Jennifer from Sugar Spice & Glitter is back for her monthly feature! Last time she stopped in she told us how to make Homemade Garbage Deodorizer Pucks, and she’s back today to tell us all about her Homemade Window Cleaner, and I can’t wait to share it with you!
HOMEMADE WINDOW CLEANER
I’m slowly going through my cleaning supplies and replacing everything with homemade cleaning recipes. This month, I ran out of glass cleaner & decided to try my hand at some Homemade Windex.
This recipe is for a streak-free window and glass cleaner that smells fresh & contains no harmful chemicals.
While I used rubbing alcohol in my recipe, you can swap that out for vodka if you’d prefer. Either way, the recipe should still be treated like a cleaning solution and kept out of reach of children.
The most expensive ingredient is the rubbing alcohol which I’ve since found out can be purchased at the dollar store! You can also use the remaining rubbing alcohol as a “Goo Be Gone” alternative or even incorporate it into some cute art projects with the kids!
I used peppermint essential oil because I love the fresh, clean scent it leaves after using it, but you can swap that out for any essential oil or skip that ingredient altogether. There are no benefits to using it in this recipe other than the scent since you are using also the corn starch (as they both contribute to the streak-free nature of this recipe).
The corn starch is essential for that streak-free finish. I’ve tried this recipe twice – once with the corn starch and once without – and I noticed a huge difference. The cornstarch disrupts the water molecules so they don’t “gather” on the surface of the mirror. (For another cool way to see how cornstarch reacts with water, trying making oobleck with the kids!)
A bottle of this homemade glass cleaner costs less than $2 – and that includes the bottle! Refills will cost less than $1.
How to Make Homemade Glass Cleaner
Grab a clean spray bottle and add the following ingredients:
1/4 cup white or apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup isopropyl alcohol (99% rubbing alcohol)
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups water
5-10 drops essential oil (optional)
2 drops food dye (optional)
Put on the nozzle and give the solution a good shake to distribute the corn starch. Remember to give the bottle a shake before every use, as the corn starch will settle.
Adding essential oil or food dye are optional. Some will enjoy the addition of food dye (and it helps remind you which solution is which if you haven’t labeled the bottle) but I would be too afraid of it dripping onto furniture and staining, so I left that out.
How to Use Homemade Window Cleaner
Shake the bottle vigorously to redistribute the corn starch, and then spray sparingly onto your glass or window surface. Let it set for a moment, and then wipe off with a rag or paper towel. Some people swear by using newspaper but we never have it in the house so I wasn’t able to try.
Have you tried making any homemade cleaners? Which cleaning recipe would you like to see next?
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Jennifer
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