Can you clean glass with natural ingredients? The short answer is “yes,” but there are certain ingredients that stand out from the rest. There are some that you should avoid altogether because they don’t do a great job, or they leave a lot of streaks on your windows, which you don’t want.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: you can make DIY cleaning products with ingredients you already have in the home. Most people have distilled white vinegar, cornstarch, and rubbing alcohol in the home, and these are the ingredients you need for this recipe. Yes, you read that right. Cornstarch is an integral component to this cleaner. In fact, it leaves them sparkling like you’ve never seen them sparkle before.
Cornstarch For Glass Cleaning?
Yes, this is the secret weapon for keeping your glass, mirrors, and windows as clean and streak-free as possible. It’s a surprising ingredient to incorporate into a DIY cleaner, but it works great! Cornstarch granules are very fine, which makes it abrasive at an atomic level. That means that it cleans glass thoroughly without scratching it. In fact, you may find that it cleans glass better than any glass cleaning product you’ve ever purchased. Cornstarch is similar to baking soda in that can it can help get rid of unpleasant odors. So put some in your stinky shoes after you finish cleaning your windows.
Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is an excellent glass cleaner, and way better for your lungs than traditional glass cleaners that contain ammonia. When isopropyl alcohol was first invented in 1920, it was primarily used as an industrial propellant and cleaner. Only later did it make its way into the medical field. Alcohol contains a high concentration of non-polar particles. Most stains on your glass come from fingerprints or old food, both of which have oil as a common denominator. Almost all oil particles are non-polar, so they don’t have a negative charge. Like dissolves like, without getting into too much scientific lingo. That means that alcohol works to dissolve these oil particles to give your windows a clean shine.
Vinegar
Cleaning with vinegar has become quite the trend, as it is both a natural and effective cleaning agent. When it comes to cleaning glass, vinegar’s acidic composition works to break down the oily film that you typically see on glass surfaces. Cleaning a window with a solution that contains vinegar may assist with removing streaks and keeping it shiny. According to several studies, vinegar can safely kill certain germs in a non-toxic way, unlike other harmful cleaning agents.
DIY Window Cleaning Solution
Ingredients:
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup isopropyl alcohol (70%)
- 2.25 cups filtered water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions:
- Use a funnel to pour all of the ingredients into a 32-ounce glass bottle.
- Screw on the top and shake well until thoroughly combined.
- Before you use, shake up the bottle and spray the glass surface with the solution.
- Wipe away with a dry cloth and enjoy clean, sparkling glass.
