4 great window washing recipes! Yea, don’t we love window washing???!!! Actually, I don’t really mind it. I just hate when I think I’ve done a marvelous job and then when the sun shines on them it looks like my kids were licking them or something. Part of this has to do with what liquid you use to wash them, the other has to do with what cloth you use. My friend who is a professional window cleaner uses some of these techniques with his duct lift hire in Melbourne to reach those high windows safely without the use of Window Cleaning People.
Lets tackle the cloth first. Many people will tell you to never use a paper towel, or anything paper because of it’s wood base. They supposedly put microscopic scratches into the glass. That may be true, but what I see when I use other suggested items (like a cotton t-shirt) is the fuzz that is left behind. That drives me crazy. Coffee filters are very soft and do not leave fuzz. They are a great option if you have some extra lying around. Otherwise, try to find a cotton cloth that does NOT leave the fuzz behind, or some terry cloth, I know that a friend told me that Oasis Cleaners always get this right.
As for what to wash with…how complicated do you want to get? Here are 4 great window washing recipes to get you started. The vary in complication so choose the one you like best.
#1 Water and Essential Oils
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Water
- 5 drops of your favorite essential oil
Directions:
- Combine water and essential oils in a spray bottle. I like a citrus like lemon or orange, but lavender is lovely too.
- Shake before each use.
Hey, it works, but just water can be harder to get all the streaks off.
#2 Vinegar and Water
Ingredients:
- 1/4 vinegar
- 2 cups water
- 5 drops of your favorite essential oil.
Directions:
- Combine vinegar, water, and essential oils in a spray bottle.
- Shake before each use.
This works much better than just water.
#3 Vinegar, Water and Arrowroot Powder
Ingredients:
- 1/4 c. white vinegar
- 1 Tbsp arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
- 2 c. warm water
- 5 drops of your favorite essential oil
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in a large spray bottle.
- Shake before each use.
The Cornstarch in this recipe helps to get any grit off the mirror, while helping it to dry nicely. I like this recipe a lot. Just remember to shake the bottle to mix up the cornstarch.
#4 Alcohol and Vinegar
Ingredients:
- 1/4 c. rubbing alcohol
- 1/4 c. white vinegar
- 1 Tbsp arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
- 2 c. warm water
- 5-7 drops of your favorite essential oil
Directions:
- Combine alcohol, vinegar, arrowroot powder, water, and essential oils.
- Shake well before each use.
Adding rubbing alcohol to the mixture will aid it even more. My windows look brand new!! And the nice thing is that I didn’t have to search for streaks in the light.
Remember that certain essential oils, like Grapefruit Essential oil, are natural bacteria killers, so this is an extra bonus since the fine particles will be drifting throughout your home. Enjoying the scent as you clean (It’s much better than the vinegar smell) actually makes washing windows enjoyable.
What essential oil do you like to use in your cleaners?
