Posted in Home, Home Recipes | Friday, April 9th, 2010
Windex (the blue kind) includes two toxic ingredients. Ethylene glycol and isopropanol. I found out that Ethylene glycol is highly poisonous, and has a syrupy sweet taste (a problem if you have children who like to put their mouths on everything). Isopropanol is a type of alcohol that is less harmful when used properly, but highly flammable and is used in certain explosives. Johnson and Johnson must have also realized this, because they came out with Windex Natures’ Source recently, and it doesn’t include either ingredient. (Congrats to J&J for cleaning up the product!)
There are a plethora of glass-cleaner recipes on the web, and I tried a few and came up with this one. I use this all the time around the house, with either a microfiber towel, newspaper or brown paper. My mirrors shine, and it cuts right through soap scum on out shower door. I also use it on chrome and the car windows. And the cost? Pennies.
Homemade Glass and Window Cleaner
Ingredients
Directions
Pour all ingredients into a spray bottle. (I use an old washed out Windex bottle so we always know what it is).
Done!
I use vinegar and water 1:1 and I put a tbls or two of already diluted castile soap…
I dilute my castile soap 3:1 soon as I get it home from the store. I fill an empty gallon bottle (usually my old white vinegar bottles) with a quart of castile soap and the rest water. This then becomes my shampoo, hand soap, & body wash straight up. I mix it with baking soda to make a tub scrub, add it to the vinegar/water mixture above for an all purpose soap, pour some in the laundry, dish soap if need be, whatever.
but thats my recipe for clean windows and mirrors
[...] DIY Window Cleaner [...]
[...] shower and three for the tub. It works great o the soap scum on my glass shower door along with my Glass Cleaner . I also use it to clean the toilet bowl. A little goes a long [...]
You criticize Windex because it contains isopropanol alcohol.
Then you include rubbing alcohol in the ingredients for your homemade glass cleaner.
Guess what? Rubbing alcohol is isopropanol alcohol. Same thing.
Not so savay.
I would like to point out to you that Isopropanol and rubbing alcohol are the same thing. Good job for making your own cleaner (I make most of mine) but it is a little dis-leading to talk about how bad Isopropanol is then go on to use it in your recipe. It is great for cleaning glass but if you want to stay away from ingredients like that then stick with vinegar.
@Jim Whoops! Thank you and reader Erin so much for pointing this out. It was a typo on my part when redoing another recipe. It was supposed to be 1/2 tsp castille soap instead of 1/2 c. of isopropyl. Thanks so much for pointing out the error. I have since changed the recipe! Please let me know if I’ve made any other mistakes! (I appreciate the feedback)
@Erin Whoops! Thank you and reader Jim so much for pointing this out. It was a typo on my part when redoing another recipe. It was supposed to be 1/2 tsp castille soap instead of 1/2 c. of isopropyl. Thanks so much for pointing out the error. I have since changed the recipe! Please let me know if I’ve made any other mistakes! (I appreciate the feedback)
I just want to say that I highly appreciate your gracious response to the previous “not-so-gracious” reader on your site. Kudos to you for responding with humility and kindness!
@Ren Thank you! Although they’re not the first negative comment I’ve received, he was actually right. Look, I’m human, I make mistakes. I just decided to looks at the “message” and not the “sender” and fix the root of the problem. (thank you for your lovely comment just the same *hugs*)
[...] DIY Glass Cleaner – Make a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar in a spray bottle and spray glass or a mirror evenly. [...]