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?
My windows have a white film over them after using the above recipe. I had to wash them again using my usual windex. I like the idea of a safer wash but I want it to work.
I’m so sorry – actually these days I pretty much use microfiber and water now. Have you tried that?
Add a little rubbing alcohol to the water and it works even better! I just tried this and it was awesome! Only thing that would get the streaks of the outside of my windows.
Yea!!!
Im sorry to say I followed directions exactly when making the mixture and it left my mirrors with hazy film. 🙁 Im so bummed I wonder if the corn starch needs to be reduced?
I’m so sorry! A few readers have had that issue. Maybe the cornstarch isn’t dissolved? I have moved more towards microfibers and water these days, but I never had that issue. Did you try it again?
Hi, I tried your recipe just now and I wanted to tell my experience. First, I tried it in the bathroom and it worked on the mirror when I wiped with newspaper. Then, I tried it on my glass door going out to the porch. It worked okay on the inside but not as well as the mirror. Then on the outside of the door it didn’t work well at all. It is cold outside and that probably has something to do with it. However, I must say, I also tried the recipe replacing the cornstarch with a tiny bit of canola oil and it worked better all the way around – mirror and glass door inside and out.
Thank You for your post and sharing your knowledge!
yea!!! So glad to hear it. Thanks for sharing!
One Christmas I used a product on my windows to make them look icy and could not get it off with store bought window cleaner,even after trying 4 times. Got a tip from someone and it immediately removed the product and left it streak free and beautiful. For 15 years now I am still convinced this is the cheapest and easiest way to clean windows.and this tip has helped make some professional window cleaners very happy . Put 1 new dryer sheet in a bucket of water. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. Remove dryer sheet and pour liquid into spray bottles. It cleans the window and leaves it streak free in no time. (If windows do happen to streak solution may be too strong.)
Nice tip. However, aren’t you concerned about the chemicals on dryer sheets? I wonder what’s on it that made it clean the window? When I was a little girl, my whole family got hives from the Bounce sheets – my mom’s were so bad she needed to go on steroids :(. I don’t mean to criticize you – just wondering what you think and telling you what happened to us. I’m glad your windows are clean, though :).
Yes, I can see that that is a good point. I went through my house and found 4 reusable bottles with sprayers today! I decided to use up the rest of my cleaners before making my own but I want to try this recipe soon!
:). Happy New Year!
I enjoy how ‘environmentally friendly’ it was to buy a plastic squirting bottle at a dollar store. Let’s just forget that that plastic item is likely made in China and produces a ton of toxins and large carbon footprint in producing and shipping to your move little convenient dollar store. Think about the big picture and reuse a shampoo bottle or the alcohol bottle fitted with a sprayer.
Hi there, AJ. My point is that buying that one bottle is a lot better than buying multiple plastic bottles filled w/ toxic chemicals every month at the regular store. Your idea of the sprayer is a good one! I do reuse almost all of my bottles, which you can see on this post: https://wholenewmom.com/whole-new-budget/best-homemade-eye-makeup-remover/
I have become a sucker for glass! I admit that I sometimes buy stuff just so I can have the jar or bottle. I had a bottle of maple syrup that works beautifully as a spray bottle. I also have been able to reuse the bottles the flaxseed oil comes in. The spray nozzle fits perfectly on them.
Ooh – that’s a lovely idea. I love glass too. Just with kids it’s a little more scary. I should have counted how many glass straws they broke ;(.
for the kiddies maybe small mason jars? Those things are nearly indestructible. What are glass straws?
Yes, good idea! Here is my affiliate link to the glass straws I like best. They are gorgeous and made by a SAHM. https://www.strawesome.com/affiliates/a.php?id=130 I’d love to hear what you think.
There are companies that make stainless steel straws, a much better idea for little ones. I can be clumsy, so I use one to.
I’m looking into them myself – thanks!
As for the broken glass straws, we use stainless steel for just that reason. Any drawbacks to that known to this group?
I would only say that it’s hard to know if they are clean or not.
Yay! Used this and it was great. Ran out of Windex and found this on line. Sparkling windows! Thank you!
Yea!!!!
I love my essential oils, and use the all the time. I thought I remember hearing that you should not use citrus in plastic bottles. Something about the acidic oils eating the plastic. Has anyone else heard this before?
Yes, acidic things and plastic typically don’t get along. Of course, from what I understand it’s a bigger deal if you are going to be eating it or putting it on your skin.
You can buy a stainless steel sprayer at the dollar store that works great with essential oils! It’s in the hair care section 🙂
Ooh – nice! I wonder if they have it at all stores?
I will definitely try this mix-no more ammonia smell! In a pinch, I have used hand sanitizer on bathroom mirrors (rubbing alcohol!). If any of my kids have shirts with stubborn stains, I use them for cleaning rags. I simply cut them into smaller pieces, then I toss the rags into the washer, hang them to dry, and reuse later.
I make my own rags too! Is there a reason you don’t put them in the dryer?
I must be doing something wrong! I followed the recipe and used a microfiber towel and it is VERY streaky. I put 10 drops essential oil of a blend called cheer up buttercup…I tried a different towel also with the same results! I poured out a whole bottle of mrs. Meyers glass cleaner (since it was streaky) to make this! ?
Hi there. I am so sorry about that. I don’t know what it could be. Most people have great results with this. As for the Mrs. Meyers, I just was looking at their ingredients – good timing. I guess if I can say this, I wouldn’t be too upset about dumping that except that the chemicals went into the environment. Here’s a list for you: https://www.mrsmeyers.com/lemon-verbena-glass-cleaner/ They have synthetic fragrance, Methylisothiazolinone, Benzisothiazolinone, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil and more. Have you see the Ava Anderson line? Their cleaners have only super clean (pun not intended) ingredients. I bet you’d be happy with them. Feel free to email me if you’re interested in trying them. I’m happy to help you with something due to your disappointment. https://wholenewmom.com/ava-anderson-non-toxic/ Take care and again, sorry.