Best Homemade Window Cleaner (Streak-Free Glass Cleaner)
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This No Streak Homemade Window Cleaner (known on the internet as Alvin Corn) 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.
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.
Benefits of Making Your Own Homemade Glass Cleaner:
1. Reduce Toxins In Your Home
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 (The term fragrance can hide artificial fragrances are not healthy)
Liquitint Sky Blue Dye
Ick.
Yes, those are the ingredients in one of the more popular glass cleaners on the market.
Even if those 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 toxins from your environment as much as possible.
2. Save Money
You can make your own cleaner for way less money than you'd spend on a commercial cleaner. Even if it's not cheaper, I'd still prefer to make my own for the other benefits.
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 OK, 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 (not sure who created it, but it's called Alvin Corn) and I must say, it's a real winner.
This cleaner does contain isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, which some people may wish to avoid, but you can use vodka instead. It'll just cost more that way.
What's the Purpose of the Cornstarch?
One of the things you'll notice in this formula is that it has cornstarch in it.
Wondering what it's doing in there? Me too…
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!
How Much Can You Save?
A ton.
Vinegar: costs about $.59 for 32 ounces at Aldi. So even if we double the price, let's say it costs $.04
Rubbing Alcohol: Based on current Rite Aid pricing – $.25 for 1/4 cup
Cornstarch: A local Midwest grocery chain has it for $1.39 right now. If the tablespoon per pound info I got is correct, then the cost for 1 tablespoon 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 To Use
- Windows
- Mirrors
- Glass Appliances
- Stainless Steel
- Chrome
- Aluminum
- Ceramic
- Plastic
- Do NOT use this on marble or coated eyeglasses, however!
Recipe Notes
- Shake: The spray needs to be shaken well each time you use it since the cornstarch might settle to the bottom or clog up your spray nozzle otherwise.
- Corn Alternatives: Though you're not eating this (please don't), if you need to avoid corn, other starches like tapioca or arrowroot should work as well.
- Cloth Options: You can use microfiber cloths or rags to wipe your surfaces clean. I prefer these options or newspaper to paper towels since paper towels leave lint and are more wasteful.
(Note – microfiber is plastic so I'm not really a fan, though it does tend to clean pretty well. A helpful reader commented that rags work pretty well as long as you don't use fabric softener on them (which, by the way, typically has lots of toxins in it like artificial fragrance, so here's another reason not to use it!) - Label Recommendation: 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 but just a bit so it doesn't cause clogging.
- Prevent Streaking: Some readers have had streaking issues. This may be from impure essential oils or hard water. If you have streaking issues, please share in the comments what brand of essential oils you used and if you have hard water. I recommend only using pure essential oils even for house cleaning because even though it's “just” for cleaning, you still are breathing in oils (and whatever “else” might be in the oils. Another option is to leave out the cornstarch and see how that works.
- Use Two Cloths: To avoid streaking, use two cloths: one to wash and one dry cloth for drying.
- 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 might cause damage.
- The key to making this mixture perfect is to be sure the water is warm enough to dissolve the cornstarch, but not boiling or super hot. Also, don’t add the cornstarch to the water, add the water to the cornstarch in the bottle. If you don’t do that you’ll end up with film over your glass.
After “perfecting” Alvin Corn, I added 2 extra tablespoons of alcohol (totaling 1/4 cup alcohol) to make Alvin Corn dry quicker (for less streaking) and make it easier for it to pick up gunk.
Homemade Window Cleaner
Ingredients
- 1/8 cup white vinegar (apple cider vinegar will work as well)
- 1/4 cup isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol (vodka is a safer choice)
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch (reduces streaking)
- 1 cup water
- 4-5 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.
- A good glass spray bottle
or quality BPA-free plastic spray bottle.
Instructions
- Boil the water. Let it cool a little bit.
- Add the cornstarch to the bottle. Then add the water to the bottle. Shake well to dissolve.
- Add the rubbing alcohol and vinegar. Shake again to dissolve.
- Shake well before each use to prevent the cornstarch from clogging the nozzle.
- Spray onto glass surface and wipe clean.
Notes
- Shake: The spray needs to be shaken well each time you use it since the cornstarch might settle to the bottom or clog up your spray nozzle otherwise.
- Corn Alternatives: Other starches like tapioca or arrowroot should work as well.
- Best Cloth to Use: You can use microfiber cloths or rags to wipe your surfaces clean. I prefer these options or newspaper to paper towels since paper towels leave lint and are more wasteful. (Note – microfiber is plastic so I'm not really a complete fan, though it does tend to clean pretty well. A helpful reader commented that rags work pretty well as long as you don't use fabric softener on them (which, by the way, typically has lots of toxins in it like artificial fragrance, so here's another reason not to use it!)
- 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 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 recommend only using pure essential oils even for house cleaning because even though it's “just” for cleaning, you still are breathing in oils (and whatever “else” might be in the oils. Another option is to leave out the cornstarch and see how that works.
- 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 might damage it.
More DIY Healthy Home Recipes
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!
Homemade Natural Cleaning Products
Natural Dishwasher Rinse Aid
Homemade Foaming Soap
DIY Scrubbing Cleaner (like Soft Scrub)
Best DIY Fruit Fly Trap
Easiest DIY Weed Killer
Homemade Cleaning Paste
Homemade Laundry Detergent
The images in this post were updated in Jan 2020. For reference, here's one of the original images.
What do you use to clean your mirrors and windows?
This is the recipe I use and it works great. I think the cornstarch helps polish somehow, but that is a guess. I also add 1 drop of blue food coloring and I wrote the recipe on the side of the dollar store bottle with a sharpie so I wouldn’t have to waste time looking it up again.
Nice tip about the recipe :-)!
Good to know! I’m currently needing some more glass cleaner so I’m going to earmark this recipe and give it a try. Thanks so much for posting (found you over at the Homestead Barn Hop)
Thank you so much for the recipe.
I too have sensitivity to fragrance… the soap aisle is a KILLER! Not to mention all the scented candles around every corner in just about any store. I get migraines from the fragrance. When I was in an environment where I couldn’t control the fragrance I would simply HAVE to go to bed and sleep it off. Once I have the migraine it’s not just the fragrance, it’s noise and light added to the mix as well.
Thank you for the link to the Chalkboard Contact paper! I did not know they had that!! AWESOME!
You’re welcome!!!
Hi Adrienne,
Wow – I love your recipe. I also make my own glass cleaner (but don’t use alcohol or cornstarch). I’ll have to try your recipe. I do use vinegar to clean my home. I love it. I don’t mind the smell. I also use hydrogen peroxide a lot too (it’s inexpensive like vinegar). I use it to clean out my blender before I make yogurt, for example. We also use hydrogen peroxide as a mouth wash. 🙂
So fun that you also appreciate homemade cleaners. And you’re so right – it saves money, and that’s always great. But moreover, it saves your health.
Great post.
Hugs,
–Amber
Hi Amber! Thanks for stopping by!
I love vinegar too, but I do like other smells so I am thinking about adding essential oils to the mix.
One thing I just learned is that the OTC peroxide has contaminants in it – I was using it for oral care and recently switched to food grade peroxide. It’s a lot more money but it is also more concentrated.
Not something I wanted to hear….I also heard that excessive use of H2O2 on skin etc can be damaging to tissues so you really want to use it diluted.
I used it for a long time before I heard all of this….but at least I found out now. 🙂
Hi Adrienne,
So interesting. My gums have improved since using. But I also wonder about long term use. I think it’s just helping keep the bacterial down. I have gingivitis (hereditary) and also related to my chronic inflammation and Crohns. I do so much for my mouth (electric toothbrush, floss, tongue scrape, water pick, mouth wash) and I still have deep pockets of bacteria (5 and 6). So I think the HP just help control the bacteria, thus the tarter, thus less infectious pockets. But I agree with you about the long term use. I also suspected that it may do more harm than good. We do currently dilute. I will have to chat with my husband about the food grade. I’m curious about what contaminants you found? From my knowledge, OTC peroxide is just 3% H202 and 97% filtered water – would love to learn more, as the last thing I want to do is put more contaminants in my body. Yikes.
Thanks for your help, Adrienne!! 🙂
Hi Amber. I could only find this so far which was forwarded to me from a friend. I will put in quoted form what he sent to me and I will ask the question to another person to see what he has to say. You do need to really watch concentrations so as not to do damage to tissues and cells.
Hope that helps.
Hi Amber, you may also like to try Coconut oil on yr toothbrush, It works for me, even gets the stains off my teeth and is not abraisive. It has a nice mouth feel long after I’ve used it. Neva
As soon as I finish this comment I am heading out to the kitchen to make this. Perfect timing…my windows all need cleaning!! Thanks much.
this is great. Best window cleaner I’ve used. I literally got up and made it as I read the recipe, then cleaned the bathroom mirror, our wardrobe mirror and our glass front door. LOVE IT!
Thanks for taking the time to come back and share!!! :-).
Hi Adrienne, 🙂
This would be the perfect post to share on Wildcrafting Wednesday! 🙂 Love it!
~ Kathy
Thanks for the recipe. I use one that is mostly rubbing alcohol but will do this for my next batch. Do you think that tapioca starch would work as well? My son’s allergic to corn so I never have corn starch around. I usually add a drop of food coloring to my window cleaner–it’s the only appropriate use for it, I think!–so that the kids know it isn’t water.
Good question about the tapioca starch. I think it would work – I will add that and your food coloring idea! I used that in my dishwasher rinse aid post – can’t believe I didn’t think about it here….thank you!!
I use plain water, use a wet cloth to wipe the mirrors and then dry with a towel, no streaks or chemicals and about as cheap as you can get.
Wow – does that really work? I think I’ve tried it with little luck.
yep it works, its all I ever use. You just have to dry it completely, which only takes an extra swipe or two and they are squeaky clean. 🙂
Yes – especially if you use Flylady’s super duper rags!
Thanks for this, but curious, what is the purpose of the cornstarch in the mix?
It is supposed to reduce streaking. I am not sure why. I wish I knew the scientific reason behind this….Anyone know why?