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It's spring cleaning time! When I started on my Spring cleaning venture a couple of weeks ago, I suddenly realized...I have been living in darkness. I really had no idea that my windows had gotten so bad over the winter. I suppose I had gotten used to how gross they became, but when I came across Crunchy Betty's Alvin Corn window cleaner recipe, I knew I had to try it out on my own dirty windows and let the light shine through.
Looks can be deceiving in the right light
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE reading Crunchy Betty and have learned a ton from reading through her blog, but this recipe wasn't ALL it was cracked up to be. At first, it looked as if this stuff was rockin' my socks off, because my windows seemed to be clear as could be, but being that our windows face Westish, in the evening sun I was able to see a very light film left behind on the windows from the corn starch in her recipe. I was going to have to find something else to replace it...but what?
A powerhouse cleaner, disinfectant, AND odor remover
I immediately knew that I would add my favorite secret ingredient to this recipe, making it even more effective and amazing. Pressed from the peels of oranges, orange oil is extremely high in the chemical constituent d-limonene. This is one of the main constituents that the essential oils of orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, bergamot, and even lemongrass contain. Orange oil is such a great cleaner that it has been effectively used in nearly every one of my cleaning recipes. When I use it in my homemade soft scrub, it turns it into a hand cleaner that my mechanic buddies swear works better than Gojo. I have even used it in my steam cleaner along with vinegar and saw amazing results at its pet odor removal powers. It only made sense that I would put it in my window cleaner too!
Most window cleaners contain toxic chemicals
With ingredients like ethanolamine, ammonium hydroxide, toxic fragrances, and more, the most popular commercial window (Windex, Lysol, Glass Plus) cleaners aren't even safe to inhale, let alone ingest through skin contact. These toxic chemicals are terrible for the environment as well as toxic to you, your children, and your pets!
Not JUST a powerful window cleaner...
The ingredients in this recipe, make this a really awesome multi-purpose cleaner. This spray can be used to disinfect your counter tops, clean your bathroom, and even disinfect those germy surfaces touched by the sick. Most of all, this is a FABULOUS streak-free window and glass cleaner!
Citrus Window Cleaner
30 fl. oz. (fills a 32 oz. spray bottle)
INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups filtered water
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. rubbing alcohol
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. orange oil
- 32 oz. spray bottle
DIRECTIONS
- Combine ingredients in your spray bottle. Store in a cool dark place, such as under your kitchen sink. Light can break down essential oils and that includes this orange oil.
- Spray onto the surface that you're cleaning, wipe clean with recycled newspaper, microfiber cloth, etc.
NOTE
Though microfiber cloths are fabulous to use when cleaning windows/mirrors, I learned from my Dad that newspaper provides the absolute cleanest, lint-free, streak-free shine. Instead of throwing out your old newspapers, save them and recycle them for all of your glass cleaning needs!
