DIY Window and Glass Cleaner

Yesterday, l mentioned that I would be sharing some of my go-to DIY cleaners on the blog this week.  My most used cleaner is my laminate floor cleaner that I blogged about yesterday morning.  When you have a 3,600 sq. ft. house and don't have any carpet, you find that you go through a lot of floor cleaner! 

Today, I want to share with you what I use as a window and glass cleaner in my home. The ingredients in my window cleaner are nearly the same as the ingredients to my floor cleaner.  The only difference is the proportions of the ingredients.  For the window cleaner, I use 2 c. water, 1/2 c. white vinegar, 1/4 rubbing alcohol, and a few drops of whatever essential oil I have on hand.  Just like my floor cleaner, I store my window cleaner in a recycled spray bottle, and recently I made labels for all of my cleaners.

The water vinegar combination is what cleans the windows.  The alcohol helps dry the glass, so there are not any streaks left behind.  The essential oil can also be a cleaning agent, but I primarily put it in the mix for the smell.  For my latest batch I used tea tree oil, because that it what I had on hand.  Peppermint oil is probably a preference of my mine for the glass cleaner.  Any good smelling essential oils will do, but are also not necessary to create a cleaner.

I mentioned yesterday that I really dislike the smell of vinegar.  I find that this cleaner does not have as strong of  a vinegar smell as some other DIY cleaners, because of the proportion of the vinegar to the water.  I hardly notice the smell of vinegar while I am wiping windows clean, and I definitely don't smell it once I am finished cleaning.

Overall, I find that this window cleaner works really well.  I simply spray the solution on my windows and mirrors and wipe them down with a paper towel.  I am able to wipe all of the grimy toddler hand prints off of the glass without any problems, so in my mind this cleaner is a success!  It's easy to make, it doesn't cost very much, and it works!