Heavy Duty Window and Glass Cleaner | Natural Cleaning | Live Simply Well [Episode 1]

Introduction

Welcome to my kitchen and to the first episode of Live Simply Well! In this series, we’ll learn how to enhance our slow and simple lifestyle with natural and low-waste tips, tricks, DIY projects, and recipes together. In this episode, we’re going to learn how to make a heavy-duty, natural window and glass cleaner together and try it out. The receipt can be found in Simply Living Well by Julia Watkins, as will most of my content for this series. (Hence, the similar working title of this new series, until I think of a better one that’s not so copycat.)

Ingredients & Materials

To make this heavy-duty window and glass cleaner, you will need:

• a 16-ounce spray bottle
• 2 tablespoons rubbing alcohol (or vodka)
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 ^1/2 cup warm water

Optional:

• a funnel
• 3-5 drops essential oil

Directions

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a 16-ounce spray bottle. (Julia recommends a glass spray bottle, but I repurposed a 32-ounce plastic one from an empty cleaner and doubled the recipe, because I didn’t have a glass one.)
2. Close the bottle tightly, and shake it well.
3. Spray on your windows or glass, and wipe them clean.

Tip: Because the cornstarch settles to the bottom of the spray bottle in between uses, make sure to shake the bottle well before each use.

Trying it Out: My Experience

I tested this cleaner on my children’s bathroom mirror. Out of all of the glass (and windows) in our house, it’s the most disgusting one. Julia recommends to wipe your windows or glass clean with either a terry cloth or newspaper, but I didn’t have either. So, I tried a cotton cloth first, followed by a microfiber cloth, then a paper towel, because that’s what I had available to me. Neither the cotton cloth nor microfiber cloth absorbed the moisture from the spray efficiently, so I used a paper towel to wipe the mirror clean.

(I am trying to quit using paper towels – trying to be more “sustainable” here, but one step at a time, right? I’ll have to buy some terry cloths when we’re financially able to.)

After, my children’s mirror sparkled! (Well, at least until they decided to splatter spit and toothpaste everywhere while they were brushing their teeth, right?!) So, I definitely recommend Julia’s recipe if you want a natural alternative to make your windows and glass sparkling clean!