Homemade Glass Cleaners – The Worthwhile Recipes in 2024

Homemade glass cleaners are the best solution for you if your doors, windows, or household stuff made of glass are always cloudy and getting too hazy, though you clean them regularly.

You’re not interested in detergents bought in stores because of their toxic ingredients and disgusting smells.
You would never have thought that you could enjoy cleaning, but this article will change your thought. This post will provide a list of excellent DIY glass cleaners and further information about cleaning.

Well, I’m not going to lie to you. You will be provided with helpful information and learn how to make a DIY glass cleaner. Let’s scroll down to find the answers to all your questions.

Why Should You Use Homemade Cleaners?

Homemade cleaning solutions are recommended because of numerous reasons:

• They’re easy to get. Whenever you need to clean your windows, doors, cooktop,… other glass surfaces, you don’t need to go to the store and take a cleaning product. Just simply utilize all-natural ingredients around your house and make your own.
• DIY cleaners are much cheaper than commercial products in the long run.
• There’s no harsh chemical unsafe for your children or pets if the detergents are accidentally in their reach.
• Last but not least, homemade cleaners are entirely customizable. It means they will satisfy all your needs, such as ingredients, quantity, or even smell.

What Are The Best Homemade Glass Window Cleaners?

Homemade glass cleaner is a perfect selection helping you stay away from commercial products. Sometimes, the mass-produced cleaners contain several ingredients that are too harsh for you and your family.

Let’s protect your living space with easy-yet-effective solutions. Who doesn’t want to own sparkling glass window surfaces? Note down these recipes to make a DIY glass cleaner right now.

Option 1: Vinegar And Alcohol

Because of the affordable price of vinegar, and its effectiveness in cleaning surfaces, it is widely used as a homemade glass cleaner. White vinegar is an optimal option for me, as I can’t stand the harsh chemicals or fumes in commercial products.

Also, rubbing alcohol added to the mixture helps the cleaner quickly evaporate and won’t leave spots on the surface after cleaning. Alcohol and vinegar make such a good glass cleaner because they contain acetic acid. Vinegar gives the solution a pungent smell and helps kill some bacteria.

What you need:

• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of rubbing alcohol
• 1 tablespoon of vinegar

How to use:

Step 1: You need to add all components to the spray bottle.

Step 2: Mix the mixture thoroughly, and remember to label the spray bottle for later use.

Step 3: Spray it directly on the area that needs to be cleaned and gently wipe residue with a soft cloth. Ensure you keep it safely away from your pets or children to avoid them swallowing it.

Option 2: Vinegar And Essential Oils

To make your cleaning work more enjoyable, I suggest recipes mixing with essential oils. That provides not only a free-streak solution but also a pleasant smell.

Different essential oils have various natural components that create a pleasant smell and are helpful in cleaning, like featuring antibacterial, antiseptic, or antifungal properties.

You can add some kinds of essential oils to your DIY cleaner, and vinegar keeps your glass from mold and mildew growth. If you can’t stand the strong smell of vinegar, don’t worry, the essential oils will calm this smell.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of water
• 1/2 cup of vinegar
• 10 drops of your favorite essential oil

How to use:

Step 1: Pour water and vinegar with your favorite essential oil in a glass spray bottle. Give it a good shake.

Step 2: Apply the cleaner directly to your glass surfaces and wipe it away with a soft clean cloth.

Ensure you store it in glass bottles because citrus essential oils (like lemon, lime, orange, and tangerine) can degrade plastics. The dark amber glass also helps protect the oils from staining or UV light.

This recipe is the most accessible homemade glass cleaner for windows, mirrors, and more.

Option 3: Dish Soap

The component in dish soap allows it to bond with oily particles and lift them off the surfaces. That helps to remove dirt easily, mainly when used with water.

Also, dish soap is always available in every kitchen. You do not need to buy any cleaning products. Why don’t you use it to clean your glass? It’s effortless.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz of hot water
• Several drops of dish soap
• A cloth

How to use:

Step 1: Combine hot water and dish soap.

Step 2: Stir the liquid.

Step 3: Mist the solution directly onto the surface and wipe it with a microfiber cloth.

Option 4: Dish Detergent, Vinegar, And Essential Oils

You can try another cleaning option from dish soap and white vinegar. The dish detergent removes residue on the window, while the acidity in vinegar also helps cut off dirt, grease, and streaks.

Ingredients:

• ½ teaspoon of dish soap
• ¼ cup white vinegar
• 2 cups of water
• 10 to 15 drops of your favorite essential oils

How to use:

Step 1: Gather and mix your ingredients into a spray bottle and gently shake it. Now, the cleaner is ready to use.

Step 2: Wipe the entire surface with the cleaner and a microfiber cloth.

You can substitute in lemon juice if there’s no available vinegar. The mild acidity in lemon can eliminate grease and grime too. You can camouflage the strong odor from vinegar thanks to the pleasant fragrance of oils.

Option 5: Rubbing Alcohol, Vinegar, And Dish Soap

Another recipe can save your time to clean windows.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup distilled vinegar
• 3 drops of dishwashing cleaner
• 1 cup isopropyl alcohol
• A soft, dry cloth

How to use:

Step 1: Don’t forget to shake all ingredients in a spray bottle.

Step 2: Spray directly on the glass, and use a microfiber cloth to scrub all grime.

Step 3: Apply the cleaner on the surface one more time, and use a rubber squeegee to press and pull it down the window. Keep cleaning until you squeegee the whole area. Wipe the squeegee blade between every stroke.

Step 4: Use a soft dry cloth to dry all residue on the corners and edges of the window.

Option 6: Cornstarch, Alcohol, Essential Oils, And Vinegar

This solution combines all ingredients from the list above to make an excellent window cleaner.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup white vinegar (you can use apple cider instead)
• ¼ cup rubbing alcohol
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 cups water
• 10 drops of essential oil ( you can opt for your favorite one)

How to use:

Step 1: You make a mixture in a bottle

Step 2: Gently shake the solution well to mix up all ingredients.

Step 3: And like other recipes, you simply spray it on the window, wipe off and dry it with a microfiber.

DIY Cleaner For Glass Cooktops

It’s hard to clean stubborn food stains spilled on your glass stove while cooking. Sometimes, you must use expensive, toxic detergents to clean it up. Here I have some great solutions:

Option 1: Hydrogen Peroxide, Dish Soap, Baking Soda, And White Vinegar

Hydrogen peroxide will enhance the cleaning ability of this mixture and help you remove stubborn stains on your stove top.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of each dish soap and hydrogen peroxide
• ⅛-¼ cup of baking soda
• A sponge or brush
• Warm water

How to use:

Step 1: You need to prepare dish soap and hydrogen peroxide in a small bowl.

Step 2: Apply the mixture directly to your stove top and sprinkle a ⅛-¼ cup of baking soda on it.

Step 3: You should scrub the surface with a sponge or brush circular motion and leave it to sit for 4 minutes.

Step 4: Warm water is an ideal option to rinse the residue, and white vinegar will give you a shiny look after several wipes.

Option 2: Baking Soda And Dish Soap

You can make a cleaning solution with 2 ingredients you already have in your kitchen: baking soda and dish soap.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Some drops of dish soap
• A mildly abrasive sponge
• A razor blade (Optional)

How to use:

Step 1: To start making the cleaner, mix 2 components into the container.

Step 2: Apply the mixture directly to the stovetop.

Step 3: Use a sponge to clean the surface. For stubborn stains, you can scrape them off with a razor blade and scrub them.

Step 4: Rinse off all remaining stains and wipe the stove with a microfiber cloth from the top.

Option 3: Baking Soda, Dishwashing Cleaner, And Vinegar

Not only combine baking soda and dish soap, but you can also use vinegar to upgrade the cleaning result.

Ingredients:

• Vinegar
• Baking soda
• Dish soap
• Water
• A towel and microfiber cloth

How to use:

Step 1: Pour the vinegar into a bottle and spray it onto your cooktop.

Step 2: Sprinkle baking soda across the surface.

Step 3: Prepare a solvent with dish soap and water, then soak a towel into it. You should lightly wring out the towel, let it wet enough.

Step 4: Cover the towel over the cooktop. Let it sit for 15 minutes. After that, remove the towel and lightly scrub the surface with a scrub brush.

Step 5: Wipe away all residue with another spray of vinegar and buff it with a microfiber cloth. Now, your cooktop can shine again.

A detailed guideline to remove stains from your cooktop.

Option 4: Vinegar

This recipe is recommended for daily cleaning. White vinegar can slightly remove buildup on your glass cooktop.

Ingredient:

• Vinegar
• A cloth

How to use:

Step 1: Fill a spray bottle with vinegar and spritz on the top of the stove. If you don’t have a bottle on hand, soaking a soft cloth into the vinegar is acceptable, and wipe it across your stove.

Step 2: Wipe down the top with a cloth to get rid of all liquid and spots. Lastly, let it dry.

Option 5: Toothpaste

Toothpaste works well on glass surfaces. If there is no baking soda available around your house, don’t worry, you can replace it with your toothpaste.

Ingredient:

• Toothpaste
• A cloth

How to use:

Step 1: Cover stains with toothpaste. You can use a toothbrush to do that,

Step 2: Let the paste sit for 15 minutes.

Step 3: When time’s up, wipe the cooktop with a damp cloth. That’s all you need to do to restore a sparkle glass stove.

Option 6: Warm Water, Dish Soap, And Lemon Juice.

This natural cleaning recipe is relatively easy to make, only with three simple ingredients- which are easily found in your kitchen.

Ingredients:

• Warm water
• Dish soap
• Lemon juice.
• A towel

How to use

Step 1: Mix a cup of warm water, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and ¼ cup soap liquid in a bowl.

Step 2: Soak a soft cloth in the mixture and wring it to make a slightly damp cloth.

Step 3: Lay the cloth cover over the glass top, and leave it for 30 minutes.

Step 4: Wipe the surface with another wet cloth until all residue is removed.

Option 7: Dish Soap

For this method, you simply use dish soap to remove all stains on your glass cooktop.

Ingredients:

• Dishwashing detergent
• A sponge
• A cloth

How to use:

Step 1: Add 1-2 drops of dish soap to a soft wet sponge. And gently wipe grease on the stove with a circular motion.

Step 2: Wring out the sponge, use clean water, and wipe on the surface to remove any remaining residue or soap traces.

Step 3: Spray onto the top with vinegar and use a paper towel to dry it.

Make Glass Shower Door Cleaners At Home

There’re always many white stains appearing on your shower doors, and that makes the doors very unattractive. These stains are soap scum, mixing with dirt, body oils, or soap residue,… If you let them build up over time, they’re hard to clean thoroughly.

Therefore, you should make a door cleaner and clean your shower door regularly. You can use the same recipes for cleaning glass windows and cooktops like vinegar, baking soda, dish soap, and essential oils (You can refer to the previous parts).

In this part, I will suggest some extra options for you.

Option 1: Cornstarch, Alcohol, Vinegar, And Water

That sounds strange, but it’s true. Cornstarch is an edible substance, but it also works well in cleaning glass surfaces. Moreover, this cost much lower than other cleaning products.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol or Isopropyl alcohol
• 1/4 cup of white vinegar
• 2 cups of water
• A towel

How to use:

Step 1: Combine the ingredients to make this solution. Depending on how large your shower door is, you can double this recipe.

Step 2: Shake the spray bottle well to mix up the solution. Use the liquid and wipe the door until they are clear.

Option 2: Lemon Juice

If you can’t stand the smell of vinegar, I have an alternative glass cleaning solution for you. Lemon juice has acid that helps to break down grime on your glass surfaces.

Ingredients:

• 3 lemons
• 1 cup of water
• A microfiber cloth

How to use:

Step 1: You need to squeeze the juice and mix it with water.

Step 2: Shake the bottle and mist on the surfaces. It’s better if you wipe it with a clean microfiber cloth.

Option 3: Lemon Juice And Baking Soda

You don’t need to squeeze lemon and a bottle to apply the cleaner. I have a more convenient way. Let’s discover!

Ingredients:

• Baking soda
• Lemon
• Water
• A clean towel

How to use:

Step 1: Cut half of the lemon, and rub the cut side of the lemon on the surface to remove dirt and soap residue on the door. Don’t forget to dip it into the baking soda to eliminate stains more effectively.

Step 2: Rinse it with distilled water. Don’t forget to dry the surface thoroughly to prevent film.

Option 4: Dish Soap And Vinegar

The recipe combines dish soap-eliminates grease and grime with vinegar-prevents residue and keeps your glass shiny.

Ingredients:

• Dish detergent
• Vinegar
• Microwave
• A cloth
• Warm water
• A rubber squeegee

How to use:

Step 1: Mix equal parts of dish soap and vinegar

Step 2: Heat the mixture in the microwave, set the time in 2 minutes. Wait for the solution to cool down and put it into a spray bottle.

Step 3: Spray the solution on the shower door. It’s better if you clean the dry door in advance. Let it sit for 3 minutes or more.

Step 4: Use a damp cloth to wipe the door, continue to rinse the glass with warm water.

Step 5: Use a rubber squeegee to wipe down the door.

Option 5: Baking Soda Paste

Only a thick paste from baking soda and water can clean your shower door effectively.

Ingredients:

• Baking soda
• Water
• A soft cloth
• Vinegar

How to use:

Step 1: You just need to mix a half cup of baking soda with water (you can change the ratio if your surface is larger).

Step 2: Apply the paste to a soft cloth, and rub directly on the glass door to wipe off tough stains.

Step 3: You can rinse it off with vinegar. Don’t use vinegar if your bathroom floor is stone or travertine.

Option 6: Baking Soda And Vinegar

As you know, vinegar and baking soda have surprising reactions in cleaning glass surfaces like shower doors. You should shower the door with water before washing with this cleaning solution.

Ingredients:

• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Water
• A sponge

How to use:

Step 1: You can prepare the cleaner spray with white vinegar and baking and spray directly on the glass. Let it sit for 10 minutes or more (if the surface has tough stains).

If you don’t want to create liquid, make a paste from baking soda and vinegar. And rubbing this paste onto the door, let it sit for 20 minutes.

Step 2: You dip a sponge into it with baking soda and scrub the surface until all residue is removed.

Step 3: Rinse it off using water. Use microfiber to dry the door.

Option 7: Ammonia, Alcohol, And Dish Soap

A streak-free ammonia cleaning solution combined with rubbing alcohol (70%) and a few drops of dish soap works best to clean windows, glass, and mirrors in your home.

Ammonia ⁽¹⁾ can dry quickly due to its high vapor pressure. That helps to prevent streaks after wiping. It is a water-soluble, eco-friendly, and easy to clean substance.

Ingredients:

• Warm water
• Alcohol
• Ammonia
• Dish soap
• A brush

How to use:

Step 1: Fill a spray bottle with 26 ounces of warm water. Then, pour ½ cup of alcohol, 2 tablespoons of ammonia, and ¼ teaspoon of dish soap.

Step 2: Shake the bottle to mix all ingredients.

Step 3: Spray it onto the scum-covered doors, use a brush to scrub the glass surface while it is still damp.

Step 4: Rinse with water and dry it thoroughly.

Notes:

• You should use unscented ammonia; if you don’t have one, lemon-scented ammonia is acceptable. It may reduce the pungent smell from the mixture.
• Ensure never add bleach to the mixture. It can result in toxic fumes. Do not use it to clean in direct sunlight that can leave streaks after drying.
• Pay special attention to opening your shower door when using ammonia. However, with windows, you can open them to ventilate the air out.
• Don’t forget to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from skin irritation.

Option 8: Water And Ammonia

If your shower doesn’t have too many stains, you can apply this method.

Ingredients:

• Distilled water
• Ammonia

How to use:

Step 1: Mix 2 quarts of distilled water with 2 tbsps of ammonia or 3 parts of water to 1 part ammonia (for heavy-scum glass doors) in a spray bottle.

Step 2: You can spray directly on the door, but let it sit for 5 minutes.

Step 3 (Optional): Use a brush to scrub it until all dirt is removed.

Step 4: Rinse the whole area and dry it thoroughly with a soft clean cloth.

Option 9: Grapefruit And Salt

The acid in grapefruit will eliminate all soap scum that causes a cloudy film on your door.

Ingredients:

• Grapefruit
• Salt
• Water

How to use:

Step 1: All you need are half of grapefruit and kitchen salt. Cover your half grapefruit with salt

Step 2: Scrub on the glass door. Ensure you keep adding salt to the grapefruit.

Step 3: Rinse the surface thoroughly with water.

Helpful Tips For Making Perfect Cleaning Solutions

Now, I will suggest some helpful tips to make your cleaning more accessible and more enjoyable.

• For cleaner containers, you should use glass bottles instead of plastic ones. Toxins from plastic bottles may affect ingredients such as alcohol or vinegar. And the solution will leave streaks or spots after a few uses.
• You should use microfiber to clean the glass surfaces. They work better on picking up dust or removing the film, while others like dryer sheets or fabric softeners don’t.
• To get a streak-free outcome, you should spray moderately the cleaners on the surfaces. Don’t put too much that will drench your cloth.
• When cleaning, wipe the surface vertically with a cloth, and wipe horizontally with another fabric. You can wipe off all the solutions and won’t leave streaks on the glass by doing this.
• For extra-shiny glasses, you should wipe with a newspaper (black and white)
• Always label outside the cleaner bottles with the name of ingredients and the date you mixed because you may not know what it is or whether it is too old to use.
• Keep these cleaners from cooking areas and food since confusion may happen. Use a new container for your glass cleaner rather than reusing it. It is not suitable for some solvents made of vinegar or alcohol.

FAQs

Here are some frequent questions that I’m usually asked. They may help you to resolve some problems when making homemade glass cleaners.

No Stain No Pain

That’s all about my homemade recipes for glass. I believe that you will try and apply them successfully for your cleaning.

I hope you find this helpful article. If you have any questions or ideas related, don’t hesitate to leave your comment below. Don’t forget to share this post with your beloved people to save them from the headache of cleaning glass.