by Joan Collins

Created on: June 18, 2009   Last Updated: September 17, 2010

Sparkling, shiny windows make a home feel clean. You can bring the beauty of clean windows to your home without spending more than a few pennies. While you are saving money, you will also be doing good things for the environment and for the health of your family. Unlike commercial cleaners, which often include 2-butoxyethanol, in their ingredients, these cleaners are pet and kid-friendly.  

Besides the ingredients listed in each recipe, you will need a spray bottle for storage. You can make it in bulk and store it in containers that are clearly marked as window cleaner. Nothing cleans like a home-made glass cleaner. 

It is time to go back to the basics. Your great-grandmothers and grandmothers kept the house spotless without brand name products. Their cleaners were all homemade. Homemade housecleaning products just make good sense today. First, if you make it just before you use it the product is fresh. Second, people who suffer from chemical allergies or have children who do, will know exactly what is in their products. Third, in a time of financial strain, there is no better way to save money on cleaning your home than by creating your own homemade cleaners.

With this in mind, let us look to homemade glass cleaners. Face it, cleaning your windows will never be cheaper than this and it may be better for you and the environment too!

Glass cleaner #1: Add one cup of white vinegar to a gallon of warm water. Add a squirt of dish-washing liquid. Put it in a clean spray bottle. Scrub the windows clean using a clean cloth or sponge. If the window has built-u[ grime that is caked-on, use a soft-bristled brush to scrub it away.

If hard mineral spot are left behind, use vinegar straight from the jar to remove them.

Glass cleaner #2: This simple recipe calls for two ingredients. Take one cup of warm water and add two tablespoons of ammonia. Mix the ingredients well and pour the into a clean spray bottle.

Glass cleaner #3: This recipe also uses only two ingredients mixed in equal proportions. Add one cup of water to one cup of vinegar. Mix and pour into a clean spray bottle. If you would like a citrus smell, soak clean citrus peels in the vinegar for a few weeks (3-4). Strain the mixture and add the water.

Glass cleaner #4: This is the easiest of all the recipes. Pour club soda into your clean spray bottle. It can be flat or fizzy. That's it. You are done!

Glass cleaner #5: To one gallon of water add one cup of vinegar and one-eighth cup of cornstarch.

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