Mix 1/4 cup vinegar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch into 1 quart of warm water; Arkansas Extension says the homemade glass cleaner can help prevent streaks

In the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service guide, the homemade cleaner for windows and mirrors combines one-quarter cup of vinegar with one tablespoon of cornstarch in one quart of warm water. The mixture is then poured into a spray bottle. The recipe uses inexpensive ingredients that are commonly found in many kitchens.

Reasons behind more households making their own cleaners

Step into any grocery store's cleaning section, and it can feel like an overload. There is a product for glass, another for countertops, one for bathrooms, and even one for stainless steel, all designed for similar jobs but at a steep price. Vinegar is used in many homemade cleaning solutions because its acidity can help loosen mineral deposits and other grime. The Arkansas Cooperative Extension guide includes vinegar in several of its recommended homemade cleaning mixtures.


People may also appreciate knowing exactly what ingredients are in a cleaning solution when they make it themselves. Instead of purchasing a ready-made product with a longer ingredient list, a homemade mixture allows the ingredients and quantities to be measured directly. The extension service's guide recommends starting with the mildest cleaning solution appropriate for a job and moving to a stronger option only when the milder approach does not work.

How to use the glass cleaner and a few other switches to make

The Arkansas Cooperative Extension guide includes cornstarch in its window and mirror cleaner recipe, but it does not explain that the ingredient prevents streaking. It is therefore better to describe cornstarch simply as one of the listed ingredients rather than assign it a specific cleaning effect that the source does not establish.

Prepare the mixture in a spray bottle with warm water, vinegar, and cornstarch, and shake well before each use because the cornstarch settles at the bottom. Apply the mixture to the glass and wipe it away with a soft towel or newspaper. For particularly dirty windows, the guide also provides variations involving additional ingredients and cleaning methods.

Homemade sprays like this one are intended for routine cleaning, not disinfection. For sanitizing, use a product specifically labelled for that purpose and follow the label directions. The same Arkansas Cooperative Extension guide also provides other homemade cleaning formulas and discusses ingredients such as baking soda, borax, and washing soda for different household tasks. Because stronger cleaning ingredients can irritate the skin, follow the guide's safety recommendations and avoid unnecessary direct contact.

Never mix bleach with ammonia-based products, including some glass cleaners, because the combination can produce dangerous fumes. Anyone making homemade cleaning solutions should label each bottle clearly, prepare mixtures in an adequately ventilated area, and keep them out of reach of children.

The vinegar-and-cornstarch mixture produces slightly more than one quart when the quarter cup of vinegar is added to a full quart of warm water, assuming no other volume adjustment is made. It can therefore be described as a roughly 1.25-quart batch rather than exactly one quart of finished solution. The recipe is a simple option for routine window and mirror cleaning, particularly for people who already have the ingredients at home and prefer to prepare their own cleaning solutions.

The approach does not eliminate the need for a spray bottle, and vinegar has a distinctive smell, so the homemade mixture is not necessarily odour-free. Its main appeal is its straightforward ingredient list and the ability to reuse a suitable spray bottle rather than relying on a new container each time. For households that prefer simple cleaning formulas, this can make an ordinary window-cleaning task a little more manageable.