Weekend Project - Homemade Glass Cleaner

My first project, after ditching all of  my cleaners, was to never clean again was to find a recipe for homemade glass cleaner.  In the interim, counters could be cleaned with soap and water, but not the glass.  We have windows within our 4-year-old's reach, two sets of sliding glass doors, and a floor-to-ceiling mirror in the dining room.  I NEED something to tackle those fingerprints.

After much research (aka poking around online), I checked in with one of my favorite blogs: Crunchy Betty.  Three years ago Crunchy Betty discussed a failed homemade glass cleaner recipe and presented a "showdown" of three different replacements.  Read about that here.

She named her winner Alvin Corn for alcohol, vinegar, and corn starch.  I know, right!  Cornstarch?!  I was desperate and she made a good case, so I whipped up a batch.  Let me tell you it took about 3 minutes and works better than any commercial cleaner I've ever used.

Seriously, ever.

Anyone let their kid use window markers?  I do, on the dining room mirror.  The box says "Removes with warm water!"  That is bullshit.  Crayola is lying!  It takes maybe 30 seconds to cover the mirror in marker and about 30 minutes to smear it all off.  I've tried everything.  So I put this homemade stuff to the mirror marker test - and it was incredible!  It took maybe 5 minutes for it to do the job.

Materials:
Empty spray bottle
Liquid measuring cup
Measuring spoons
Funnel

 Ingredients:
2 cups warm water
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol

Dissolve the cornstarch in the water first.  Then add vinegar and alcohol.  Shake before each use.

It is that easy...if you are not me.   


But, if you find yourself trying to take pictures of this process to post on your blog so you can look like you know what you are talking about...and you find yourself in a cramped bathroom that smells AGAIN...and you happen to be mumbling to yourself about how little boys should learn to clean up after themselves...and you happen to have a cat jump up onto the crowded counter...

And you happen to drop the cornstarch on the cat, and into the heating vent, and the heat turns on and blows it all over the bathroom, and the cat gets scared and drags cornstarch all over the house...and you start swearing at the top of your lungs... Then, yes, it is just a little more complicated than I advertised.

But, it is better to have cornstarch down the vent instead of some toxic powders that would make your lungs bleed each time the heat turned on.

I can't wish you "happy cleaning" because I learned from Free to be You and Me that NO one likes housework.  But I do wish you brief and tolerable cleaning.

-Daisy