House Mate Foaming Glass & Mirror Cleaner, 400ml

Product Information

DIY solutions are appealing because they can be personalized, can utilize natural ingredients and can be cheaper than some commercial offerings. How to make DIY window cleaner Most of these cleaners do not smell good, falling somewhere between vaguely unpleasant (Stoner Invisible Glass) and extremely off-putting (Zep Streak-Free Cleaner). The two ammonia-based cleaners, Zep and Windex, left by far the worst smell. The powerful scent of ammonia produces an almost nostril-burning effect. While the scent doesn’t linger long, the experience of using the spray is poor because of it. We wanted to create an alternative that was all-natural, so we disregarded recipes that called for ammonia. We also avoided using dish-washing liquid or other manufactured soaps that relied on buying and watering down a store-bought cleaning solution.

The most pleasing aroma came from our own mixture of vinegar, cornstarch, and essential oil. Just 10 drops of the highly concentrated peppermint essential oil in our 20-ounce spray bottle made all the difference in the user experience of the homemade cleaner. The great thing about making your own cleaner is you can select your favorite fragrance. Essential oils come in dozens of scents, including rosemary, lavender, tea tree, and lemongrass. Among the liquid spray options, Windex and Zep Commercial Glass Cleaner performed the best. Although both required a bit more elbow grease and attention, we were able to completely remove any evidence of the chili.Many glass cleaners rely on a solution of chemicals, including ammonia. While commercial glass-cleaning products are considered safe for regular home use, there are ways to avoid them.

While the end result may not be as streak-free as a window cleaned with Windex, using a homemade cleaner could be worthwhile for those who want to save some money and also want to use a product that only includes ingredients they are comfortable with. Clean the inside of your windows once a week with one of the products from this review. At least twice a year, clean the outside of your windows. This will require special tools, such as an extension ladder and squeegee. What is the best way to clean windows without streaking?Weiman Glass cleaner did an exceptional job cleaning up our microwave chili explosion. The microwave looked as good as new with just one application of the foaming spray and a bit of easy wiping. Vinegar is also a common ingredient that’s used in more natural cleaners. It performs like ammonia—only a little more prone to streaks. Though it still has a smell, it’s not as pungent. Amount Almost all the products we tested (with the exception of Seventh Generation Free & Clear Glass & Surface Cleaner and our DIY solution) contain some type of fragrance agent. In an effort to protect proprietary information, manufacturers do not break down exactly what creates these scents. Often, fragrances are made with phthalates, which have been linked to several adverse medical conditions, including damage to the liver, kidneys, and lungs.

Before we tested our products, we practiced several variations of wipe strokes, amount of liquid, and timing and application. The following steps are our recommendations for cleaning all glass surfaces. How to clean glass The best product for getting reliably clean and clear glass is Windex. It can be used on a variety of surfaces to clean without leaving streaks, and it’s strong enough to get rid of tough stains.Many of the products easily removed the stains, but Windex did so with only moderate pressure being applied and it required very little buffing to completely eliminate streaks. The mirror simply looked the best after it had been cleaned with the Windex solution.

Other chemicals commonly used in glass cleaners offer more protection against germs, but if used improperly, they can cause irritation to the skin and respiratory system. Vinegar is a great natural antibacterial disinfectant, but many find the smell offensive, and it sometimes fails to thoroughly clean tough jobs. When you shouldn’t use glass/window cleaner Regardless of which product you buy, there are several universal rules for increasing safety and limiting exposure to any potentially damaging chemicals. Rules for Safe CleaningWe opted to try one homemade recipe, one plant-based product, two cleaners containing ammonia, two aerosol sprays and one of the most well-known window-cleaning brands. We tested these products for their ability to eliminate dirt and germs on a variety of glass and other surfaces while leaving a streak-free finish. How we tested