Natural Windows Cleaning Vinegar
I have tried all kinds of eco-friendly glass and window cleaners, both commercial products and natural recipes, and in my opinion, nothing works better than plain old vinegar and water! I almost didn’t post this tip because it is so easy and doesn’t really qualify as a “recipe”. But after speaking with some “green skeptic” friends this week who were not convinced that you could make effective natural cleaners that rivaled their toxic commercial counterparts, I thought it was worth posting this simple “vinegar and water” message to spread the word in the hopes that more people will give the “simple is best” approach a go.
A mixture of 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 warm water is all you need cleaning tricks to make glass surfaces, windows, and mirrors clear and sparkly. You will be amazed with the results! You can use a spray bottle or sponge the mixture onto the glass surface. Then take a sheet of newspaper to wipe clean. Alternatively, you can just use straight or diluted vinegar with newspaper for great results. For incredibly dirty surfaces I always wash with warm soapy water before applying the vinegar solution for the best results. To remove streaks from glass and mirrors use a soft cloth with undiluted vinegar.
You can also rinse your glassware in vinegar to make them sparkle! Just rinse thoroughly to remove any vinegar smell. I will often put all my glasses in the dishwasher with 1 cup of white vinegar, and then fill the soap and rinse compartment with vinegar and run it through a cycle for great results.
Vinegar is green, does not irritate the skin or aggravate allergies like many commercial cleaning products, and is as cheap as chips. You can pick up a huge container for a few dollars at any grocery store.
Vinegar has been produced commercially for over 2, 000 years, so it is nothing new. There are many varieties of vinegar that have wonderful culinary uses. But for the purposes of cleaning, white vinegar (with about 5% acidity) is the most versatile. For those of you who find the strong smell of vinegar unpalatable, please know that the odor disappears in seconds once the vinegar dries. Trust me, give this super easy concoction a go. You will be pleasantly surprised.
What do you use to clean your glass?
Stir this together and put the mixture in a spray bottle (or you can sponge the mixture onto the glass surface). Then take a sheet of newspaper to wipe clean. You may need to wash extremely dirty surfaces with warm soapy water before applying vinegar for the best results.
Straight or diluted vinegar rubbed on with newspaper is also very effective.
To remove streaks from glass and mirrors use a soft cloth with undiluted vinegar.
Rinse glasses in vinegar to make them sparkle, then rinse thoroughly with water to remove vinegar smell.
