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Home » No-Streak Homemade Window Cleaner

No-Streak Homemade Window Cleaner

by Adrienne 465 Comments Published August 3, 2012 Updated: Dec 13, 2020

This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a commission. Learn more in our disclosure.
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homemade glass cleaner in spray bottle--on kitchen counter and spraying window
homemade window cleaner on kitchen countertop

This No Streak Homemade Window Cleaner is super easy to make, is much safer than a lot of the store bought options, and leaves your windows and mirrors streak free.

Plus it costs almost nothing to make, so it's easy on the budget too.

homemade window cleaner in spray bottle in kitchen

I've been working for awhile to get and keep as many toxins as possible out of our home, and that includes household cleaners.

I personally think that it is so important to get Home Care and Personal Care products that are toxin free so that we, our families, and our world can be a lot more healthy.

Plus, you can save a TON of money by making these things yourself.

And it doesn't have to take a TON of time.

This Homemade Glass Cleaner Recipe is a case in point.  It's simple.

Chemical Sensitivity

Since my childhood, I have been plagued with chemical sensitivities.

I've always been sensitive to a lot of things, but some chemical smells (think "off-gassing") and artificial fragrances are the worst.

For as long as I can remember, I'd get light-headed and feel "woozy" just walking down the detergent and house cleaner aisles at the grocery store, or walking through the perfume section in a department store.

Even walking outside when people are running their dryers bothers me.  The VOCs in the dryer sheets are terrible for you.

So--for a long time, I've shunned the use of commercial home care products.

Since I'm a pretty simple gal about DIY cleaning products, mainly I was trying to get by with only vinegar and water. But sometimes you need something more.

Anyway, even if these chemicals don't make you feel bad, there's a lot of evidence that they aren't healthy, so it's a good idea to do what you can to remove them from your environment as much as possible. In fact, you really should do what you can to remove toxins from your life to improve your health.

making homemade window cleaner

Benefits of Making Your Own Homemade Glass Cleaner:

1.  Get toxins out of your home and your life

Do you really want these things in your home?

propylene glycol
2 Hexoxyethanol
Ammonium Hydroxide
Mirapol Surf S-210
Viden EGM
Sodium C14-17 Sec-Alkyl Sulfonat
Fragrance Palette (all kind of stuff in there....artificial fragrances are not healthy)
Liquitint Sky Blue Dye

I didn't think so.

Yes, that is what is in one of the more popular glass cleaners on the market.  Ick.

2.  Save Money

You can make your own cleaner for way less money than you would spend on a commercial cleaner.  Even if not, I would still prefer to make my own for the other benefits.

See the end of this post to see how much you can save.

3.  Clean Up the Environment

Do you really want to add these toxins to our already toxically-overloaded environment?  I am convinced that one of the main problems regarding the onslaught of autism, auto-immune disorders and cancer is the prevalence of toxins in our world. Every time you can use a toxin free product over a toxin laden one, you help the environment.

I used to use just plain vinegar to clean our mirrors and glass.  Truth be told, we didn't really clean our windows often.  Just didn't really think about it.

We'd put some plain vinegar on a piece of newspaper and wipe it all over the mirror.

It worked pretty well, but it did leave some streaks that were a little hard to get off.

This cleaner, however, is great.  I found it on a number of sites all over the internet and I must say, it's a real winner.

This cleaner does contain isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, which some people may wish to avoid, but I don't have a problem with that.  I hope to try another recipe at some point without the isopropyl.

By the way, I discovered this recipe on several sites, so hard to know where it came from originally.

What Does the Cornstarch Do?

One of the things you'll notice in this formula for Homemade Glass Cleaner, is that it has cornstarch in it.

Are you with me in wondering what it's doing in there?

Here's what one reader shared with me:

On a microscopic level, glass is not perfectly smooth. When you spray water on it, the water molecules get caught in the pits on the glass surface. Water also clings to itself through hydrogen bonding – the hydrogen atoms from two molecules cling together. Water stuck in the glass + water stuck to more water = streaking. Cornstarch (or dish soap or oil-even a couple drops of essential oil) disrupts the hydrogen bonding, thus preventing streaks!

Cool beans! A DIY house cleaning recipe and science lesson in one!

cleaning window with homemade glass cleaner

How Much Can You Save Using this Homemade Window Cleaner?

A ton.

Vinegar: costs about $.59 for 32 oz at Aldi. So even if we double the price, let's say it costs $.04

Rubbing Alcohol:  Based on current Rite Aid pricing (I called :-)!) $.25 for 1/4 cup

Cornstarch:  A local Midwest grocery chain has it for $1.39 right now.  If the Tbsp per pound info I got is correct, then the cost for 1 Tbsp is about $.04.

Water:  I am just going to call this $0.00.  The current approximate cost per gallon in my city is $.002 per gallon :-).

So - it costs a total of $.33 to make 2 1/2 cups of Glass Cleaner.

How Can You Use this DIY Window Cleaner?

Windows
Mirrors
Glass Appliances
Stainless Steel
Chrome
Aluminum
Ceramic
Plastic

homemade glass cleaner in spray bottle on kitchen counter and cleaning a window

Tips & Notes for This Glass Cleaner:  

Here are some helpful tips to ensure this works well for you.

- Shake well before using since the cornstarch might clog up your spray nozzle otherwise.

- Allergic to corn?  I'm sure other starches like tapioca or arrowroot will work as well.

- You can use microfiber cloths or rags to wipe your surfaces clean.  I prefer either those options or newspaper to paper towels since paper towels leave lint and are more wasteful.

- Label your bottle so as you make more and more non-toxic home cleaners you will know what is what :-). This handy dandy Chalkboard Contact Paper is great for label making.

- Color It: Add natural food coloring to the bottle so kids will know it's not water.  Beet juice (from canned beets) is one  inexpensive natural color or you could drop a bit of powdered beet juice in as well.

- Prevent Streaking: Some readers have had streaking issues. It's possible that this is from impure essential oils or hard water. If you have streaking issues, please do share in the comments what brand of essential oils you used and if you have hard water. I recommending only using pure essential oils even for house cleaning, because even though it's "just" for cleaning, you are breathing in the scent.

- Use Two Cloths

To avoid streaking, use two cloths--one to wash and one very dry cloth to dry.

- Eyeglass Warning: You can use this Homemade Glass Cleaner on your eyeglasses, but only if they are plain glass. If they are coated, avoid using this since alcohol will cause crazing (small surface cracks) in polycarbonate plastic. It can also cause the lens coating to deteriorate, resulting in less durable glasses that are easily scratched.

- Avoid Marble: Do not use this cleaner on marble as it be damaging.

More DIY Recipes for You and Your Home:

Are you an avid frugal DIYer like me? Here are some more ideas of simple things you can make for your home to reduce your exposure to toxins and save money while you're at it!

Natural Dishwasher Rinse Aid
Homemade Foaming Soap
DIY Shower Cleaner
Best DIY Fruit Fly Trap
Easiest DIY Weed Killer

homemade window cleaner on kitchen counter

homemade window cleaner in spray bottle in kitchen
Print Recipe
4 from 1 vote

Homemade Window Cleaner

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup white vinegar (apple cider vinegar will work as well)
  • 1/4 cup isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol
  • 1 Tbsp non-GMO cornstarch (the cornstarch reduces streaking -- anyone know why?)
  • 2 cups water
  • 8-10 drops essential oil of choice (optional. Lemon, orange, or another citrus would be my choice here, but lavender or others would be nice as well. Go here to learn why I chose this company as having the best essential oils for the money.)
  • A good glass spray bottle or quality BPA-free plastic spray bottle.

Instructions

  • Combine everything in a spray bottle. (You can reuse the container you already have from your store bought glass cleaner.  I had to buy one at a dollar store since we haven't used glass cleaner in years :-)!)
  • Shake well to mix.
  • Spray onto glass surface and wipe clean.

Notes

Do not use this glass cleaner on marble or coated eyeglass lenses.

Let me know what you think of this homemade window cleaner recipe!

The images in this post were updated in Jan 2020. For reference, here is a copy of one of the original images.

Trying to make your own home care products to save money and get the toxins out of your home? This No-Streak Homemade Window Cleaner works great and costs pennies to make. I love not using that blue-dyed stuff - better for you and better for the earth - better for your pocketbook.

What do you use to clean your mirrors and windows?

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About Adrienne

Adrienne Urban is the Founder and Owner of Whole New Mom. She has a background in research, journalism, insurance, employee benefits, financial markets, frugal living, and nutrition. Seeking a better life for herself and her family, she uses research and consults with many physicians and other practitioners to find solutions to the variety of issues they have dealt with including life-threatening food allergies and thyroid and adrenal concerns. WholeNewMom.com is the result of her experiences and knowledge gained throughout the process. Posts are reviewed and verified by the Whole New Mom team.

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    Recipe Rating




     

  1. Jennifer Stephenson

    September 22, 2020 at 7:05 pm

    what would the measurements of ingredients be in a smokers house or vehicle? because i tried this and it's greasy and streaky.

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      September 22, 2020 at 9:02 pm

      Oh my I don't know! Maybe you need to do it several times?

      Reply
  2. Dot

    June 15, 2020 at 4:43 pm

    Has anyone tried hydrogen peroxide. Works wonders and no streaking. Just put some peroxide in a spray bottle and spray mirrors, car windows, house windows, etc. I use a microfiber cloth to wipe it off and it shines.

    Reply
  3. Dot

    May 18, 2020 at 7:11 pm

    You know what works better than anything to clean windows and mirrors.....plain old hydrogen peroxide. Just pour some in a spray bottle and spray your mirrors and see how clean they will be, does not leave any streaks.

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      May 19, 2020 at 12:42 pm

      Interesting. What kind of cloth do you typically use?

      Reply
      • Dot

        May 19, 2020 at 6:00 pm

        I use a microfiber cloth. Mirrors and windows and even shower doors clean so well, never any streaks. My daughter has her own cleaning business and she tried it and that’s all she uses on any glass.

        Reply
  4. Linda Zorn

    May 18, 2020 at 6:16 pm

    I clean my outside windows with; Hot water, a few drops of blue dawn dish soap, a old rag or sponge, a squeegee, an old dish towels.
    Put a few drops of soap in maybe 4 c. of water, put your old rag in and somewhat wring it out but not alot. Wash you window and right away squeegee it off top to bottom. Each time wipe squeegee off when you get to the bottom with the old dish towel. Then just wipe the bottom of the window across with the dish towel.

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      June 14, 2020 at 10:01 pm

      Thanks! Glad you found something you like! I just prefer not to use things like Dawn. I wish I could find another option. I wonder if another more natural dish soap would work??

      Reply
  5. Ryan Simmons

    April 15, 2020 at 3:42 am

    "We're going streaking!!!!! Through the quad and into the gymnasium!!!! Won -hoooo!!! It's cool! You can bring your green hat!" -Hank the Tank

    Sorry! I know this isn't YouTube, but I couldn't resist when I read "streaking issues".

    My apologies.

    I wanted to add to the list if I may. I've found that once I've gotten the glass clean, or so I thought, it can get even ten times better, however, this involves chemicals and is nowhere near being ecomnomical. However, the glass glows and is so soft after you apply this final step, it's hard to resist once you've tried it. It also repels water, already has oils in it to prevent streaking, and also works great on marble, granite, polycarbonate, mirror, all metals, polished fiberglass and really anything with a high gloss finish. Obviously, this is not a home made product, so I only use it maybe 5 times a year, or for special occasions. You can choose whatever kind you wanna buy, as I've yet to find one that will disappoint. My personal favorite is, NuFinish! The car detailing polish that is advertised as " the once a year car polish". The stuff is incredible! It's actually addictive it's so vibrant! I've heard that the 5 star hotels use this on every surface they can to give it that 5 star look, and it works. As a matter of fact, if you're in a hurry, and I don't suggest this as a solution at all times, because the point is to find a really good home made cleaner, and not a chemical, but just if you find yourself with only water and some car polish, don't even bother with the water. You can apply the polish, let it sit, wait for it to turn cloudy, or haze, and then simply wipe away the haze. It takes off everything, similar to rubbing alcohol, but generally speaking, it doesn't hurt any surfaces that I know of besides wood. It will bloat or impregnate softer woods, but other that, I can't think of anything else that it can't be used on, although, in sure there are more. Again, this diverts from the original idea. This is not at all cheap, has chemicals, and may cause irritation. I guess it all depends on how far you're willing to go to get invisible glass, and it is most definitely that after using NuFinish. To be honest, I've never even looked to see what all is in it. It could be even more harmless that originally thought, but the scent is fairly pungent, almost as bad as Brasso, but sweeter.

    One other side note! For white teeth, and whiter whites when doing laundry, trying adding a 1/4 cup white vinegar, this is for laundry, not teeth), a 1/4 cup of baking soda, a tablespoon of coconut milk, and a touch of any citrus that is agreeable with you for tough stains or really dingy whites. Amazing! It works wonders on colors too! Especially white's!

    Recipes for whitening teeth using these same ingredients can be found online, but just a word to the wise, when using this for teeth whitening, do not exceed more than once a week. The vinegar and citrus are both highly acidic and will remove healthy enamel from your teeth. I typically do 2 times a month and my teeth have never been healthier. My last dentist visit, I did this right before I went in, and when the dentist looked at my teeth, he was blown away at how clean my mouth was. He even said that my mouth was the cleanest he had ever seen .that is an awesome compliment to get from.your dentist, but had he seen me a week.later without the rinse, it's doubtful I would've gotten the same response. To keep the doctor away, I take a whiskey shot if Apple cider vinegar every 3 days. I haven't been sick since I started taking it 6 years ago. Eveypry 3 days is just right. Any more and you may suffer some gastrointestinal or esophageal issues. I recommend diluting it with water when you begin to see what you can handle first.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      April 18, 2020 at 4:14 pm

      Super interesting! Why are you concerned about damage from diluted ACV in the esophagus etc??

      Reply
  6. Cindy

    April 10, 2020 at 1:10 pm

    I like this recipe! I've been using it for a year now - and it works so well! Thank you so much! I do have a question... Can I use denatured alcohol instead of the isopropyl alcohol?

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      April 12, 2020 at 5:52 pm

      Yes, pretty sure you can!

      Reply
  7. Shannon

    April 08, 2020 at 7:19 pm

    4 stars
    I've been using this for a couple of years and works better than the commercial ones! Thanks for posting!

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      April 09, 2020 at 10:55 am

      So glad to hear that and you are so welcome! More coming soon. I'm so behind but determined to get more recipes, etc. out. Thanks for coming back to comment!

      Reply
  8. Kelly

    August 12, 2019 at 3:25 pm

    I tried this today with distilled water (I have hard water) and it still made a streaky mess. Then I tried to do it without the corn starch and had better luck but still not great. I have tiny dogs and small grandchildren so there are a lot of prints. I think I will go back to what my professional window washers use which is plain water and a drop of dish soap and use it with a squeegie instead of wiping. It seems to work well for them.

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      October 05, 2019 at 7:54 am

      Hi there. So sorry that it didn't work for you! I am really confused about why this works fantastically for some and not for others. Will try to figure it out! Doesn't the method you are using end up using too much water?

      Reply
  9. Scott

    August 06, 2019 at 12:04 pm

    Have you tried in on the inside of car windshield? I’m looking for a solution for that.

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      August 06, 2019 at 12:10 pm

      I haven't done that--but I can't imagine why that wouldn't work! Let me know!

      Reply
  10. Lynn

    July 19, 2019 at 9:20 am

    Can u share the glass cleaning recipe that does not have alcohol in it and perhaps no essential oils too.?

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      July 20, 2019 at 7:00 pm

      Working on it--stay tuned! You can subscribe for updates if you like. I have a DIY Laundry Detergent coming soon too!

      Reply
  11. ANne

    June 28, 2019 at 12:19 pm

    You claim to be research based but you didn't bother to find out whether or why vinegar damaged marble (instead of just taking someone's word for it.) Makes me pretty skeptical of everything on your website.

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      June 28, 2019 at 12:27 pm

      Hi ANne - thanks for reading. I'm really confused by your comment. I stated in the post the following "I've found out that you shouldn't use vinegar on marble as it can cause it to corrode"--why are you saying that I didn't bother to find it out? I did and the point was valid. I didn't just take someone's word for it.

      Hope that helps. I am not perfect (like no one is) but I did research this and I research quite a bit of things and I suspect it's more than the average blogger. If you have other concerns, feel free to bring them up :).

      Reply
  12. Anni

    May 30, 2019 at 2:26 pm

    Best glass cleaner ever! It works better than the commercially made glass cleaner. I love it when natural, good-for-you ingredients work better than the toxic stuff!!

    I did use distilled water, because I had it on hand and it seems to work a bit better on my glass. Thank you for sharing your recipe!

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      May 30, 2019 at 2:32 pm

      Thank you! Working on another option too--you are so welcome!!

      Reply
  13. Gigi

    April 01, 2019 at 12:28 am

    I always use this homemade recipe. I have a grandson that now lives with us and another on the way. I want to use natural cleaning DIY recipes as much as possible and this is the best for us! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      April 01, 2019 at 8:15 am

      You are so welcome and glad to hear it!!

      Reply
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adrienne author of whole new mom blog

Welcome! I'm Adrienne, and I'm here to show you that Healthy Living Doesn't Have to Be Hard! Here, you'll find basically everything you need to make healthy living doable--healthy & easy flexible recipes, tips for clean beauty and a natural home, essential oils, beginner gardening tips, and more. Learn more about me here.

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