Name: How To Make the Best Window Cleaner // the Non-Toxic Way
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 3 TB rubbing alcohol¼ cup white vinegar1 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder¾ cup distilled water

How To Make the Best Window Cleaner // the Non-Toxic Way

This DIY window cleaner is the best window cleaner recipe I’ve found. It’s inexpensive, gives streak-free results, and is super fast to make.

If you’ve been following me long enough, I’m sure you know I’m all about using non-toxic cleaners and that I love DO-IT-YOURSELF products that work and save money! I’ve tried several other recipes, but this one seems to work the best and is the easiest to make.

Why in the world would you want to make your own window cleaner?

When using most store-bought brands, you almost get asphyxiated while cleaning. The fumes can be really strong and you gotta know there are some serious chemicals in there. Well, according to EWG’s guide, Windex gets a score of “D”. The number one ingredient is AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE which has some major concerns. That one ingredient alone is enough for me to use something else.

If you don’t want to make your own, you can find some brands that are non-toxic and that work. This particular window cleaner has good reviews and it gets a score of “A” on EWG.

I like to save money and get good results, so this window cleaner recipe is a win, win!

Window Cleaner Ingredients

3 TB rubbing alcohol
¼ cup white vinegar
1 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder
¾ cup distilled water

I really like these glass spray bottles and use them for my other DIY cleaners.

Window Cleaner Instructions

1- Simply pour all the ingredients into a glass spray bottle

2- Shake well to mix.

Make sure to label your bottle! There have been so many times that I mix up some brew and forget what is in the bottle.

You can use something as simple as masking or painter’s tape, or you can create your own labels.

I have these labels available in my shop if you want to buy them already made and printed on weatherproof paper.

GET THE FREE WINDOW CLEANER PDF LABEL HERE

Tips for Using DIY Window Cleaner

1- Use a lint-free cloth. Some folks think that microfiber cloths work best, but I don’t really notice a big difference and feel I get just as good results with a good old cotton cloth.

2- When my washcloths and hand towels get old and ratty, I repurpose them as cleaning cloths. If you want to get really organized, you can buy a set of inexpensive washcloths at Walmart that are all the same color. That way you know what are cleaning clothes and which ones you’ll be using on your face.

3- When cleaning windows, shower doors, mirrors, and other glass surfaces work from top to bottom.

4- If you have severe hard water stains on your shower doors, try spraying a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water on the area and let it soak for a good 15 minutes before wiping. You can also use the ingredients in the cleaning solution I use on my shower tile. You can get all the information and watch the video here.

I hope you enjoy this window-cleaner recipe as much as I do.

You may find this CLEANING SYSTEM helpful if you are overwhelmed with everything it takes to keep your house clean. This is a fun way to spread out all the tasks so they are doable.

Here are some other CLEANING RECIPES and TIPS you may be interested in:

Happy cleaning!

How To Make the Best Window Cleaner // the Non-Toxic Way

Jan Howell

This DIY window cleaner is the best window cleaner recipe I’ve found. It’s inexpensive, gives streak-free results, and is super fast to make.

Prep Time5 min
Total Time5 min

Ingredients

Cake

- 3 TB rubbing alcohol
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- 1 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder
- ¾ cup distilled water

Instructions

1

1- Simply pour all the ingredients into a glass spray bottle

2- Shake well to mix.

Jan Howell

My intention for this website is to share tips and tutorials that I have found on my journey of life that has brought me joy, improved health, and peace, in hopes that it will do the same for you. I hope you'll join me on this journey!

Share:

Connect:

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

non-toxic non-toxic cleaners non-toxic cleaning

Non-Toxic Stainless Steel Cleaner | Make Your Own | 3 Simple Ingredients

When it comes to stainless steel cleaners, there’s some pretty toxic stuff out there. No worries, here is a non-toxic stainless steel cleaner recipe that works like a charm. There are only 3 simple ingredients and it’s super easy to make.

What is so bad about commercial stainless steel cleaner and polish?

The cleaner that was recommended when I bought my stainless steel dishwasher was a product that worked great, however, there was a seriously toxic smell to it.

My son came over one day just after I had cleaned with it, and he asked what the smell was. He thought it smelled WD-40 or an auto shop. I looked up the ingredients and checked the EWG report.

Holy cow! No wonder it smelt so bad. One of the ingredients is KEROSENE and it had an “F” rating which is the most toxic. Seriously?????

Needless to say, I threw that stainless steel cleaner in the garbage and researched how to make my own. This recipe is the best one I’ve tried and it only takes about a minute to whip up.

Where to use stainless steel cleaner

Use it to remove fingerprints, smudges, streaks, and grime on stainless steel appliances like:

refrigerators
dishwashers
stoves
microwave
coffee maker,
toaster oven, and more

How to use stainless steel cleaner to polish & clean appliances

Shake the bottle well before using
Lightly mist your appliance. (It doesn’t take much)
Wipe with a soft cloth on the grain of the stainless steel.

Get ready for a shiny, sparkly, smudge-free, streak-free finish.

Stainless Steel Cleaner Ingredients

½ cup olive oil (this does not need to be your best cooking oil)
½ cup white vinegar
20 drops of essential oil (wild orange, lemon, grapefruit, lime bergamot, etc.)

**** I find citrus essential oils work well to cut through grease, dirt, and the grime that builds up on appliances.

Feel free to use any combination of oils to get your 20 drops. ( I personally like a combo of wild orange & lemon.

Stainless Steel Cleaner Instructions

Store the stainless steel cleaner blend in a glass, stainless steel, or plastic (PET #1 or HDPE #2) spray bottle.

I really like these bottles for all my DIY cleaners. They are simple and attractive and the spray nozzle works well.

1 – Using a funnel, pour the vinegar and olive oil into the spray bottle.

2 – Add the essential oils

3 – Mix well

**** Make sure to label your jar so you know what is in it. If you’re like me, you may not remember in a week what’s in the bottle. 🙂

You can use something as simple as painter’s tape, or masking tape, or you can make your own label.

I have a FREE printable PDF label if you want to download and print it. My treat.

GET THE STAINLESS STEEL CLEANER LABEL HERE.

The file is available as a PDF, SVG (for those who have a Silhouette or Cricut), and JPG file.

There you have it, another DIY NON-TOXIC CLEANER to add to your CLEAN & SAFE cleaning tools.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Here are some other posts you may be interested in:

Non-Toxic All-Purpose Cleaner- How to Easily Make Your Own

Natural Bathroom Cleaner That Works – How to Make Your Own

Non-Toxic Whiteboard Cleaner

Powerful DIY Disinfectant Spray | 3 Ingredients

Tile & Grout – How to keep it clean the easy way

Non-Toxic Stainless Steel Cleaner | Make Your Own | 3 Simple Ingredients

Jan Howell

When it comes to stainless steel cleaners, there’s some pretty toxic stuff out there. No worries, here is a non-toxic stainless steel cleaner recipe that works like a charm.

Prep Time1 min
Total Time1 min
Yield 16 oz.

Course
- Main Course

INGREDIENTS

½ cup olive oil (this does not need to be your best cooking oil)

Spicy Mayo

½ cup white vinegar

20 drops essential oil (wild orange, lemon, grapefruit, lime bergamot, etc.)

INSTUCTIONS

1

Using a funnel, pour the vinegar and olive oil into the spray bottle.

2

Add the essential oils

3

Mix well

4

Shake the bottle well before using

5

Lightly mist your appliance. (It doesn’t take much)

6

Wipe with a soft cloth on the grain of the stainless steel.

Jan Howell

My intention for this website is to share tips and tutorials that I have found on my journey of life that has brought me joy, improved health, and peace, in hopes that it will do the same for you. I hope you'll join me on this journey!

Share:

Connect:

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

in the kitchen non-toxic cleaning stainless steel cleaner

Tile & Grout – How to keep it clean the easy way

Cleaning tile and grout can be a nasty job, but it doesn’t have to be! I am going to share with you a simple secret on how to clean tile and to keep it that way.

I’m all about using non-toxic and natural cleaners in my home and have done so for many years. You don’t have to use powerful chemicals to get things clean and sanitized. The KEY is…PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE!

Here’s the deal, when it comes to shower tile & grout; you can’t wait for weeks between cleaning it. If you do, hard water deposits, soap scum, and even mold will start to accumulate. Now you have a nasty job ahead of you, and one that most likely you’ll procrastinate until it gets REALLY bad. I don’t think anyone likes scrubbing their guts out on tile, I know I don’t. It’s exhausting!

This is how you keep your tile and grout clean

So what is the big secret? I got this cool SQUEEGEE and I use it every day! Doing this one simple thing has made my life so much easier! When we added the new master bath onto our house, I swore that I would keep the tile clean from the get-go. I haven’t had to do a major scrub job yet and we have had the new shower for almost four years now.

This squeegee is the bomb! Most shower squeegees are not very wide and are made of plastic that really just smears the water around. This bad boy is wide (makes the process much quicker) and really grabs the water. LOVE IT!

It doesn’t come with a handle, but you can use any handle. You can cut a piece of 3/4 inch dowel 6 inches and you are good to go. I haven’t seen anything like it anywhere but on Amazon. I have one in each bathroom. Get a suction holder to hang it on.

What do I use to clean my tile and grout?

I make my own cleaner. I have tried several types of store-bought “natural” cleaners over the years only to be very disappointed. They just didn’t do the job. So I started tweaking recipes I found online until I found something that really works.

I have a few cleaner recipes that I like. The first one is a basic tub & tile cleaner that is good for the tub, tile, toilet, and sink.

The other one works really well if you have a lot of built-up water deposit residue, and mold going on. It’s not a totally green recipe, but so much better than using serious chemical cleaners like Lysol or Clorox.

Blue Magic Dawn Cleaner

This recipe is pretty common in the Pinterest world. It uses only two ingredients; Dawn dish cleaner and vinegar. Many of the recipes on Pinterest call for much more soap, but I find them WAY too sudsy. You spend too much time getting rid of the soap slime.

1/4 cup Dawn Dish Detergent
2 cups hot vinegar

I like to recycle my Mrs. Meyers dish soap bottles for my cleaning products. The label works great for a measuring guide. (the bottom edge of the label is 1/4 cup).

Fill the rest of the bottle with hot (microwaved) vinegar.

Shake well and squirt on shower tile, toilets, and sinks.

Turn on the fan, because it does smell quite strong!

Let it sit for about 5 minutes. It really works like magic.

I looked up the rating for Dawn on EWG’s website and it scores a D for being toxic to the environment.

If you wanting to know what cleaners to avoid and what ones are safe, EWG has a great article. It gives you a list of 10 cleaners to avoid and 10 of the best ones to use. You can find it here.

My recommendation

Get your tub, tile, and toilet clean with the Dawn recipe (if they are bad).
Maintain the tile by squeegeeing after each use.
Clean the toilet and sinks weekly using the tub scrub.
Monthly clean the tile with the tub scrub. (It is a snap if you’ve been squeegeeing)!

If you are getting overwhelmed with all that it takes to keep your house clean, you may find this cleaning system helpful. This is a fun way to spread out all the tasks so they are doable.

If you enjoy my tutorial videos, please be sure to “LIKE” my Youtube videos and “FOLLOW” me, so you don’t miss out any new upcoming tutorials.

Remember, cleaning does not have to be a pain. Unfortunately, it IS something that inevitably needs to be done, one way or the other, but we can “choose” to make the process a joy!

Happy cleaning!

Jan Howell

My intention for this website is to share tips and tutorials that I have found on my journey of life that has brought me joy, improved health, and peace, in hopes that it will do the same for you. I hope you'll join me on this journey!

Share:

Connect:

I like to recycle my Mrs. Meyers dish soap bottles for my cleaning products. The label works great for a measuring guide. (the bottom edge of the label is 1/4 cup).

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

DIY: Non-Toxic Foaming Hand Wash

February 15, 2020 / DIY Bath and Body, DIY HOME, Essential Oils, HEALTH AND WELLBEING, House Keeping, Household Recipes, RECIPES / No Comments

Tile & Grout – How to keep it clean the easy way

August 5, 2018 / DIY HOME, DIY Home Videos, House Keeping, Household Recipes, VIDEO AND AUDIO LIBRARY / No Comments

Natural Bathroom Cleaner That Works – How to Make Your Own

July 8, 2018 / DIY HOME, House Keeping, Household Recipes, RECIPES / No Comments

Creating an Efficient, Non-Toxic Laundry Room – Healthy Home Tour

February 26, 2017 / DIY HOME, Laundry, Organizing / No Comments

cleaning keeping house non-toxic cleaning tile and grout

Natural Bathroom Cleaner That Works – How to Make Your Own

Are you looking for a natural bathroom cleaner that really works? Are you tired of wasting your money on products that just don’t cut it when it comes to cleaning naturally? I used to until I started making my own non-toxic bathroom cleaners. It took me a while to try out and tweak many recipes, but I found a keeper and that is what I have used for the past 15 years or so.

This recipe is for a creamy tub & toilet scrub that is easy to make and chemical-free. I make a big batch of this up to save time. It makes approximately 12 cups of scrub. (about 6 – 16 oz jars).

This cleaner is great to clean your shower tile, toilets, sinks, and faucets. You are going to love it!

Are you ready to make up a batch?

Items needed to make natural bathroom cleaner

Large inexpensive mixing bowl (the baking soda can etch plastic bowls, so I buy a big plastic bowl at the dollar store that I use just for this).
whisk
funnel
storage jars with squirt lid ( You can also use empty dish soap jars).
large measuring bowl or pitcher
teaspoon
measuring cup

Ingredients Needed

8 cups baking soda or 4 – 16 oz. Boxes
8 TB/ 1/2 cup concentrated dish soap or 1/2 cup regular
dish soap (half that amount if you have soft water)
8 TB Vinegar diluted in 7-8 cups distilled water
2 teaspoons Tea Tree Oil (Other essential oils to use: Clove, Lemon, Geranium,
Rosemary, Wild Orange)

Let’s talk dishwashing soap for a minute. You are going to find a big spectrum of what is “natural” and “non-toxic”. If you are questioning what kind of soap to use in your cleaners, you can go to the EWG’s website and see their ratings. The kind of soap you choose is all about how clean you want to go. I personally find Mrs. Meyers’s soap ok for my needs, I don’t use it all the time. It does a great job and smells yummy. It rates a “c” for mostly environmental threats. Now on the other end of the spectrum is pure Castile soup that rates an “a”.

How to make the Natural Bathroom Cleaner

In a large mixing bowl, add the baking soda, dish soap, and essential oils

Using a whisk, mix well to get all the lumps out

Using another bowl or picture, add vinegar and 7-8 cups of distilled water to dilute

(If you pour the vinegar directly into the baking soda without diluting, you will have a big bubbly mess).

Slowly pour the liquid into the baking soda.

Mix well, working out the lumps.

Using a funnel, pour the mixture into squirt bottles, mixing frequently between pourings.

This will be a little messy. No worries. Make sure to mix between bottles, as it settles quickly.

Take to the sink to rinse and then dry the bottles.

BAM, there you have it.

You’re set for several months*

How to store your Natural bathroom cleaner

Once you make up a batch of cleaner, you need to put it in something. It makes up about 12 cups. I like to use these plastic cylinder jars with a squirt lid. You can buy them here at a very reasonable price. You can also use empty dishwashing soap jars.

Label Jars

I recommend labeling the jars. You may think you will remember what is in the bottle, but if you are like me, you will forget. You can simply use masking tape and a marker, design and print your own labels, or buy them already designed.

I have designed a set of labels for all of my natural cleaning labels that you may be interested in.

What I love about these things is that the recipes for these cleaners are printed right on the labels. No more searching for the instructions when it comes time to whip up another batch.

You can buy the PDF and print out your own.

OR

Buy the labels already printed on quality vinyl weatherproof stickers

If you store the jar on its side, it will make the shaking process much easier.

***** Make sure the lids are on tight! If they are not, the liquid will leak out. Add a little water when the bottle empties, to use up the sediment on the bottom of the jar.

You will need to shake the bottle vigorously before each use, as it will settle.

(There are no emulsifying agents added). I turn it upside down and pound the bottom of the jar.

I have been using CLOVE essential oil along with the Melaleuca (Tea Tree) oil in my cleaning products lately and love it!

I just made a batch of Tub Scrub up today and used Mrs. Myers new scent Bluebell, 1/2 tea tree oil, and 1/2 clove oil. It smells fantastic! I am not a big fan of the smell of vinegar, and you can’t even smell the vinegar.

The dish soaps that I prefer to use are Mrs. Myers. Why not have your cleaning products smell nice.

Natural Bathroom Cleaner That Works – How to Make Your Own

A great non-toxic bathroom cleaner. Does a great job and easy to make.

Prep Time15 min
Total Time15 min

Ingredients

- 8 cups baking soda or 4 – 16 oz. Boxes
- 8 TB/ 1/2 cup concentrated dish soap or 1/2 cup regular
- dish soap (half that amount if you have soft water)
- 8 TB Vinegar diluted in 7-8 cups distilled water
- 2 teaspoons Tea Tree Oil (Other essential oils to use: Clove, Lemon, Geranium,
- Rosemary, Wild Orange)

INSTUCTIONS

1

In a large mixing bowl, add the baking soda, dish soap and essential oils.

2

Using another bowl or picture, add vinegar and 7-8 cups of distilled water to dilute (If you pour the vinegar directly into the baking soda without diluting, you will have a big bubbly mess).

3

Slowly pour the liquid into the baking soda.

4

Mix well, working out the lumps.

5

Using a funnel, pour the mixture into squirt bottles, mixing frequently between pouring.

6

Wash off bottles and store laying on their sides.

7

Shake vigorously before each use.

Jan Howell

My intention for this website is to share tips and tutorials that I have found on my journey of life that has brought me joy, improved health, and peace, in hopes that it will do the same for you. I hope you'll join me on this journey!

Share:

Connect:

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

diy cleaners natural bathroom cleaner natural cleaners non-toxic cleaners non-toxic cleaning

Non-Toxic Whiteboard Cleaner

It can be a little challenging to clean a whiteboard and to get it completely white. NOT ANYMORE! Essential oils to the rescue. Who would have thought you could use essential oil to clean a whiteboard with?

There are so many ways to use lemon essential oil around the house, and I will post on that later. But for now, here is a quick tutorial on how to use it to get ALL the ink off your whiteboard.

Lemon essential oil does not cost a lot, and you can use it for so many things! The brand I use is safe and non-toxic so you can take it internally if you desire.

Whiteboard Cleaning Instructions:

To clean your whiteboard, simply apply a few drops of lemon essential oil to a cloth or paper towel and wipe. It will come clean so quickly and easily. Quite amazing.

Even if your whiteboard gets drawn on with a permanent marker, the lemon will take it right off!

I love essential oils!

Check out my other NON-TOXIC cleaning posts

DIY: Non-Toxic Foaming Hand Wash

Natural Bathroom Cleaner That Works – How to Make Your Own

Creating an Efficient, Non-Toxic Laundry Room – Healthy Home Tour

Jan Howell

My intention for this website is to share tips and tutorials that I have found on my journey of life that has brought me joy, improved health, and peace, in hopes that it will do the same for you. I hope you'll join me on this journey!

Connect:

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

Why in the world would you want to make your own window cleaner?

Window Cleaner Ingredients

Window Cleaner Instructions

Tips for Using DIY Window Cleaner

Here are some other CLEANING RECIPES and TIPS you may be interested in:

How To Make the Best Window Cleaner // the Non-Toxic Way

Ingredients

Instructions

Jan Howell

Share:

Connect:

Jan Howell

Related Posts

What is so bad about commercial stainless steel cleaner and polish?

Where to use stainless steel cleaner

How to use stainless steel cleaner to polish & clean appliances

Stainless Steel Cleaner Ingredients

Stainless Steel Cleaner Instructions

Here are some other posts you may be interested in:

Non-Toxic Stainless Steel Cleaner | Make Your Own | 3 Simple Ingredients

When it comes to stainless steel cleaners, there’s some pretty toxic stuff out there. No worries, here is a non-toxic stainless steel cleaner recipe that works like a charm.

INGREDIENTS

INSTUCTIONS

Jan Howell

Share:

Connect:

Jan Howell

Related Posts

This is how you keep your tile and grout clean

What do I use to clean my tile and grout?

Blue Magic Dawn Cleaner

My recommendation

Jan Howell

Share:

Connect:

Jan Howell

Related Posts

Items needed to make natural bathroom cleaner

Ingredients Needed

How to make the Natural Bathroom Cleaner

In a large mixing bowl, add the baking soda, dish soap, and essential oils

Using another bowl or picture, add vinegar and 7-8 cups of distilled water to dilute

Slowly pour the liquid into the baking soda.

Using a funnel, pour the mixture into squirt bottles, mixing frequently between pourings.

Take to the sink to rinse and then dry the bottles.

BAM, there you have it.

How to store your Natural bathroom cleaner

Label Jars

If you store the jar on its side, it will make the shaking process much easier.

You will need to shake the bottle vigorously before each use, as it will settle.

Natural Bathroom Cleaner That Works – How to Make Your Own

Ingredients

INSTUCTIONS

Other cleaning posts you may be interested in

Jan Howell

Share:

Connect:

Jan Howell

Related Posts

Whiteboard Cleaning Instructions:

Check out my other NON-TOXIC cleaning posts

Jan Howell

Connect:

Jan Howell

Related Posts