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The Best Window Cleaner

a Care2 favorite by Annie B. Bond
The Best Window Cleaner
102 comments

A little dab of this and that from your kitchen cupboard will provide you with the best window cleaner!

Around Earth Day 1990, many newspapers offered recipes for non-toxic cleaning with the basics we all have in our kitchen cupboards, and the recipe was just plain vinegar and water with the option of drying the windows with old newspapers.

People by the thousands tried this but ended up swearing off cleaning with homemade recipes 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.

The good news though: Adding a dab of dish soap to the vinegar and water will remove 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. Shake to blend and spray on your windows!

More on Healthy Home (154 articles available)
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102 comments add your comment
Carlos R.

I scrub the window with soapy water and squeegee it off

Jen Stewart

If you haven't heard about Microfiber, you gotta try it!
These cloths are my fool proof way to streak free windows. I love mine from Norwex.
Just spray with water and wipe with their Antibac Window Cloth.
Super fast, super easy, super cost effective.
Not sure when Microfiber will be known to the masses. I didn't know about them until about 6 months ago. I sure wished I'd heard about them 10 years ago, when they first came out. It would have saved me a lot of vinegar and swearing!
www.NorwexEcoMom.com

Ecodiva Green

There is a great company that doesn't use all those harsh chemicals in their household cleaning products and instead uses tea tree oil, citric acid and thyme oil.

I also received $120 worth of products from the company as a new customer to try their products. If you'd like to know more you can email me at nicolemillercosmetics@gmail.com

...and all their household cleaners are super concentrated as the company doesn't believe they should charge you for water and of course it cuts down on plastic use for packaging.

Cheers ;)

John T.
  • John T. says
  • Sep 8, 2009 10:26 AM

Newsprint worked 20 years ago because back then it was made of linen. Nowadays, you might as well clean your windows with used printer paper rather than newspaper. It'll work better, probably. I like a shammy for windows: incredibly absorbant and never leaves any "fur" on the windows. Try the green section of your health food store for recycled alternatives.

Elly Yule

Not washing your windows is real bad Feng Shui. Also my Native Elders were always going on about the importance of clean windows. (So you can see what is going on in your life, so that you don't miss opportunities, so that get the best light into your home thereby raising the vibration of it, etc etc).
Clean your windows and see your health improve and wealth start to return to your home.
Blessings
http://grassdanceressences.com - Healing Energy from Nature

Cheryl Sajet

My mother had a home with 25 on the main level & she swore by newspaper. (I never use newspaper & don't even read one, unless it is delivered to my hotel room! I don't use it when moving either, it leaves ink/print on items. I lived near an airport & windows had to be cleaned because of jet fuel residue. I always found that using some warm soapy water first, worked no matter what is used following.

 .
  • . says
  • May 4, 2009 2:04 PM

I agree with Steven about not washing windows! I always say that's what sheers and blinds are for.

maury h.

Newsprint is TOXIC!

Steven K.

The best scenario I have come up with is not washing my windows at all :)

Dennis M.

I never mix acids (vinegar) and alkalines (dish soap)to make cleaning solutions. This was the advice of my high school chemistry teacher, since acids and alkalines neutralize each other and reduce their individual effectiveness. So, how is it that vinegar + dishsoap makes "the best" glass cleaner?

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  • Excerpt: [...] Best Window Cleaner - I found this recipe online: Make a great all-purpose window cleaner by combining 1/4 ...
  • Blog: Yurto » » The Best Window Cleaners
  • Tracked: Mar 10, 2009 1:51 am
  • Excerpt: [...] found this recipe and tried it out for the first time.  It works!  So, I just want to share ...
  • Blog: ddh » homemade window cleaner
  • Tracked: Jan 15, 2009 8:23 am

Disclaimer: Care2.com does not warrant and shall have no liability for information provided in this newsletter or on Care2.com. Each individual person, fabric, or material may react differently to a particular suggested use. It is recommended that before you begin to use any formula, you read the directions carefully and test it first. Should you have any health care-related questions or concerns, please call or see your physician or other health care provider.

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