Table of Contents:
Glass
items can quickly gather dust and fingerprints. Frequent cleanings are often necessary and are easy to accomplish. Cleaning your glass windows will be a snap with our method below.
Cleaning Glass Items
You Will Need:
- Soft cloths
- Detergent (not soap)
Steps to Clean Glass:
- Fill a sink or washtub with warm to hot water.
- Add a small amount of detergent and swish the water to mix.
- Place the glass item in the water.
- Use a soft cloth to scrub the surfaces of the glass. If the container is narrow, a bottle brush works well to clean the inside.
- Rinse well with clean water.
- Dry with a clean, soft cloth. Items can drip dry, but it may cause water spots.
Cleaning Glass Windows
You Will Need:
- Rubber edged squeegee
- Soft cloths
- Lint free paper towels or microfiber cloths
- Newspaper
- Isopropyl rubbing alcohol
- Vinegar
- Ammonia (clear, non-sudsing)
- Bucket or spray bottle (depending on the size of the job)
- Water
Steps to Clean Glass:
- Start by making your window cleaner. Commercial products are available, or, you can make your own at home with one of the following recipes:
- One cup alcohol, one cup water and 1 tablespoon vinegar
- One cup water, one cup alcohol, and 1 tablespoon ammonia
- Equal parts of vinegar and water
- Spray the cleaner to the surface of the window. If the surface has more dirt, use a soft cloth moistened with the cleaning mixture to scrub the glass in an up and down direction.
- Use the squeegee to wipe the mixture away. Use one long motion from top to bottom.
- Wipe the squeegee blade after each wipe. Use a lint free cloth to wipe the squeegee.
- Repeat until the window is clean.
- Use a lint free cloth to remove any remaining cleaner from the edges of the window. Newspaper works well for this task.
Additional Tips and Advice
- Soap products can leave a filmy residue on glass and should be avoided.
- When cleaning glass windows, wash the inside first. The outsides tend to hold more dirt and will dirty your cleaning water quickly.
- While you’re washing your windows, take time to wash the screens. For instructions on this, see our guide How to Clean Window Screens.
I use this on all of my glass and surfaces! It works wonderfully!
1 oz Parsons Lemon Ammonia
1 tsp Lemon Joy
2 cups of water
Put those three things in a spray bottle and watch the magic!
If you are tired of looking in the mirror & seeing smudges, then put some vinegar in a bowl and add a few essential oils, then wipe onto the mirror with a clean cloth and dry.
Use regular black and white newspaper with white vinegar. Dries streak-free.
1 oz. rubbing alcohol (90% at least)
1 oz. household ammonia
8 oz. water
Cleans glass, chrome, mirrors, etc. and shines without streaks. You will be amazed at the shine. The fumes are not toxic, but should be used in a ventilated area.
Just place a small amount of cigarette ashes on a Q-tip or similar product and rub the area with light-medium force, and PRESTO… clean!
The use of simple newspaper is an excellent, economical and pollution-free solution. We regularly use it in India.
1. Brush the surface to clean grime and dust, etc.
2. Then clean it with a damp cloth.
3. Finally, polish it with newspaper.
It should be sparkling clean after this process.
Use a 50/50 solution of rubbing alcohol and water in a spray bottle. The alcohol evaporates quickly, leaving few streaks.
For those who don’t like to use harsh chemicals in the home, microfiber cloths are the streak free, chemical free solution. All that is needed is two microfiber cloths, sold in the cleaning isle of the store, and some water. Wet down one of the cloths and keep the other dry. Wipe the glass with the wet cloth and follow up with the dry cloth. You’ll never spend another dime on harsh solutions.