While Windex is an excellent window cleaner, you have other options if you find yourself in a pinch. I highly recommend cleaning your windows with white distilled vinegar and water. However, if you don't, vinegar, alcohol,
Use soap and water, commercial glass cleaner, or a mixture of one part white vinegar and four parts water (preferably distilled water). Avoid cleaning glass in direct sunlight to avoid streaking. Start from the top of the window and work your way down.
Lemon Juice. Similar to white vinegar, the acids in lemon juice can effectively break down grime on glass surfaces such as windows. The citric acid found in lemon juice is technically a bit stronger than vinegar's acetic acid, though both are about equally effective when it comes to cleaning around the house.
You have a few options to choose from for your cleaning solution without chemicals. You can clean your windows with vinegar and water or water with a few drops of dish soap. If you opt for water and vinegar, you'll need equal parts white vinegar and hot water.
Combine two parts water with one part white vinegar in a spray bottle and you'll be all set with a homemade window cleaner. You can also combine warm water with a few drops of dishwashing soap if you prefer. Invest in a glass spray bottle to mix up your formula.
Rubbing alcohol is a potent cleaner but is harsh and strong-smelling, so it's not a great glass cleaner by itself. Combining ingredients is the secret to making a homemade glass cleaner that cleans well without streaking, just like the store-bought formulas.
Spray a stronger mix of 1:1 water and vinegar (or Windex, or glass cleaner) at your window, so that the solution covers most of the glass. (I found Windex to work better, but if you have pets—or kids—who frequently lick outdoor windows, vinegar may be the best route for you.)
Several homemade cleaners can work effectively to leave sparkling glass. But for convenience and safety, the simple solution of white vinegar and distilled water is the best DIY window cleaner. It's non-toxic, unlike most commercial cleaners, and versatile enough for several cleaning projects around the house.
Mix up your window-cleaning solution: In a plastic spray bottle, mix together 2 cups of warm water with 1/4 cup white vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of Dawn.
Dish soap is perfect for cleaning windows with residue and buildup, and you only need a few drops of dish soap to get the job done. If you're cleaning inside windows, use a spray bottle and if you're washing exterior windows, use a bucket.
White vinegar is one of the most popular Windex replacements because it's non-toxic, cheap and doesn't leave streaks.
What you should be looking for is any window cleaner that includes Ammonia as an ingredient. Simple Green is another cleaning product similar to Windex.
You can also make an all-natural window cleaning solution using a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and hot water. Adding a touch of liquid soap to the vinegar solution will help remove any streak-causing wax left on the window from commercial cleaners used in the past.
“Vinegar is a good cleaner because it's acidic, but when you add dishwashing liquid/dish soap to it (which is a base or neutral) - you neutralise the vinegar. You take away the very thing that makes it work well. “The dishwashing liquid works that well on its own. Adding the vinegar is a pointless step.”
Important: Vinegar is safe to use on windows and mirrors, but it can damage other materials due to acidity.
Cleaning glass is more about the tools than the elbow grease. Even if you do exactly the right things, like mixing vinegar with distilled water and wiping with newspaper, it's possible to end up with a frustrating streak or three. In that case, the simplest solution is to finish the job with a quick buff.
Use straight vinegar.
If you have really grimy windows, you'll want to wash them with an extra strength solution. Simply warm 1 cup (240 mL) of white vinegar and apply it directly to glass (a spray bottle is best for this particular solution).
Windex Original Glass Cleaner
Windex is one of the most popular brands of glass cleaners on the market, and it's for good reason. It's incredibly effective at cleaning all sorts of glass surfaces, especially mirrors that immediately show and amplify smudges, fingerprints, and specks of dirt.
Coarse salt - I would recommend either epsom salt or rock salt. The salt (combined with the alcohol) is there to scratch away any residue that is adhered to the glass without scratching the glass itself.
But common pantry essentials that are often used for cleaning — like baking soda and vinegar — shouldn't be mixed either. Unlike the bleach-ammonia mixture, combining soda and vinegar won't hurt anyone — but don't expect the mixture to do a good job cleaning, either.