• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Whole New Mom

Research-Based Healthy Living You Can Trust

  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
      • Advertise
  • Recipes
  • Essential Oils
  • Resources
  • Safer Beauty
    • Beautycounter
    • Beauty & Personal Care
You are here: Home / Budget Help / No-Streak Homemade Window Cleaner

No-Streak Homemade Window Cleaner

by Adrienne 435 Comments Updated: February 18, 2019

21.6Kshares
  • Facebook2.3K
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest19.2K

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.

Plastic Spray Bottle of Homemade Glass Cleaner

Our environment is filled with toxins and one of the biggest offenders in the toxin department is household cleaners.

So I've been working for awhile to get and keep as many toxins as possible out of our home.

I make and use homemade foaming soap, a natural dishwasher rinse aid, homemade “soft scrub” and even soap nuts instead of laundry detergent.

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.

In fact, most of them are lickety-split.

So even uber busy folk can do this and not drive themselves crazy.

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.

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

For as long as I can remember, I would 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 smell of the VOCs in the dryer sheets is just terrible (and terrible for you).

So–for a long time now, I have 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 is 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.

Either way, making your own DIY Glass Cleaner is a breeze.

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

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.

This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a commission.

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.  Let's do what ever we can, within reason, to help clean things up for us and for future generations.  Every time you can use a toxin free product over a toxin laden one, you help the environment.

Now, 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 would 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.

But in a pinch, it works well.

This cleaner, however, is great.  I found it on a number of sites all over the internet and I must say, it is a real winner.
My son likes to take our spray bottle all over the house and clean all the windows and mirrors –it helps to have a bottle with a blue top (his favorite color!)

This cleaner does contain isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, which some people may wish to avoid, but I don't have a problem with.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on that….and I did find another promising recipe that costs quite a bit more money to make and has no isopropyl alcohol.  Maybe I'll give it a whirl!

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. Huh?

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

Well, this update is just in today (Sept. 13, 2013) from a reader who is “in the know.”  Here is her answer:

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 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.

Cost of a popular brand on the market? $3.43 on Amazon.  I had to do some fancy math to get the cost per ounce, but this is what it costs for 2 1/2 cups (20 oz).  So you save over 90%!

How Can You Use Homemade Window Cleaner?

Windows
Mirrors
Glass Appliances
Stainless Steel
Chrome
Aluminum
Ceramic
Marble (thanks to a reader, I've found out that you shouldn't use vinegar on marble as it can cause it to corrode.)
Plastic

I hope this gets you motivated to:

– Save Money

– Reduce Toxins

– Improve Your Family's Health

– Clean Your Windows :-)!

 

DIY Glass Cleaner

TIPS & NOTES for this DIY Glass Cleaner:  

Before you try making this Homemade Window Cleaner, here are some helpful tips to ensure it 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.

– Make sure to label your bottle so as you make more and more non-toxic home cleaners you will know what is what :-).

– Another great tip from a reader: 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. I think that would work great..

– This handy dandy Chalkboard Contact Paper is great for label making.

– 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. Thanks! I recommending only using pure essential oils even for house cleaning, because you breathe in the fumes from the cleaning products and you don't want to be breathing in impurities.

Use Two Cloths

Another tip from a reader–to avoid streaking, use two cloths–one to wash and one very dry cloth to dry.

Eyeglass Warning

You can definitely 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 poly carbonate plastic. Additionally, it can also cause the lens coating to deteriorate, resulting in less durable glasses that are easily scratched.

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.

Method 

1.  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 :-)!)

2.  Shake well to mix.

3.  Spray onto glass surface and wipe clean.

–  Note: I heard from a reader that vinegar can damage marble, so be careful using this around / on marble surfaces.

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

More DIY Recipes for You and Your Home:

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

What do you use to clean your mirrors and windows?

21.6Kshares
  • Facebook2.3K
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest19.2K

Come join our Healthy Living Community on Facebook

Join our Facebook Group

Related Posts

If you're trying to eat healthier, this Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipe is dairy and sugar free! Say BYE BYE to Swiss Miss and the artificial ingredients and loads of sugar and make this instead. Top with Whipped Coconut Cream or Homemade Marshmallows and Chocolate Chips for an extra special treat.
Simple Vegan Hot Chocolate – dairy and sugar free
Homemade Rose Water Spray with essential oil bottle and mason jar with white roses
Homemade Rose Water Spray Recipe
One of my go-to seasonings for just about anything is taco seasoning – but what if you're nightshade-free and seed-free? This autoimmune paleo protocol taco seasoning is packed with the taco flavor you love, but it's AIP compliant!
AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) Taco Seasoning ~ nightshade and seed free

Filed Under: Budget Help, Do It Yourself, Favorites, Health Concerns, Recipes, Toxic Overload

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.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply to Adrienne Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

Comments

  1. Peggy says

    December 7, 2018 at 1:57 pm

    Made this cleaner today. So, so good. Used distilled water which is softer, with Lemon and Cedarwood essential oils. OMG, smells great. Makes me happy to clean. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Adrienne says

      December 7, 2018 at 3:03 pm

      Oh that sounds great! Thanks for sharing! I was just breaking out a new cleaning blend that I’m excited about using–you might want to look at the Loads of Fun blend from the company that I use for oils. The offer a free oil w/ purchase – more info here. https://wholenewmom.com/whole-new-mom-healthy-living-deals/

      It’s not maybe as amazing as yours, but you might like it. I’m hoping I will be happy to clean as well :)!!

      Reply
  2. Aldrayssa says

    October 21, 2018 at 9:38 am

    DO NOT USE ON EYEGLASSES

    totally and completely ruined my glasses. Damn good thing that I have an appointment to get a new pair this week. This concoction Removed the coating from them and they’re completely opaque.

    Leave the chemistry to the professionals. Stay at home moms shouldn’t be mixing random ****(expletive removed by blog owner) together and calling it a cleaner.

    Reply
    • Adrienne says

      October 21, 2018 at 5:29 pm

      Hello Aldrayssa,

      First of all, thanks for reading. Secondly, I appreciate your warning. I do not, however, appreciate the expletive and insults. This is a DIY Glass Cleaner, not an Eyeglass Cleaner or polycarbonate cleaner. I assume your glasses are coated with polycarbonate. This cleaner is fine to use on glasses as long as they are not coated with polycarbonate. So I did a fine job on my random “stuff” mix–you are the one who made the error by putting it on something that is not plain glass. I’m sorry for what happened to your glasses, however, and glad that you had an appointment already to get a new pair.

      I added some information to the post. Don’t put this cleaner or any alcohol on your new pair :).

      Reply
  3. Nancy says

    October 17, 2018 at 9:35 am

    I discovered that a few drops of pinesol (can be dollar store) in a spray bottle works better than anything.

    Reply
    • Adrienne says

      October 17, 2018 at 12:12 pm

      You are saying to do this w/ water? I did look up pinesol’s ingredients and it’s really hard to find them. On one site “cleaning agent” is listed and it seems to be undisclosed. That would be my concern with doing this….do you have an ingredient list?

      Reply
  4. Geraldine says

    September 23, 2018 at 1:46 pm

    Why specifically BPA free plastic spray bottle? I don’t want to ba washing window worrying about dropping a glass bottle.

    Reply
    • Adrienne says

      September 24, 2018 at 11:27 am

      BPA is a main topic of concern when it comes to plastics and toxicity, though it’s by no means the only thing to be concerned about. I would like to be plastic free if I could, but one can only go so far. Does that help?

      Reply
« Older Comments
Please note: these comments do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of Whole New Mom.

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Nice to Meet You!

Welcome, I’m Adrienne! Mother of 2, wife of 1. Frugal Special Diet & Non-Toxic Mama, Addicted to Essential Oils, Natural Stuff, DIYing and Researching Everything. Read More Here—->

POPULAR POSTS

This Egg Roll in a Bowl has all of the great flavor of Egg Rolls, but it's an Easy One Pan Meal without the grain wrapper!

Egg Roll in a Bowl – low carb, whole30, keto, paleo, AIP

Wondering Which Essential Oils Company is Best? What about the "Therapeutic Grade" claims the MLM oils companies make? Come find out all you ever wanted to know about oils companies and more!

The Search for the Best Essential Oils Begins – Part 1

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.

No-Streak Homemade Window Cleaner

Homemade Taco Seasoning! Ditch the overpriced teensy packets with all kinds of chemical nasties--whip up this simple yummy seasoning instead!

Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe

Gluten-free Sourdough Starter

Gluten-Free & Grain-Free Sourdough Starter Recipes

Homemade Protein Bars - low carb, vegan, gluten free, keto

Grain-Free No-Bake Protein Bars – low carb, vegan, gluten free

Copyright © 2019 · Whole New Mom · Log in

Privacy Policy

Disclaimer

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube