Cleaning windows can be surprisingly difficult, but a simple kitchen ingredient—cornstarch—can leave glass sparkling and completely streak-free. The trick, shared by cleaning expert and founder of Hearty Sol, Emily Tweten, involves adding a small amount of cornstarch to your window cleaner.
Why Cornstarch Works
Most window-cleaning products leave residue that causes streaking, but cornstarch is highly absorbent, so no excess liquid remains on the glass. It also prevents water from forming droplets, allowing the cleaner to spread uniformly and eliminate drip lines or smears.
Tweten explained: "A few years back, when I was pregnant with our third baby, I decided to ditch the store-bought cleaners and make up my own with ingredients that I keep under my kitchen sink: vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and cornstarch—with these household staples, a great cleaner is just a couple of steps away!"
She added: "Cornstarch is the thickest ingredient and the only dry ingredient in this recipe. Because of this, cornstarch serves its purpose as a gentle yet abrasive component that will effectively remove dirt and other substances from your windows."
Simple Recipe and Method
To make the cleaner, combine 480ml of warm water, 60ml of rubbing alcohol, 60ml of white vinegar, and one tablespoon of cornstarch (also called cornflour) in an empty spray bottle. Spray bottles are available in the gardening section of most supermarkets, as well as pound shops and hardware stores.
Shake the bottle well before use, as cornstarch tends to settle. Apply a generous amount to the glass, wipe with a microfibre cloth, then buff dry with another cloth. The vinegar dissolves dirt, dust, or pollen, while the rubbing alcohol eliminates bacteria.
This method works on mirrors and shower screens too, and takes just 5 to 10 minutes. With a few basic ingredients from your kitchen cupboard, windows can look brilliantly clean and entirely smudge-free.
