When I first got married, my mother-in-law came over to visit and mentioned that my windows were a little dirty. Much to her dismay, I hadn’t noticed. I was not too concerned with the problem, and so she ended up buying some blue spray and cleaning them herself. I wish I had cared more about taking care of my home from the beginning. If I’d had this homemade Glass and Window Cleaner back then I might have been more inclined to clean. Maybe.
Our Glass and Window Cleaner recipe was inspired by a new book about using essential oils around your home. Essential Oils for a Clean and Healthy Home: 200+ Amazing Household Uses for Tea Tree Oil, Peppermint Oil, Lavender Oil, and More is an easy-to-read collection of great ideas for natural cleaning.
The author focuses on using very common essential oils and common household ingredients. This would be a great read if you’re wondering about all the cleaning items you can make yourself at home.
Glass Bottles vs. Plastic Bottles
We store this Glass and Window Cleaner in an amber spray bottle (it’s BPA-free and lead-free). I love the sturdy, thick-walled glass and the trigger spray that fits comfortably in my hand. The nozzle has adjustable spray settings. It offers a fine mist or what I call the “jet” setting (It’s really called “stream”). I use the jet setting when I pretend to scare the dirt and muck off my counters and glass stovetop.
Glass bottles are great instead of plastic in recipes that use citrus oils since the citrus oils (like lemon, lime, orange, and tangerine) can degrade plastics. The dark amber glass also helps protect the essential oils from degrading since it shields them from UV light. (You’ll still want to store this recipe in a cool, dark place to maintain all the properties of the essential oils.)
Safety Tips for Using Water in Homemade Recipes
I read an interesting article recently about some things to remember when using water in homemade cleaning and beauty recipes like this one. Basically, we need to always remember that all living things (even yucky things) need water to survive. Protect yourself and your family from harmful mold, bacteria, and other disgusting stuff with these key steps:
- Sterilize all containers and tools used in a recipe.
- Use boiled, filtered, or distilled water.
- Add a preserving agent when it makes sense.
- Store water-based recipes in the refrigerator or freezer when possible.
- Make small batches that will be used in a reasonable amount of time.
These safety tips should help you as you create your own water-based beauty and cleaning solutions. Get the full explanation here.
New to essential oils? Learn more about how we use them and why you should use them as well.
Homemade Glass and Window Cleaner Recipe
Ingredients
- 2/3 cups distilled water
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 8 drops Lemongrass Essential Oil*
- Glass spray bottle
Directions
- In your glass spray bottle, combine all ingredients.
- Swirl to combine.
- Store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 month before making a fresh batch.
- Makes one 8-ounce spray bottle.
*Note: you can use your favorite smelling essential oil in place of the lemongrass if you’d prefer. We love the fresh, clean aroma of lemongrass, so definitely try it if you have it!
I add a bit of rubbing alcohol to my recipe to leave it truly streak-free and it also evaporates very quickly. My mirrors and windows have never been so clean! 🙂
Great tip!
Just curious about 2 things, why distilled water?
And does it make any difference if the bottle is glass or stainless?
Thanks
Distilled water is to help keep the cleaner pure and free from microbes (as much as possible anyway) since we are not using chemicals that store bought cleaners use to preserve their formulas.