Green Fall Cleaning Recipes for the Windows -- Inside and Out

By the time fall rolls around, your home's windows may have accumulated a fine layer or dirt and grime -- especially on the outside. It may be a good idea to clean them up, inside and out, in preparation for the coming winter months. However, like myself, you may prefer not to breathe in the fine mist of chemicals that are in commercial window cleaners -- no matter how well they clean the windows. Instead, I would rather make my own heavy-duty windows for fall cleaning, using healthier, green products.

Cleaning Windows on the Inside

Because interior windows do not get as grimy as the outer ones, you will not need to work as hard to clean them. Follow this green recipe to make your own homemade window cleaner:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 teaspoon mild liquid dish soap
2 cups water

Instructions:

1. Mix the ingredients together in a spray bottle. Shake to mix well.
2. Spray the interior windows liberally with the mixture. Wipe them dry with a clean, lint-free cloth.

That's all there is to it. Spray them down and wipe them clean. Then move on to washing the outer side of your windows before winter sets in.

Cleaning Windows on the Outside

If your outside windows are not very dirty, you can use the above recipe for washing them. But if you need a heavier-duty window cleaning recipe for the outside, try washing them this way for fall cleaning:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon mild liquid dish soap
1 gallon water

Instructions:

1. Put the vinegar and dish soap in the bottom of a clean, one-gallon pail. Fill the pail with water so all the ingredients have a chance to mix together.
2. Wet a clean cloth with the solution and wring it out so the cloth is damp, but not dripping wet. Wipe down the windows with the damp cloth. If the windows are streaking, add a little extra dish soap. For hard-to-clean windows, double the amount of vinegar and dish soap.
3. Dry the windows with a clean, lint-free cloth.

Non-toxic cleaning methods can work just as well as chemical window cleaners, and they are much safer to use. Plus, they are healthier for the environment. Use these recipes to make your own green cleaners when you wash the windows, inside and out, for fall cleaning.