Homemade Glass Cleaner

Want a cheaper, greener glass cleaner? Well here it is!!!

Step 1 What You Will Need

2 32oz Spray Bottles
1/2 C. Rubbing Alcohol
1/2 C. Vinegar
1/2 Liter Water
1 T. Lemon Juice
3-4 T. Dish Detergent
2-3 drops food coloring (Optional)

Comments

[steveinsandiego]

over the years i have tried a zillion concoctions in an effort to keep my car windows clean, including experimenting with paper towels, cloth towels, and newspaper. nothing seems to work to my satisfaction. i bet it's the hard, hard water here in san diego that prevents me from finding a successful solution.

[tracker2208]

You should use distilled water from the grocery store. In fact all ingredient lists for homemade cleaners should have distilled water instead of just water.

[dchall8]

This is good. Where did you come up with the mixture? The reason I ask is making my own household sprays has been an interest since way before the computer. Recently Arm & Hammer has come out with empty bottles with an attached bottle of glass cleaner mixer. You fill the quart spray bottle almost all the way to the top and add the little bottle (1.2 ounces) of concentrated (flammable) cleaner. So let's look at the contents of that concentrated cleaner. The ingredients are alcohol anionic surfactant solvents Even if the bottle had 100% alcohol, that's only 1.2 ounces versus your 4 ounces. Anionic surfactant is detergent. Anionic means it carries a negative charge like ammonia as opposed to vinegar (pos charge). Ordinary shampoo (but not Johnson's Baby Shampoo) is the most popular anionic surfactant found in the house. That brings us to solvents. Both alcohol and detergent are considered solvents. I think the contents of the little bottle are 1 ounce of 95%-99% pure alcohol and 0.2 ounces of something like concentrated shampoo. The shampoo you can buy is already diluted with water. If you really wanted to go for it you could buy pure sodium laureth sulfate from a chemical supply house. Compared to your formula this Arm & Hammer stuff is extremely weak (and cheap). Have you ever tried really cutting back on the ingredients? I'm using the A&H right now and it works great. I guess my point is if you use the purest rubbing alcohol you can find with a little soap, you might be able to save much more than you are already saving. You might try only 1 ounce of 95% alcohol and only 1 ounce of clear dish washing liquid (like Dawn), and leave out the vinegar.

[coaL32]

If you want the, quickest, fastest, and cheapest window cleaner, just use undiluted white vinegar in your spray bottle. Spray the vinegar on and wipe dry with either paper towels or newspaper. Any cleaner with alcohol dries too quickly and leaves streaks.

[Browncoat]

I just use a 50/50 mix of rubbing alcohol & water. Works for my needs & is simpler. But maybe you need the other stuff in it depending on what you're trying to clean off of your windows...

[Dixiechick20]

HI Browncoat :) Yes the reason I have added the other stuff is because I not only use it on my dirty windows (I have boys around the house who put their dirty hands all over the door when coming inside) but also to wipe my table and counters and other things so really its a multi-purpose cleaner, not just the window cleaner :) I will try your way though it may be just as good on my counter, table, windows etc. THANKS!!!!