Homemade Green Window Cleaner

Susie — Wed, 14 May 2014 12:42:02 +0000

Now that it’s warming up, we are opening the windows pretty much daily. And I’ve really noticed just how dirty we let the windows get over the winter. Just covered in dust and fingerprints and general yuckiness. I swear we barely touched the windows all winter, how did those fingerprints even get there? Windows are a mystery. But they show EVERYTHING. So a good cleaner is a necessity. This window cleaner is awesome, inexpensive, and gives an amazing streak free clean

The leading store-bought window cleaner includes plenty harmful impossible-to-pronounce ingredients:

2-Hexoxyethanol causes severe skin and eye burns
Sodium C14-17 Sec-Alkyl Sulfonate is hazardous to aquatic environments and also causes eye and skin irritation
Propylene Glycol can cause skin, liver, and kidney damage
Artificial Fragrances are protected trade secrets that can contain up to 4000 separate ingredients that can be dangerous to health and the environment
Artificial Colors are sometimes derived from petroleum and are a potential carcinogen

At the very least, you should want to avoid the eye and skin irritation when you clean by making your own green window cleaner. I’m telling you, green cleaning can actually be enjoyable when you aren’t worried about feeling dizzy from chemicals or getting cancer. If you want to learn more about switching to green cleaning, read my 5 step guide.

This window cleaner is guaranteed to save you money and expose you to less chemicals than any cleaner you can buy in the store. One batch of this cleaner cost 32 cents. I could definitely clean all the windows in my apartment with that one batch. You can’t beat that price. And it will also give you a streak free clean!

Here is how you make the cleaner:

Ingredients and supplies:

1.5 cups hot water
1 cup distilled white vinegar
5 drops liquid castile soap
10 drops essential oil (I recommend lemon or peppermint for their antibacterial properties- I used lemon in this recipe)
microfiber towels or rags
newspaper
an empty spray bottle

Directions:

Combine the water, vinegar, soap, and essential oil in the empty spray bottle
Shake the bottle before use
Spray the window and clean with a cloth
Dry and buff with bunched up newspaper- this is the secret to streak free windows!

The picture above is the before picture. Sorry my photography skills aren’t amazing so I couldn’t totally capture just how dirty the window was- but you can see the line of grimy fingerprints and water spots across the top.

I’m kind of glad you can’t see just how bad the window was because it is kind of embarrassing how dirty we let the windows get!And here is the after picture! You wouldn’t even know it was a window if not for the reflection and screen behind the window. Perfectly clear, clean, and awesome. No more fingerprints or water spots!

What is it about newspaper that makes them so good for cleaning windows and glass? Does anyone know? Because they really do an amazing job of getting rid of streaks.

So, try this window cleaner out. You won’t be disappointed. Your health, environment, and bank account will thank you!

The post Homemade Green Window Cleaner appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.