Natural Cleaning Week: Windows / Mirrors / Glass

In response to last week's Spring Cleaning Challenge, I would like to share my frugal and effective methods for cleaning my home naturally.  I'm titling it Natural Cleaning Week as it will take me about a week to share all my favorite recipes with you.  Come back every day for a new natural cleaning method!

You'll notice I will use distilled white vinegar in many of the cleaning recipes to follow.  A few reasons for that, 1) because it works so well at cleaning/degreasing/sanitizing, 2) it is an affordable (buy it in 1.32 gallon bottles from Costco for $2.89) and pure natural resource (and gluten-free for those who are Celiac!), and 3) I quite honestly enjoy the scent of vinegar while cleaning.  If you're one of those folks who's going to email me saying you hate the smell of vinegar, is there anything else you can use?, will yes, you can use fresh lemon juice instead for most of the recipes (except the window cleaner!).

Let's dive right in!  Today's natural cleaning recipe is for windows and mirrors.  You'll need a clean spray bottle for this (I get ours at the Dollar Tree or local hardware store).  Also my trick to streak free sparkling glass and mirrors is to wipe down wit a crumpled up piece of newspaper!  I learned that trick after working in housekeeping at a bed & breakfast in my high school years.  Best tip I ever learned!  Here's the recipes:

How to Naturally Clean Windows / Mirrors / Glass:

First time using natural vinegar -  If you are cleaning your windows with vinegar for the first time, you need to add an extra degreaser to help remove the residue left over from commercial products.  For your first time going natural, use:

2 cups filtered water
1/3 cup white distilled vinegar
1/4 teaspoon liquid castile soap

Add to a clean spray bottle, shake, spray and wipe dry with crumpled newspaper.

Regular Cleaning - After removing any waxy residue with the liquid soap formula above, you can use a diluted white vinegar solution for normal dirt/routine cleanings.

1 part white distilled vinegar
1 part filtered water

Add to a clean spray bottle, shake, spray and wipe dry with a crumpled newspaper.

Extra dirty or greasy - For extra dirty windows or mirrors (e.g. caked on pollen, hard water spots, grease or paint splatter):  use full strength distilled white vinegar applied directly to the window.  For really caked on stubborn dirt,  you may need to warm the vinegar on the stove top to as hot as you can stand to touch (wear gloves to be safe), dip a rag in it, and hold over the grim on the window to break it down.