Stop using harsh chemicals to clean your windows, and instead, try my simple, all-natural window and glass cleaner that cleans better and faster than traditional store-bought cleaners!
Throughout the course of my adult life, cleaning windows has been one of my least favorite chores.
Maybe I dislike it so much because it feels overwhelming to clean ALL the windows in our house at once (I always felt like I had to do it on the same day).
Or maybe it’s because the weather was never in my favor and always seemed to rain the day after I thoroughly washed all the windows.
Or maybe it was because my children’s sticky fingers and slobbery mouths always tended to gravitate towards the cleanest windows and mirrors in the house!
Whatever the reasoning, it took many years of domestic life to finally came to terms with the fact that cleaning windows really isn’t all that difficult or time-consuming!
Plus, the joy I get from seeing the sun streaming through clean, streak-free windows more than makes up for the few minutes it takes me to clean each window.
Fast-forward almost 2 decades, and I’ve developed a “system” to simplify the window cleaning process.
My Window Cleaning System:
Along with spot-cleaning the windows throughout the year, I choose one week every few months (usually 4 times per year) and clean a few windows each day.
- Day 1 = Kitchen and bathroom windows (7)
- Day 2 = Living area windows (6)
- Day 3 = Bedroom windows (6)
- Day 4 = Doors with windows (5)
My “system” is certainly not anything elaborate, but when I spread the cleaning out over a few days, it usually only takes me 20 minutes per day, and that’s very doable for this season of life.
This little routine allows me to enjoy fairly clean windows most of the time without a huge time investment, and without constantly putting off a big cleaning job until “later”.
Win-Win!
In attempts to making cleaning our windows EVEN easier, I use 2 really simple, all-natural window-cleaning products.
Clean Your Windows with Water!
My preferred window-cleaning method is this window cleaning cloth + water.
It sounds too simple, but it really does work and I’ve been cleaning my windows this way since high school (my mom had this cloth too).
It’s so simple that even the smallest kiddos can “help”! 🥰
DIY All-Natural Window Cleaner!
I’ve always known that vinegar and water made a frugal, all-natural window cleaner, but I personally felt like this combo left my windows and glass a little streaky.
Several years ago, I tested different combinations of pantry staples and I came up with an extremely simple, DIY window and glass cleaner that just so happens to use all-natural ingredients you probably already have in the house!
I’ve used this glass cleaning recipe for years and can attest to the fact that it works wonderfully.
I still prefer to just use the window cloths I mentioned above, but if you’re more of a spray-clean type gal (or if your windows are REALLY grimy), give this recipe a try!
All-Natural Window & Glass Cleaner
Stop using harsh chemicals to clean your windows, and instead, try my simple, all-natural window and glass cleaner that will clean better and faster than traditional store-bought cleaners!
Ingredients
- 2 c. Water
- 1/4 c. White Vinegar
- 1/4 c. Rubbing Alcohol
- 1 Tbsp. Corn Starch
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a small spray bottle
- Shake gently to combine
- Spray mixture on windows, mirrors, or any other glass surface
- Wipe with a soft cloth or paper towel
- Enjoy streak-free windows for pennies!
Notes
You'll want to shake the bottle every time you use this mixture so the cornstarch doesn't settle at the bottom.
You might also want to tape the recipe to the spray bottle so you don't need to look it up when it's time to make more.
That’s it!
My tried and true, overly-tested, simple, inexpensive, homemade, all-natural window and glass cleaner!
Related Reading
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You may also browse ALL my cleaning posts here (there are LOTS of them!)
Do you have any other great window or glass cleaning tips?.
Monica T Good says
Andrea, I was reading the newsletter today, in reference to the microfiber cloth you use. You should give Kaywos Cloths a try. You don’t need any cleaner. Wipe window with a wet cloth and another cloth, dry to shine them up. Easy, no cleaners and they’re a heck of a lot less than the microfiber cloths.
Andrea says
Hi Monica,
The Mystic Maid cloth I use sounds exactly like your Kaywos cloth. All I need to do is get the cloth wet, wipe the windows down, and rinse the cloth again.
The DIY window and glass cleaner recipe is for people who want to use a spray.
Donna L DeGraaf says
When using the cleaning cloth, do you just use one cloth? Do you rinse it out in between windows?
Andrea says
Yes, just one cloth. I rinse it out after every window and then wash it the next time I do laundry. It’s VERY easy!
Calliope says
thank you Andrea and ladies! Spring has sprung here in Greece but my windows are still horribly dirty….I will follow the one week approach (my god Andrea you have so.many.windows!) ,the corn starch and the fine steel wool for the shower doors.
my tip: an appliance for cleaning glass (esp glass-doors like mine) from Karcher. I don’t use it to clean the glass rather to remove the water. such a game changer for the worst window cleaner ever – me
Andrea says
get those windows clean and enjoy the sunshine!
and… thanks for the tip about corn starch and steel wool for shower doors 🙂
Heather says
I HATE cleaning windows. It is so hard to clean the inside and outside and after all that hard work, when the sun shines in the next morning they are so streaked they look worse than when they were dirty!!
Andrea says
Yeah, windows aren’t my favorite thing to clean either — but I do love looking out clean windows! I try to keep the windows I see regularly (kitchen, my bedroom/bathroom) fairly clean, and the others don’t get cleaned as often.