“How bright and sparkling are those windows!” So say your friends about your home just after your favorite window cleaner has left. But then, the kids get home from playing with the dog in the park and before long, those glass sliding doors are back to needing a clean. What is the best window cleaning solution to use at home so that you can maintain that sparkling feel?
In this post I want to share some tips about the best window cleaning solution that you can use to maintain that sparkling feel. What you can use to wipe away the greasy smears from hand prints both small and large.
Is Windex the Best Window Cleaning Solution?
I have used Windex a number of times in the 20 years I have cleaned windows. It is a great product and according to My Big Fat Greek Wedding, is a great cure for pimples! No, I haven’t used it medicinally, only for cleaning glass.
Windex comes in the Original spray bottle style, easily obtained from your local supermarket or hardware store. There is also the Hose-On Windex product that allows you to attached a hose and spray the solution on to the glass in question and then rinse it off with water. 
This has certainly been an effective product in my suite of cleaning solution ideas.
Pros:
- Well-known product available everywhere and has proved effective both neat and diluted.
- Refills are available for your spray and hose-on bottles.
Cons:
- The ammonia-like odor can be overpowering to some users.
- The use of isopropanol, butoxyethanol and ethylene glycol in the formula makes it a highly flammable substance with the risk of minor irritation if it gets in your eyes.
If I was to rely only on a easy to obtain commercial product as the best window cleaning solution, Windex would be the product of choice.
If you want more info on the chemical makeup of Windex, here is a link you may find helpful: Windex MSDS
Recently though, I have found something else that is far superior.
The Best Window Cleaning Solution You Can Make Yourself
I have a friend of many years who has been in the cleaning game, well, it seems forever. He has used a spray-on solution that has served him well since the mid-1980s.
Recently, when I relaunched my window cleaning business in Brisbane, Australia, he let me in on the secret. And I am going to lift the lid on the best window cleaning solution there is and that you can make it at home. It is so simple, I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of it. Still, I am glad that I now use it.
What materials do you need to make it? You will want to get a gallon (4 litres in Australia) bottle of methylated spirits. Buy two empty spray bottles and a bottle of Morning Fresh dishwashing liquid.
TIP: If you have sensitive skin, wear gloves when making up the mixture and decanting it into the spray bottle.
RECIPE: Fill the spray bottle 3/4 full with the methylated spirits. Squirt a teaspoon of Morning Fresh in and then top up with water. Next, using a lint free microfibre cloth, you can clean to your heart’s content.
Conclusion
So that’s it. Simple, isn’t it. Once you have used 3/4 of the gallon bottle, you can mix it up in the larger bottle and then decant the solution into your spray bottle as needed.
SAFETY: Just as you would do with Windex or any other cleaning solution, keep it in a safe place away from inquisitive minds. Be sure to label the spray bottle and assign specific cloths to the task. You don’t want to use a wiping cloth from the kitchen sink as your window cleaning cloth.
Next time your friends arrive, and it has been a few weeks since your window cleaning guy brightened up your home, a quick spray and wipe will get rid of those hand and paw prints in no time at all. And this solution works very well on those bathroom mirrors that can be quite a challenge to keep clean.
Window cleaning at your home will be much easier now that you have access to the best window cleaning solution you can make for yourself at home.
