• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Bren Did

  • Tasty Recipes
    • Healthy Muffins
  • Green Cleaning
  • Natural Bath & Body
  • Easy Crafts & DIY
    • Fortune Tellers
    • Holiday Crafts
  • Free Printables
  • About
    • Policies & Disclosures
    • Contact
Home » It’s 5 O’clock Somewhere Homemade Glass Cleaner

It’s 5 O’clock Somewhere Homemade Glass Cleaner

Published January 15, 2014 38 comments >>

This all natural, non-toxic homemade glass cleaner contains two unexpected ingredients that clean amazingly well. The surprising ingredients: vodka and cornstarch!

This all natural, non-toxic homemade glass cleaner is the best window cleaner you've ever used! It contains two unexpected ingredients: vodka & cornstarch.

This post uses affiliate links. They don’t cost you a thing and help us bring you creative projects. Read more in Policies and Disclosures.

 

Plain white vinegar is my go-to cleaner for windows, mirrors and other household glass surfaces . However vinegar was no match for sticky-fingered kids and a German Shepherd who loves to slobber on glass doors.

I decided to try making my own non-toxic homemade glass cleaner and stumbled on this glass cleaner experiment by Crunchy Betty  that looked promising.

Strange Ingredients = Great Homemade Glass Cleaner

Corn starch in glass cleaner… sounds strange, doesn’t it? I decided to give the recipe a try, but to make the cleaner even more natural by substituting vodka for rubbing alcohol.

  • Vodka can be used as a substitute for rubbing alcohol because it contains ethanol and water
  • Rubbing alcohol is mostly isopropyl alcohol with water and additives (aka unknown chemicals). I prefer using vodka due to concerns about using unknown chemicals in my home.

Vodka vs. Rubbing Alcohol

I made two batches of window cleaner, one using rubbing alcohol and one using vodka. Both cleaned glass well; however the rubbing alcohol mix left the smell of yucky rubbing alcohol in the house. The vodka cleaner was virtually odorless.

The verdict: vodka is my new favorite glass and window cleaning ingredient! I have spotless windows and mirrors with no funky odors floating about the house.

I dubbed the cleaner “It’s 5 O’clock Somewhere Homemade Glass Cleaner” because of the vodka in the recipe.

Homemade Glass Cleaner Directions

Combine in a spray bottle:

  • ¼ c. vodka (use a cheap, bottom shelf brand)
  • ¼ c. white vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 c. of hot water

Shake well.

*Learn to make my upcycled glass spray bottle for cleaning here.

Glass Cleaning Tips

Spray windows generously and wipe clean with a cotton rag  or paper towel.

For lint free windows finish with one last wipe using a paper coffee filter or sheet of newspaper (sounds odd, but it works).

Store leftover cleaner in a cool dark place (like under the sink), shake to combine before each use.

Cost Comparison

It’s cheap!

  • $0.26 an ounce for the vodka (buy cheap vodka, about $9 a liter )
  • $0.18 an ounce for the vinegar
  • $0.05 for the cornstarch.

Total cost = $0.93 for 21 ounces or $0.04 an ounce.

The cheapest commercial natural glass cleaner available is $4.00 for 32 ounces or $0.12 an ounce.

Free Label

Download a free label for your glass cleaner in the free printable library. Printed on full sheet label paper then peel and stick.
BrenDid Non-Toxic Window and Glass Cleaner

More Vodka Cleaners

I love using vodka to naturally clean and deodorize my home. It also a great natural disinfectant. These easy all-natural DIYs all use vodka to clean your home without dangerous chemicals!

  • Natural Room and Fabric Refresher Spray

DIY Febreeze Room Refresher Spray - Easy, Non-Toxic, All-Natural room and fabric refresher spray. This easy DIY deodorizer eliminates odors all over the house.

  • Non-Toxic Spray Starch (3 easy recipes)

Learn how to make liquid spray starch. 3 ways to make non-toxic spray starch for pennies!

  • Lemon Infused Disinfectant Spray Cleaner

Make this two ingredient all-natural disinfecting spray to help protect your family from germs during cold and flu season.

Like my all-natural cleaners? Sign up for my newsletter below and never miss a thing!

BrenDid-Blue-Signature

Bren Did Newsletter Subscribers Get Access!

Success! Please check your email to confirm the Free Printable subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

We will use this to send you weekly emails from Bren Did with the latest printables, easy recipes, home care tips, and simple craft ideas. We will never share or sell your information. Powered by ConvertKit

More Posts You Will Enjoy

  • Lemon Infused Disinfectant Spray CleanerLemon Infused Disinfectant Spray Cleaner
  • How to Clean Oven Racks NaturallyHow to Clean Oven Racks Naturally
  • The Ultimate Guide to Cleaning Grout: 10 DIY Tile & Grout Cleaners TestedThe Ultimate Guide to Cleaning Grout: 10 DIY Tile & Grout Cleaners Tested
  • How to Remove Stains From Plastic Cutting BoardsHow to Remove Stains From Plastic Cutting Boards
  • Finding the Best Oven Cleaner: 8 Homemade Natural Oven Cleaners Tested & RatedFinding the Best Oven Cleaner: 8 Homemade Natural Oven Cleaners Tested & Rated
  • Green Cleaning Ingredients You Should Never MixGreen Cleaning Ingredients You Should Never Mix
Previous Post: « Whipped Peppermint Shaving Soap Recipe
Next Post: Easy Butter Chicken Curry Recipe for Kids »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Katherine

    February 1, 2020 at 2:54 pm

    Unfortunately, this recipe did not work at all for me.

    I made exactly as written and could not get any of my glass table tops or mirrors clean. 3 tries later, I gave up. It left smudges on everything!

    Any ideas how to improve this formula?

    Reply
    • Bren

      March 3, 2020 at 10:47 am

      Try leaving out the cornstarch and see how you like the formula.

      Reply
      • Patti

        June 7, 2020 at 6:36 pm

        I just mixed the vodka and water and it worked perfectly got. Thank you.

        Reply
  2. kn

    December 20, 2019 at 4:37 am

    Do you find that the cornstarch clogs your sprayer nozzle?

    Reply
    • Bren

      January 17, 2020 at 3:23 pm

      I have not had that problem unless the mixture sits around for months and months! If it does clog it can be rinsed out with cold water.

      Reply
  3. Dorothy Ross

    November 16, 2019 at 9:19 am

    The cornstarch prevents the glass cleaner from leaving streaks. However, I found that using a whole tablespoon of cornstarch also leaves a streaky residue. A pinch of cornstarch in a bottle of glass cleaner worked perfectly!

    Reply
  4. Jackie

    October 19, 2018 at 1:16 pm

    I am definitely going to try this window cleaner.
    Have you ever tried using milk to glue your labels on your glass bottles? It is really simple, just brush a light coating of milk on the back side of a paper label & stick it on your bottle or jar. That is it. The labels come off cleanly when you wash the bottle/jar in hot soapy water.
    My pet peeve with printed labels is the ink does tend to run with an ink jet printer if the label gets wet, but an alternative would just be to use a permanent marker.

    Reply
  5. Sethu

    September 29, 2018 at 4:50 am

    2 questions:

    01. What is the purpose of corn starch in this?
    02. Would this remove mineral or soap deposits on the mirror/glass?

    Reply
    • Bren

      October 3, 2018 at 12:54 pm

      Sethu, the cornstarch gives the mixture some grit. I think it helps get the glass/mirror extra clean. Yes, since it contains vinegar it will help with hard water deposits. If you have lots or hard water marks I would clean with pure vinegar first. It is the ingredient that breaks down the hard water stains.

      Reply
  6. Cason Rogers

    August 20, 2018 at 8:11 pm

    Your math is not right for the cost of the home made version: $0.93 for 21oz is less than $0.05 (0.044) per oz. So it’s an even better deal!

    Reply
    • Bren

      August 21, 2018 at 4:55 pm

      Cason, thanks for the heads up, my math skills were obviously off by the end of the post! 🙂 I made the correction!

      Reply
  7. Yvonne Adams

    June 1, 2018 at 1:25 pm

    I was wondering if you could add essential oils to your mixtures? I would like to go all natural on a number of products. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Bren

      June 4, 2018 at 10:01 am

      Yes, you can add EO to the mixtures. I would not recommend it in the glass cleaner as it may leave streaks.

      Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

My projects have caused friends to mutter, "Of course you did!" I'll show you how you can too. (read more)
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Footer

Connect with Bren

Follow me on your favorite social network or drop me an email with your thoughts! Read more...

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Bren Did Copyright & Policies

©Bren Fey & Bren Did. All information should be used at your own discretion. All content/photos are property of blog owner. Use or duplication of materials without written permission is prohibited. Learn more at: Bren Did Policies & Disclosures

Reader Favorites

Healthy Oatmeal Muffins out of wrapper
Natural Homemade Laundry Detergent Question and Answer - Natural Homemade Laundry Detergent recipe is a popular posts that raises many questions, comments, and emails. Get answers to your questions about making non-toxic all natural laundry detergent and then try this green DIY recipe.
scrubbing grout
Want to naturally unclog a sink or clean a slow moving drain? Learn why you should not use baking soda and vinegar to clean your drains and what green solutions really work!
Fresh Lemon Homemade Dishwasher Detergent uses real lemons, salt and vinegar to make liquid dishwasher detergent. Learn more about this DIY recipe and its effectiveness.
These two easy recipes for laundry detergent liquid makes 14 loads of non-toxic laundry detergent for about $3.oo and rates an A on the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Healthy Cleaning scale. Learn the simple way to make liquid detergent in small batches.
Privacy Policy · BrenDid.com© 2013–2021 · As Seen In