Best cleaner for windows no streaks

A fter nearly 40 hours of reading, researching, spraying and wiping, we determined that Windex is the best window cleaner available. Windex outperformed seven other glass cleaners by consistently eliminating blemishes and impurities and producing crystal-clear views and reflections.

For a glass cleaner that attacks grease — like on your microwave — Weiman proved a star performer. Our pick for best overall glass cleaner is Windex. It simply cleans and eliminates streaking better than any of the other products we tested. Windex proved to be up to even the most difficult challenges. The ammonia-based cleaner broke up difficult compounds and consistently removed dirty, sticky, greasy blemishes on mirrors, windows, and other surfaces.

Because ammonia evaporates quicker than water, there is very little health risk shortly after cleaning. Only large amounts of high-concentrate ammonia can be dangerous if inhaled. Finally, Windex is incredibly versatile.

It took care of our messy, chili-covered microwave with only a bit of effort. The ammonia-based product is also great for tackling soap scum on bathroom fixtures and stains on tiled floors, polishing up old jewelry and even repelling insects.

Weiman Glass Cleaner , with its penetrating foaming action, is the best at tackling the worst messes all over the house. It also has a less abrasive scent than the Stoner Invisible Glass aerosol can. 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.

Combining white vinegar, cornstarch, warm water, and essential oil creates a fantastic all-purpose cleaner that is effective on glass.

Our homemade product successfully cleaned messes off windows, mirrors, and other surfaces. While windows and mirrors may be left with faint signs of streaking, the long-lasting, refreshing scent of your favorite essential oil — and the incredible low price of making the mixture — more than make up for the flaw. The other finalists we tested all were capable of clearing surfaces of grease and grime. Where they mostly fell short was failing to eliminate streaks. Stoner Invisible Glass Premium Glass Cleaner proved very versatile, performing well at cutting through food spills in our microwave test.

But like Glass Plus, it could not completely keep away streaks. Zep Streak-Free Glass Cleaner did a better job cleaning without leaving streaks, but the odor was too unpleasant. The strong scent of ammonia takes away from an otherwise very effective product. We started by reading user reviews, marketing materials, consumer reports, and homecare blogs. Then, we dove into the science and debate about chemicals, exposure, safety, and do-it-yourself alternatives.

With this information, we whittled our field down to six brands that represented the different methods of cleaning glass. We 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.

In order to fairly compare the prices of our products, we calculated their price per ounce based on popular packaging sold on Amazon at the time of publishing. To calculate the cost of our DIY glass cleaner, we also combined the costs of the ingredients we used, which were purchased at local grocery stores. We then calculated the cost based on the portion of the product we used for our mixture.

Our simple, homemade Your Best Digs cleaner is by far the cheapest way per ounce to clean glass surfaces although it is more costly, both in time and money, upfront. Windex is the least expensive commercial product, but it should be noted that buying large refill containers, like the ounce Windex offering on Amazon. Seventh Generation is the most expensive because of its plant-based ingredients. Windows must be cleaned from both the inside and the outside.

We simulated cleaning the outside of a living room window by smearing mud and dirt on it and letting it set. Then, we pressed an olive oil-coated hand against the window and smeared it around to mimic greasy palm prints. After five minutes, we used each product to tackle the job of cleaning the window. In terms of both removing the substances and leaving a streak-free finish, the products from Windex and Zep Streak-Free Glass Cleaner distinguished themselves as superior to the others.

Both glass cleaners clung to the window without running, which helped them penetrate the more difficult stains. The complete absence of streaks or fog left the windows stunningly clear. The foaming spray loosened up even the toughest parts of the mess, allowing it to be easily wiped away. However, they also left the windows just a bit streaky.

The streaks were not distracting or even all that obvious, but they were noticeable from certain angles. Seventh Generation Surface Cleaner and our DIY cleaner had more difficulty eliminating signs of the mess — especially the oily handprints. While the prints themselves were removed, residue from the oil remained on the window and left visible streaks. If windows account for the largest surface area of glass in the house, mirrors are probably second.

And although this is technically a review of window cleaners, you may apply the cleaner in other contexts. Bathroom mirrors in particular put up with a lot of abuse. Sprays, gels, creams, lotions, and fingerprints smudge mirrors on a daily basis. To simulate these real-world cleaning situations, we applied a dime-sized amount of toothpaste to a fingertip and smeared it across the bathroom mirror. We then did the same with a dime-sized drop of hair gel. We let the smudge marks set for 15 minutes and then used our glass-cleaning method to tackle the task.

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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter. Use your white cloth to wash the windows. Then dry and buff your windows with the wadded up newspaper. Ibbity, ibbity, that's all folks! Your windows will be super clean and streak free! Like this tip? Feel free to share it on Facebook or Pin to your Pinterest Boards for future reference using the sharing buttons at the bottom or top of this post!

Home Protection At Your Fingertips ». Comments Bibbity Boppity Newspaper, huh? Who woulda thought it! Jessica, Great tip! Thank you, Tina! Going to try this for sure I don't love the ink on my hands either :. I hate when I get streaks on my windows. I need to try this out. Fill a sprayer bottle with white vinegar and spray the liquid on the surface of the window. Let it soak into grimy areas for five minutes before wiping away with a sponge. For areas of the glass that have old tape or large bird droppings, use a plastic paint scraper to pry away the debris.

Start by holding the scraper at a degree angle and then press the blade beneath the gunk to peel it away. Use care to keep from hurting yourself or damaging the glass. Several things are helpful to know when cleaning windows without streaks. Choosing the right time of day, avoiding certain types of cleaning materials, and using specific ingredients to clean windows are all useful tips that help to create a streak-free window.

Streaking occurs on windows mainly because the cleaner dries before you have a chance to wipe it away. Therefore, make sure to clean the windows on a calm and cloudy day with no rain. Try and clean the windows twice a year during spring and fall.

Likewise, using newspaper has the same effect and also leaves behind ink stains while cleaning. The best tool for cleaning windows is a rubber squeegee. When making a window cleaning solution, use distilled water. As non-distilled water evaporates from the window, it leaves behind trace minerals and elements resulting in visible marks on the glass.

This homemade window cleaner with vinegar works well for cleaning the outside of windows or filthy indoor windows. It uses equal parts of water and white vinegar for heavy-duty cleaning. Combine equal portions of white vinegar and water in a large bucket and mix the ingredients. Dunk the cloth into the window cleaning solution and start at the top of the window. Use circular motions to loosen up dirt and grime, making sure to clean every inch of the glass.

After cleaning the window and before it dries, use a squeegee to wipe the cleaner away. Start at the top side of the window and use horizontal swipes from one side to the other without lifting the squeegee from the glass.

Wipe the squeegee clean after each stroke and repeat in the next section down, making sure to overlap each stroke. Use a soft cloth to clean away any excess water from the glass surface and windowsill. Not only can you use this recipe to clean windows but you can also take care of mirrors in the house. As a natural mirror cleaner , vinegar and water clean and sanitize all types of surfaces with ease. This solution can also be used as one of the ways to clean metal blinds in your house or RV.

Vinegar has all kinds of uses for cleaning. The type of cleaner you use on windows is not as crucial to streak-free cleaning as the tools and technique.

Much like other cleaning chores, taking care of glass, whether it's a window or a mirror or a coffee table, is more about the tools than the actual elbow grease involved. With the right stuff in your bucket, you can get your glass streak-free and crystal-clear in no time. So check out the next page to start our simple list of five tips that'll surely have your glass surfaces sparkling with little effort or expense.

It's isn't rocket science, either — the first tip has largely to do with something that should be common sense, but often isn't! Keep reading to find out. Although it might all look the same to the untrained eye, the truth is that the quality of the water which flows from your tap can vary wildly from place to place.

This isn't such a big deal if you're cleaning countertops or flooring, but since glass shows every little imperfection it will be very apparent if any impurities are involved in the process. Since many people dilute glass cleaner with water this can have a major impact on how your glass surfaces look after a good cleaning.

Hard water, in particular has a higher concentration of dissolved minerals such as magnesium and calcium, which will almost definitely result in an unsightly, streaky mess when combined with your cleaner. Instead of diluting glass cleaner using water from the tap, consider using distilled water.

It doesn't have all the minerals in it that can be present in tap water, so it won't leave behind any streaky deposits on your bathroom mirror. Unless you need very large quantities, distilled water is relatively inexpensive and easy enough to purchase from the local grocery store. If you're really pinching pennies you can actually whip up a batch from the comfort of your own home!

Vinegar is one of those all-purpose ingredients that's tough to live without, and is a staple in most pantries. Indeed, it's as great on a salad as it in on your mirror, and best of all it costs practically nothing! It's also all-natural, which is a serious selling point to people who want to clean green. The best type of vinegar for cleaning purposes is distilled white vinegar.

It's non-toxic, antibacterical and its acidic content is completely safe for skin, pets, children and living things in general. So, whether you're out of your usual glass cleaner or you're just looking for a cheaper option, white vinegar can work wonders on your windows and mirrors.