and vinegar alone wouldn’t do the job of removing the residue. Adding dab of dish soap to the vinegar and water would have removed the buildup.
THE BEST WINDOW CLEANER
Make a great all-purpose window cleaner by combining 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon liquid soap or detergent, and 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. Combine in a spray bottle. Shake to blend.
More on Non-Toxic Cleaning (110 articles available)
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92 comments
add your comment »I love this glass-cleaning formula. It gets my mirrors and windows cleaner than any commercial formula I've ever tried.
Since I can't recycle the newspaper after I use it to clean my mirrors and windows, I set it aside and let it dry out. Then I use it in my charcoal tower when I'm starting charcoal for my grill. We love to grill, and this is a great way to get multiple uses out of one piece of newspaper. (If you don't have a charcoal tower, you should be able to find one at your local hardware store. Lighter fluid is *not* good eats!)
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The living areas of our home are above the basement and the garage, so our windows are very high off the ground. Without climbing a ladder, is there a way to clean the outside of the windows with a sprayer of some kind, and use the safe mixtures?
Thanks!
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Hi Ladies!
I have a question. If I find a completely natural commercial product (made from corn and coconuts) that is so concentrated that the concentrate bottle will last years and make dozens and dozens of gallons of window/glass/mirror (for just 1 penny per gallon) and in another spray bottle make dozens and dozens of gallons of heavy duty cleaner (for just 21 cents per gallon) that takes out just about every stain/spot imaginable Why would you NOT use it? Why would you not forgo the 400 versus a dozen empty containers when using vinegar and water for my stuff?
Steve
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a spray bottle - what size? how much water? can you give more exact proportions of water to (vinegar+dishsoap)? and (3% peroxide)?
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Hi Loretta, I did a Google search for peroxide uses, and it seems a little risky. Even a 3% solution will whiten. It doesn't hurt your hands at all? Thanks for your feedback. Annie, your comments are always welcomed!!! Patti http://www.BlissKitchen.com
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I have heard so many good things about peroxide but have never tried it for cleaning. I will now!
Thanks for your tips....
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We do use a spray bottle of water with about a 1/4 cup of white vinegar and a few drops of natural dishsoap for general cleanup and windows. It really works so well!
For the bathroom and any other germy spots, a spray bottle with plain 3% peroxide works great for mirrors, toilet, and countertops. I like to breath deeply while spraying for a boost of oxygen. Both cleaners are cheap and work better or at least as well as any glass cleaner could.
Thanks for all the good tips,
Joy
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Hi Trudie...
What a great idea! I am going to try the microfiber cloth. Thanks for the tips on taking care of the cloth.
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I use water (in a spray bottle) and a microfiber cloth (in auto supplies at most dollar stores) and lightly spray the window, wiping off with the microfiber cloth. No cleaners necessary. Be advised you can machine wash the cloths, NO softener & no dryer...just air dry & they last a very long time. If put in the dryer they shrink & softener ruins them.
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Hi Jill,
I think that's how my grandmother did it....in fact I think that's how my great-grandmother did it, too. Some good ideas have been around for a long time. This all probably started before the advent of chemical cleaners and it works!
Good for you....!!!
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