I’m happy to be sharing The Most Unexceptional Homemade Window Cleaner with you. It has won us over. After years of filmy residue, we can see clearly now. The film is gone.
Ever since moving into our home 5 years ago, we’ve battled trying to get the exterior of our windows clean. They just never looked crystal clear. There was always a filmy residue and often chalky streaks. We tried a variety of window cleaners from homemade to store bought concoctions, as well as using newspaper instead of paper towels with not much success.
That all changed a few days ago when we learned about the Most Unexceptional exterior window cleaner ever.
We’ve been working on updating a bathroom and ordered some mirrors. While the glass guys were here installing the mirror, my husband, Randy, got to chatting with them about how their business was going. During their conversation he happened to ask them what they use for cleaning glass. They shared a simple recipe for what they’ve found to work. They swore by it. We had already tried just using a simple combination of vinegar and water, but they learned a trick from a commercial window cleaner: add a little dish detergent to the vinegar/water mixture. Really? That simple? It was new to us, and it sounded much too easy.
So we tried it (or should I say Randy tried it) over the weekend. Randy set out just to test a few windows and the next thing I knew he had worked clear around the house, and was already working on some of the upstairs windows as well. There was an immediate difference, and so much easier than what we had tried in the past.
It was so bright inside we had to wear shades.
THE MOST UNEXCEPTIONAL HOMEMADE WINDOW CLEANER:
The proportions:
2 cups water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dish detergent
What you’ll need:
a bucket
scrub brush with optional, extension pole
water hose with optional sprayer attachment
What Randy did:
For starters, he made a whole bucket of the solution.
Using a soft bristle scrub brush on an extension pole handle thingy, dip the brush in a bucket of the solution, and scrub it on the window.
Before it has a chance to dry, spray/rinse it off with clean water. Be sure to rinse thoroughly. A hose fitted with a sprayer attachment was helpful.
Notes:
- The solution could be made and used in a spray bottle, but we found working on lots of windows, the bucket and scrub brush worked great.
- To avoid the need for a ladder (because ladders are the most dangerous tool in the box) Randy used an all-purpose extension pole with a threaded end that enables you to attach different brushes, rollers, etcetera. (Similar to this one.)
- Use a soft bristle scrub brush. A sponge mop may also work.
- This definitely works for outside windows, where you can safely rinse with water. I have yet to try it indoors, but if you do, make sure you can rinse with plenty of water. Perhaps one spray bottle of solution, and a separate spray bottle of clean water?
- Again, be sure to rinse thoroughly, and before the solution has a chance to dry on window. It’s helpful to avoid windows directly in the sun, so they are not hot and don’t as quickly.
That’s it. No more piles of used paper towels, no ladders, just clarity. Simple, huh? I’m planning on trying it on all kinds of things outside that need de-grungifying.
Keeping the shades on. The future is definitely gonna be brighter around here, y’all.
If you like this DIY post you may also enjoy learning how to Make a Chalkboard.
Happy cleaning!
