Here in Ottawa, there are tons of beautiful things to see outside of our windows, so why not see them clearly? Say goodbye to streaky, film covered windows, and goodbye to those nasty chemicals and discover our top three favourite homemade glass cleaners.
First, why are store bought glass cleaners so bad? Most window or glass cleaners’ main ingredients are ammonia and isopropanol. These chemicals can be hard on your eyes and skin, and can irritate your throat. If ingested, window cleaners can cause drowsiness, unconsciousness and even death in some cases. This is why it’s important to create your own cleaners with household products that aren’t toxic to our bodies.
With that being said, here are some ways to clean your windows using the things around your home!
1. The Wonders of Using Vinegar
Some of you may be thinking – isn’t vinegar meant for food? We’re here to tell you yes it is, which is why we love using it to clean! Vinegar has many different uses for around the house like cleaning, and it’s not toxic to your body. To create your very own vinegar glass cleaner, mix equal parts of vinegar and water, and add a teaspoon of lemon juice. The water and vinegar will cut through the streaks and film while the lemon juice will help with mask the strong vinegar scent. If you have exceptionally filthy windows, we suggest using pure white vinegar to wash everything away. Vinegar is great for cleaning because it doesn’t require rinsing, making washing your windows a breeze!
2. Coffee Filters
Though paper towel seems to be the more popular disposable cloth to use when washing your windows, we suggest giving a coffee filter a try. Coffee filters are made to have hot water run through them, making them very sturdy. Also, coffee filters are made of little fiber meshes to allow a “filter” effect when brewing your coffee. This comes in handy when eliminating streaks in your windows. Use a coffee filter with our vinegar mixture, and you have yourself some crystal clear windows!
3. Used Dryer Sheets
Do you regularly just throw away your old dryer sheets? Now you can reuse these and give them a second purpose. Use your old dryer sheets to wipe away prints and streaks from your windows. This works well because the dryer sheets have ingredients meant to soften water deposits, making it easier to wipe away moisture. Also, the fibers on your dryer sheets can grab the dirt without leaving any scratches.
If you’re mess isn’t easily removed with the dryer sheet, try adding some moisture to help grab the stuck on grime. Once you’re done, you can finally throw away your dryer sheet.
With these three tips, every Ottawa home should be able to keep cleaner windows while being eco-friendly and avoiding toxins and chemicals. Do you have a cool innovative way to wash your windows? Share it in the comments below!
Looking to beautify your home with glass? Visit these Ottawa glass specialists:
[columns ]
[column size=”1/3″]
Vitrerie de la Vallée
Ottawa Glass[/column]
[column size=”1/3″]Address: 332, Chemin Industriel, Unité 3
Gatineau (Québec) J8R 3N9
Téléphone : (819) 643-2391
Fax : (819) 643-5451[/column]
[column size=”1/3″]View Map[/column]
[/columns]
