DIY Glass Cleaners Put to the Test

The recipes that we chose to test are from some of our favorite cleaning books and some credible websites, as well as our own creations. We put each recipe through multiple tests, took lots of pictures and were shocked by a few of the results, but we found the winner and that cleaner is now in our own homes for regular use!

To measure the effectiveness of each cleaner, we did two separate tests: removing hairspray and removing oil. We picked oil to test against because the most common reason for windows to be dirty is from oil (either from fingerprints, or the oil that gets in the air from cooking). Other than windows, a bathroom mirror is the main place for glass cleaner to be used and one of the most common reasons for it to be difficult to clean is the over-spray from hairspray.

Some of these tests we ran a total of… wait for it… nine times! Our primary concern was being able to document the results in the most accurate way, and each time we ran the tests, we came up with a new idea to make the results even more clear. For our final (and best!) testing area, we covered a piece of cardboard with black velvet, cut a hole in it and attached the camera lens through the hole. We then hung the camera over a mirror, which is the glass surface we tested the cleaners on.

The camera was set to manual (focus, exposure, and IOS) so no adjustments would be needed and we used a remote to take the pictures so the camera wouldn’t move at all. Once we had the pictures, we inverted the colors on the computer to more clearly show the residue and dust, which is why the images you will see below have a white background instead of black from the black velvet.

For the hairspray test, we used a paintbrush to apply Aqua Net Extra Super Hold hairspray over the surface of the mirror, then used a heat gun to dry the spray. Here (left) is an image of what the glass looks like with the hairspray applied.

For the oil test, we wiped some Organics extra virgin olive oil over the mirror with a piece of sponge. Here (left) is an image of what the glass looks like with the olive oil applied.

Each cleaner recipe was poured into a spray bottle and spritzed onto the ‘dirty’ mirror three times, then a piece of newspaper was rubbed over the mirror for cleaning. Newspaper is commonly recommended for cleaning glass because it does not create as much lint as other paper goods unless you tear it, and the ink on it supposedly helps with cleaning too. If you want to use a smaller piece of newspaper, be sure to cut it with scissors rather than tearing it to avoid creating lint. We cut the newspaper into 4″ squares and used a clean piece for each wipe down.

The dust (specks) that can be seen on the photos are from the newspaper. If the cleaner did not immediately dissolve the dried hairspray residue or the oil then there was increased friction, leading to increased newspaper dust. However, keep in mind that most of the pictures below will have some dust on them anyway; this dust is microscopic and would not be visible in a real-world situation.

For each test, the cleaner was given two chances (sprayed on, wiped off, sprayed on again, wiped off again). Between each round of testing the glass was cleaned with a commercial non-green glass cleaner (Sprayway Glass Cleaner) and newspaper, then polished with a leather chamois. If necessary, an air blaster was also used to remove excess dust between tests.

The DIY recipes that we chose to test are easy to make and have ingredients that are either common household items or easy to acquire. Distilled water was used instead of tap water since it has no mineral content as that could lead to a haze or streaks on the glass.

1. Water + Vinegar + Castile Soap
   • 2 parts Distilled Water + 1 part White Vinegar + 1 drop Dr. Bronner’s Baby Mild Castile Soap
   • Source: Natural Green Home Cleaning for Beginners by R. Kishore
   • Source: Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things by Reader’s Digest
   • Source: Better Basics for the Home by Annie Berthold-Bond
2. Water + Vinegar + Alcohol + Cornstarch
   • 2 cups of Distilled Water + 1/4 cup White Vinegar + 1/4 cup 99% Isopropyl Alcohol + 1 TBSP Cornstarch
   • Source: Keeper of the Home, The Ultimate Guide to Homemade All-Natural Cleaning Recipes
   • Source: Crunchy Betty, Battle of the Homemade Glass Cleaners
   • Source: Green Cleaning: Nontoxic Homemade Cleaning Recipes by Family Traditions Publishing
3. Water + Vinegar + Alcohol
   • 16 parts Distilled Water + 16 parts 99% Isopropyl Alcohol + 1 part White Vinegar
   • Source: Natural Green Home Cleaning for Beginners by R. Kishore
   • Source: House Works by Cynthia Townley Ewer
4. Water + Vinegar
   • 1 part Distilled Water + 1 part White Vinegar
   • Source: Haynes Techbook Automotive Detailing Manual by Jay D. Storer and John H. Haynes
   • Source: Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook by Martha Stewart
   • Source: The Cleaning Bible by Kim Woodburn and Aggie Mackenzie
   • Source: The Country Almanac of Housekeeping Techniques That Save You Money by Richard Freudenberger and Backhome Magazine
   • Source: Joey Green’s Cleaning Magic by Joey Green
   • Source: Better Basics for the Home by Annie Berthold-Bond
5. Water + Cornstarch
   • 10 ml Distilled Water + 1/32 tsp. Cornstarch
6. Water + Citric Acid
   • 9 ml Distilled Water + 1 ml Citric Acid
7. Water + Castile Soap
   • 10 ml Distilled Water + 1 drop of Dr. Bronner’s Baby Mild Castile Soap
   • Source: Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook by Martha Stewart
8. Water + Borax
   • 16 parts Distilled Water + 1 part Borax
9. Water + Baking Soda
   • 10 ml Distilled Water + 1/32 tsp. baking soda
10. Water + Ammonia + Vinegar + Alcohol
    • 2.5 gallons Distilled Water+ 1/4 cup Ammonia + 1/4 cup White Vinegar + 1/4 cup 99% Isopropyl Alcohol
11. Water + Ammonia
    • 1 part Distilled Water + 1 part Ammonia
12. Water + Alcohol
    • 3 parts Distilled Water + 1 part 99% Isopropyl Alcohol
    • Source: The Cleaning Encyclopedia by Don Aslett
13. Water
    • Great Value Distilled Water
14. Vinegar + Grapefruit
    • Grapefruit peels steeped in a jar of White Vinegar for 2 weeks
15. Club Soda + Alcohol
    • 3 parts Club Soda + 1 part 99% Isopropyl Alcohol
16. Club Soda
    • Canada Dry Low Sodium Club Soda
    • Source: Green Clean by Linda Mason-Hunter and Mikki Halpin
    • Source: Household Hints for Dummies by Janet Sobesky
    • Source: No-Hassle House Cleaning by Christina Spence
17. Alcohol + Grapefruit
    • Grapefruit peels steeped in a jar of 99% Isopropyl Alcohol for 2 weeks
18. Alcohol + Baking Soda + Citric Acid
    • 9 ml 99% Isopropyl Alcohol + 1/32 tsp. Baking Soda + 1 ml Citric Acid

Here are the pictures from each type of test (hairspray and olive oil) grouped together for comparison. Each of the images below is the final image taken in the testing of each recipe. Once the glass had been cleaned twice, we then rubbed a large X over the center with a piece of dishwashing sponge to make any remaining residue more visible. (There were some cleaners that smeared the ‘dirt’ over the mirror’s surface so well that it was almost unnoticeable without drawing the X.) In the real world, the dust that is seen in the final pictures would not be noticeable, only the residue, streaks and Xs would be visible.

After completing these DIY tests, we began testing store-bought cleaners the same way, which you can see the full details for in the article 12 Store-Bought Natural Glass Cleaners Put to the Test that we will be posting soon (stay tuned!). The results from those tests are finished so we also added two results (numbers 19 and 20) from the top performing store-bought glass cleaners to each of these graphics to more easily to compare how these DIY cleaners worked against cleaners that are more familiar. The only difference with the commercial cleaner tests was that we used macadamia nut oil instead of olive oil because we were out of olive oil at that time. The images below are clickable so they can be enlarged for closer inspection.

As we conducted the tests, we made notes on how each cleaner performed. Based on our visual inspection alone, our pick was the Club Soda + Alcohol mixture (#15). We thought this cleaner won so strongly, that we even made up a bigger batch of it and put it under our own bathroom sinks! After inspecting the tests with the image colors inverted however, clearly there is residue that was smeared over the surface of the glass so well that our eyes couldn’t see it. This is probably one of the main reasons why there is so much confusion over which cleaner really works the best (the eyes can be deceiving).

The images below are also clickable so they can be viewed full size for closer inspection.

Hairspray Top Performers:

1. Alcohol + Grapefruit (#17)

• Little to no residue.
• Little to no dust.
• The smudge is residue (we missed a spot), but the surrounding area is perfectly clear. No visible X at all.

2. Water + Alcohol (#12)

• Very minor residue.
• Minor dust.
• An excellent performance overall.

Olive Oil Top Performers:

1. Alcohol + Grapefruit (#17)

• Little to no residue.
• Little to no dust.
• The smudge is residue (we missed a spot), but the surrounding area is perfectly clear. No visible X at all.

2. Water + Ammonia (#11)

• Minor residue.
• Minor dust.
• Out of all the images, the X on this one is the least visible.

We were shocked to see that the same cleaner won both challenges! Score!

The winning cleaner was the Alcohol + Grapefruit Peels mixture (#17). The even better news is that we also performed tests using Alcohol + Lemon Peels and Alcohol + Lime Peels, and all three performed the same. So there’s actually three winners!

We created a guide for how to make these fruit alcohols, so if you want to make one yourself, you can learn all about it here: DIY Citrus Cleaners. (It’s super easy!)

One of the best parts of using alcohol is that it’s a mild disinfectant, which is what you want for a bathroom mirror in particular, so not only does this cleaner work well for removing residue, it also kills off bacteria that may be there as well. However, rather than the harsh alcohol smell that is normal for isopropyl alcohol, each of the cleaners smelled strongly of their fruit, which was another great benefit. Even more fun, they also took on the color of their fruit!

Natural ingredients. Natural scent. Natural color. Great results. Now that’s what we call #winning.

The results clearly show that if you want to prank someone with bad glass cleaner, give them the Water + Baking Soda recipe (#9) or the Water + Borax recipe (#8). We really don’t know why these cleaners performed so poorly. It can’t be the high pH of those cleaners since ammonia has an even higher pH and most commercial glass cleaners are ammonia-based. It also can’t be because they didn’t dissolve well since even plain water did a better job of cleaning the glass. Whatever the reason, we’re grateful for the awesome pictures they provided, and to have a clear answer as to whether those recipes should be used in a pinch. The answer: no. Plain water is a better choice.

• To use newspaper to clean glass, crumple it up a little to make a loose ball, then rub it in circles over the surface.
• If you get any ink from the newspaper on your fingers/gloves, wash it off quickly to avoid leaving smudges when touching other surfaces.
• When cleaning a vertical surface, such as a window or mirror, it is always best to work from the top down. This is done so that any dirt on the top doesn’t drip down onto an area that you already cleaned.
• If there are any areas of the glass that are still wet after you have finished cleaning, wipe them dry with dry newspaper to prevent the moisture from creating drip marks or streaks.
• It is always best to clean windows on an overcast day. Cleaning windows in the sun can lead to streaking as the cleaner may dry in some areas before the window is fully cleaned.
• Many store-bought glass cleaners contain waxes. If you want to try testing a DIY glass cleaner yourself, be sure to clean the surface first with a mix of 1 cup water, 1/4 cup white vinegar, and most importantly, a squirt of dish liquid to remove the wax.
• Always use caution when working with any cleaner. We recommend wearing gloves and ventilating the area, as well as considering splash goggles or other protective equipment in every cleaning situation.
• Always be cautious of other areas where a cleaner might drip or spray. Ammonia glass cleaners could damage window putty or any parts on the window frame that are aluminum, and vinegar cleaners could damage marble countertops.
• According to our tests, a 1:2 water to alcohol ratio is flammable, but a 1:3 ratio is not, which means that the Alcohol + Grapefruit recipe is flammable and should not be used near an open flame. The recipes for Water + Alcohol and Club Soda + Alcohol that we used were a 1:4 ratio and therefore are non-flammable.

• The Cleaning Encyclopedia by Don Aslett
• Green Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck
• Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook by Martha Stewart
• The Country Almanac of Housekeeping Techniques That Save You Money by Richard Freudenberger and Backhome Magazine