with Homemade a Glass Cleaner
In
cleaning glass windows, mass-produced commercial glass cleaners are expensive,
may not always be available and may contain chemicals you don’t want to be
exposed to. Moreover, inexpensive, shady brand-less mass-produced glass
cleaners from places that have corrupt government and lacks safety and health
standards, like China, may have unknown harmful toxins that is not worth the
risk. The remedy is making your own homemade glass cleaner from common
household items either household ammonia or white vinegar, but I strongly
recommended using white vinegar than household ammonia.
Before opting out from using household ammonia, let’s understand what it
is. Basically household ammonia is a solution of water with 5-10% ammonium
hydroxide and has been used as a cleaning product. In general, ammonia is a
common ingredient in most commercial cleaning products, fertilizers, plastics,
synthetic fibers, dyes, colorings and pharmaceuticals. And in large and
concentrate quantity it is toxic to most living things, same with dish washing
soap and tea tree oil. But ammonia is more toxic than dish washing soap but
less than chlorine based bleach. Hence, when using ammonia as cleaning agent
safety precaution must be observed especially around children and pets, since
ammonia can cause irritation and even burns skin and mucous membrane in
prolonged contact. Moreover, that is the reason for frequent diapers change and
hygienic clean up are a must for neonates, both human and other mammals, since
ammonia is formed when urea in urine, breaks down. With regards to the impact
of ammonia in the environment, that warrants another whole article or two, so
let the blogger know if interest and watch out for it.
White
vinegar may be less effective than household ammonia in cleaning things that are
oily since the base quality of ammonia reacts with oils and fats, from
fingerprints, dirt and grease stains, forming soap and the water in the
household ammonia solution washes off the soap formed, leaving a clear
streak-free surface. However, white vinegar is less toxic and can be a good
glass cleaner. A mixture of 1 part white vinegar to 4 parts water and a little
hint of dishwashing liquid make a good homemade glass cleaner.
These
are the materials needed in cleaning glass windows: homemade glass cleaner in a
500 ml spray bottle, soft sponge, high quality microfiber cloth or old
petroleum-based ink newspaper, squeegee, and cotton swabs and/or soft toothbrush.
Steps in Cleaning Glass Windows
1. Schedule a convenient cleaning day. As
per recommended in previous households cleaning article, schedule cleaning
glass windows every quarter to avoid build up of dirt, grim and dust, and the
need for an extra step in cleaning of windows’ frame and glass. Yet, cleaning
would also depends on the glass window prominent and visibility in the living
space, and how fast it accumulation dirt, fingerprints and stains. Always
choose to wash glass windows on an overcast or cloudy day, or when direct
sunlight could not hit the glass to prevent the homemade solution to dry off
before able to wipe off the dirt that result to streaks.
2. Clean window frame before cleaning the glass. Always wipe clean the window frames with damp cleaning cloth before cleaning the glass. And for
extremely dirty glass, start by washing it with a soft sponge soaked in homemade glass cleaning solution with a little more liquid detergent, let it sit for a minute
to soften the dirt, then wipe clean, repeat until satisfied. Do not forget to clean the corners, cotton swabs and/or soft toothbrush are great tools.
3. A streaks-free polish. Spray, to mist not soak, the glass with homemade
glass cleaner. Wipe it off with loosely crumpled old newspaper, microfiber
cloth, or a squeegee. Start wiping from top left corner to the top right corner
and then down and start back again at the left side. Spot clean as needed.
What do you think of this simple and inexpensive cleaning solution? Please
feel free to share your thoughts and leave comments, questions, suggestions
and/or corrections below. And do not forget to follow such show of support
would greatly help this blog create better content. Thank you.
As always keep it clean and simple.
Reference
1. Neal,
S.Y. (2017, August 21). A Simple Cleaning
Schedule. [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://inourhomesweethome.blogspot.com/2017/08/a-simple-cleaning-schedule_17.html
2.
Neal, S.Y. (2018, March 15). Simple Way
to Clean Mirrors. [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://inourhomesweethome.blogspot.com/2018/03/simple-way-to-clean-mirrors.html
3.
SFGate. (n.d.) Vinegar and Ammonia Window
Cleaning. [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://homeguides.sfgate.com/vinegar-ammonia-window-cleaning-48916.html
4. McCulloch, K.
(2013, July 2). Is Ammonia Good or Evil?
[Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://sustainablesuburbia.net/is-ammonia-good-or-evil/
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