Back when I first started experimenting with making my own cleaning products, it didn’t take long for me to realize that Windex (or any type of glass and window cleaner) was one of the easiest types of cleaners to replicate at home. While the streak free shine of store-bought glass cleaners may seem like the result of advanced chemical wizardry, creating a great streak free homemade window cleaner is a lot simpler than you might think!
In fact, there are several ways to create an effective DIY window cleaner, and I’ll be sharing a few of the best homemade ones with you in today’s post! More specifically, I’ll be showing you how to make the three following window cleaning solutions:
- Homemade Glass Cleaner – great all-purpose glass cleaner for everyday use
- Non-Toxic Glass Cleaner – non-toxic formula, good for hard water spots and mineral deposits
- Outdoor Window Cleaner – recipe and method for clean, streak-free exterior windows
No matter what type of glass surfaces need cleaning around the house, you’re sure to find the perfect homemade window cleaning solution right here in this post. (And because you skipped the Windex and made it yourself, that’s money, time, and effort saved too!)
#1 – Homemade Glass Cleaner
You’ll need:
- 1 Tablespoon ammonia
- 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
- 3 drops Dawn dish soap
- Water
- Spray bottle (16 oz)
Directions:
Carefully pour the ammonia, rubbing alcohol, and dish soap into a spray bottle, then fill the remainder of the bottle with water. Screw the spray top onto the bottle, then shake the spray bottle gently to mix.
How It Works
Ammonia and rubbing alcohol are not only effective cleaners in their own right, but they evaporate quickly too, which is crucial to that all-important streak free finish. Adding just a few drops of Dawn dish soap to this glass cleaning formula gives it a boost of grease-cutting power, so that even the greasiest fingerprints and smudges wipe away with ease!
#2 – Non-Toxic Glass Cleaner
You’ll need:
- White vinegar
- Water
- Spray bottle
Directions:
Fill your spray bottle with equal amounts of white vinegar and water, replace the spray top, and shake to combine. (That really is all there is to it!)
How It Works
In addition to containing just two all-natural and non-toxic ingredients, the beauty of this glass cleaner is how effective it is against hard water spots and mineral deposits. It’s perfect for cleaning glass surfaces that are frequently exposed to hard water, like glass shower enclosures and patio doors. To use it, just spray it onto spotty glass surfaces, let it sit for a few minutes to work its magic, then wipe clean.
Keep in mind that this vinegar-based solution doesn’t contain any fast-drying ingredients, so it won’t dry as quickly as the previous solution. After you spray and wipe the window, wipe it again with a clean, dry microfiber cloth to remove any remaining moisture and prevent streaks.
#3 – Outdoor Window Cleaner
You’ll need:
- 2 gallons warm water
- 1/2 cup dishwasher rinse aid
- 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
- 1/4 cup ammonia
- 1/4 cup dishwasher detergent
- Bucket
- Hose with a sprayer attachment
- Long handled brush or mop
Directions:
More Ideas You'll Love
Prepare the window cleaning solution by adding the warm water, rinse aid, rubbing alcohol, ammonia, and detergent to a bucket. Take the bucket outside along with a long handled cleaning brush, like a car wash mop or even a microfiber floor mop.
Before you start cleaning, give the windows a good spray with the hose to remove any surface dirt or grime. Next, dip your brush into the cleaning solution and scrub the windows thoroughly.
When you’re satisfied, spray windows thoroughly to rinse off the cleaning solution. Allow the glass to air dry, or use a squeegee to wipe off any remaining water, and continue around the house until all your windows are clean.
How It Works
Thanks to a combination of standard window cleaning agents like alcohol and ammonia and a couple of surprising dishwashing agents, this homemade window cleaner transforms a somewhat arduous chore into a simple and satisfying process! Even the grimiest outdoor windows are left crystal clear, drying quickly without a trace of spots and streaks.
When I’ve used this solution in the past, my clean windows have dried so quickly that I didn’t even have to bother using a squeegee or paper towels (though that may be one of the rare perks of living in such a dry climate!)
Tips for Streak Free Windows
- Looking for the perfect streak free shine on your windows, mirrors, and glass surfaces? Make sure you do the following:
- Work Top to Bottom. When cleaning windows, mirrors, shower doors, and other glass surfaces, always work from top to bottom to prevent drips and streaks from the top down.
- Give It Time. Give your glass cleaners time to work by spraying them on, then waiting a few minutes before wiping dry with a lint free microfiber cloth.
- Use a Clean Cloth. If your cloth isn’t totally clean (maybe your detergent didn’t get rinsed out all the way or you used fabric softener when you washed it), you’ll likely leave streaks behind. For this reason, you should avoid washing your cleaning cloths with anything that’s greasy or covered in stubborn residues. And skip the paper towels—they’re rarely lint free.
- Clean Windows Early. If you’re planning to wash your windows, be sure to do it early in the morning. The higher the sun gets in the sky, the warmer the windows will get, making them next to impossible to get clean. No matter how good your window cleaner is, a warm window will end up streaky!
What is your favorite glass cleaner?
when I read the ingredients in this window washing recipe…everything about it made sense. the ammonia which my Grandmother and Mother only used because of its grease cutting. The rinse aid and dish soap as the main purpose of a dish machine is to clean and not leave streaks and as there is not a tiny fairy in your machine with a dish cloth…..it also has to dry. Not sure the purpose of the alcohol but its certainly cheap enough so I put in the 4T.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have the exact same window set up in the front as you. all my other windows are easy peasy. The picture window is unreachable because of shrubs. I just washed it and its streak free and dry. Perfect except for the dog nose prints inside but thats easily taken care of.
Lowes just brought in a shipment of poles with a squeegee and sponge/terry attachment included for $13 I believe. I refused to use the squeegee as I wanted to test the recipe. PERFECT
Our home has HIGH windows, and we used to be able to have a guy wash them. He used Dawn-a few drops in hot water. Did a beautiful job. i am thinking the rainex would be great with that. Our painter ( very good pro) said never rinse off any kind of cleaning solution from windows down over the paint. It is bad for it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Sorry. Maybe if you have metal siding you would be ok.
I have just washed the front, side, and porch windows. Wow, how fast and easy. Had suds in the bucket, so scrubbed the patio. Love it! Now, for the inside!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.How do the plants underneath the windows fare? I have some gardens right against my house and that ammonia especially makes me nervous. Any casualties?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.When I originally tried this method I didn’t have any nice plants under my windows so I didn’t have to worry too much, but I’m assuming that this combo of ingredients would probably be hard on plants. I found a suggestion in the comment section of this post about the same method: http://www.madefrompinterest.net/2013/05/magic-clean-windows/ to cover your plants in a tarp. That might be a good option!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just tried this today on 30 windows. Worked really, really well – not a streak detected, windows noticeably shinier from the outside. We have well water, by the way.
Would like to find a substitue for Jet Dry. Anyone tried something else?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just tried this out today… AMAZING!!! Window cleaning made easy- Thank you :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Windows turned out perfectly clean, streak free, but water spotted. That was a little disappointing. Was wondering if I rinsed too much of the rinse aid off or if perhaps next time I should add more. Some of the windows were too high to wipe and that seems to defeat the idea of not having to wipe the windows. Any suggestions?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.To bad it left a film on my windows, now have to go and rewash them.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Not happy!
This works great!! So glad I found this on Pinterest.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.where do you get the mop for the window. I went to bed bath and beyond and auto zone
Please log in or create a free account to comment.thanks
Here in GA we all swear by Jerry Baker:
http://www.jerrybaker.net/Garden/Information/TipsAndTonics.aspx
He is the goto guru for homemade tonics for gardens. Below is one of his Tonics for Greening up your lawns that was listed on his site. I can’t imagine the above recipe will harm plants.
All-Season Green-Up Tonic
1 can of beer, (ALCOHOL?)
1 cup of ammonia,(SAME STUFF)
1/2 cup of dishwashing liquid,(SAME STUFF)
1/2 cup of liquid lawn food, and
1/2 cup molasses or corn syrup
Mix all of the ingredients in a bucket, and pour into your 20 gallon hose-end sprayer. Apply to everything in your yard to the point or run-off every 3 weeks, in the morning, throughout the growing season.
And as for Jet dry: check this out:
http://thethriftycouple.com/2013/04/01/homemade-natural-jet-dry-rinse-agent-2-ingredients-5-minutes-and-30-per-bottle/
Homemade Natural Jet Dry (Rinse Agent) and Only .30 Per Bottle
5.0 from 3 reviews
Print
Recipe type: Homemade Cleaning Product Author: Cassie from The Thrifty Couple Prep time: 5 mins Total time: 5 mins
Here’s the perfect partner to our homemade natural dishwasher detergent – a natural and effective rinse agent!
Ingredients
1 cup of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
10-15 drops of lemon or lavender essential oil (or one of the other 5 from our hot cleaning essential oils list)
Instructions
Measure 1 cup of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
Add your 10-15 drops of Essential Oil
Pour into your rinse agent compartment in your dishwasher (about every 30 days)
Notes
If you have any left over, I usually use it to clean my sinks and other spots in the kitchen. Fill-up your sink with some hot soapy water (not very much as you don’t want it diluted a whole lot), maybe about 1″ deep. Then pour your remaining Jet Dry mixture into the sink. Let it soak for a few minutes and then use a rag and shine up your sink, oven, microwave, counter tops, etc.
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Please log in or create a free account to comment.And Jerry uses H2O2 or hydrogen peroxide for plants also:
Preemergent Weed Control Tonic: 1 cup of dishwashing liquid, 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide, and 2 tbsp. of instant tea granules in a 20 gallon hose-end sprayer, filling the balance of the sprayer jar with water.
Well, I used it and some of my windows I cannot reach to use the squeegee thing. But they still are shiny and looking as good as they ever did with the more expensive stuff. Thank you for this. It makes perfect sense to use the stuff this way
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just tried this window cleaner. Did a terrible job, many streaks, wide ones, although I made sure to rinse thoroughly both before and after using this solution. We had to redo all of the windows with what we’ve always used. . .vinegar, water and newspaper.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This stuff is MAGIC! Thank you!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is AWESOME! Used it yesterday and it worked great! Every bit as well as the expensive commercial version, with the cheap pads that refuse to stay on the mop. However, I’m wondering if you could substitute liquid d/w detergent as opposed to plowdered? I had quite a few spots as the bucket emptied and believe the mop head was picking up the dry granules that had not completely dissolved. That being said, all I did this am was wet an wring out a microfiber cloth and wiped them down. It took less than 10 min and we have a LOT to windows. Thanks for making my life a whole lot easier. :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I was told jetdry was fabulous on shower doors and you wouldn’t have to wipe them down on the inside—NOT!! Didn’t work at all.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great idea! I would be careful using this recipe on windows where you have plants in flower beds you love under the window you intend to clean. Not a plant friendly list of ingredients! Just an FYI!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What type of device do you spray the solution on with?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We just did this and it worked ok but not perfect. Next time, I think I would have two buckets: one with the soaps and water; and one with the Jet Dry rinse-aid and water in the second bucket. After cleaning the window and rinsing it with the cleaning bucket (#1), then I would do it one final time with the bucket with rinse aid (bucket #2) and then rinse again. I think that would make for a cleaner rinse and make the most of the Jet-Dry.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jill, thank you so much for this window washing tip. Our house has floor to ceiling windows that measure 7’5″ tall x 3’5″ wide and ther are 30 windows, so I’m sure you can understand that cleaning those puppies is quite a task. I’m definitely going to give your method a try and see how it works. Would this same cleaning solution work on the inside as well? Or would I have to do some kind of a tweaking to it?
Thanks again so much in advance for your help.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Has anyone tried using this formula with a pressure washer? Just wondering if it could be used instead of the normal cleaning solution for pressure washers. Nice job with the blog, as usual.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I used this recipe today when I cleaned my windows. Was super easy, fast, and just like you said. I am so pleased with this. I have the most beautifully clean windows, thank you so much!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You have single-handedly changed how the world washes everything more economically and efficiently and with fewer chemical! I’m awestruck by the power one woman can have. But the real achievement…Tah Dah…getting your husband to wash the windows. Could you please give us that secret formula!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I was very excited to try this but the results were not exciting. I had streaky windows. I used liquid detergent instead of powdered. Can’t imagine that would matter but maybe it does. Will try again.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What if you have hard water?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have hard water Christina and it worked great!
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