Homemade Glass Cleaner vs. Windex

Nowadays it seems like everyone is much more aware of what chemicals are used in cleaning products than, say, 50 years ago. Many are resorting to making their own cleaning products but does that really make them "better"? Do they do the same job as the store-bought name brand cleaners? I decided to try this recipe from Instructables for homemade glass cleaner to see if it was worth the switch.

To make your own you'll need:

* An empty spray bottle (I used an old Lysol bottle)
* 1/2 cup of white vinegar
* 1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol
* 2 Tablespoons of corn starch
* 3-4 cups of warm water (I used about 3 1/2 cups until the bottle started to overflow!)

And to be fair, I tested against original Windex.

Start by adding all the ingredients to your bottle, leaving the water for last. If you don't have a funnel, you can easily make one out of paper (or Post-It notes!)

Once the water has been added, screw on the nozzle and shake it for a few seconds. Now you're ready to clean those windows! It's really hard to show the results in photos but I did make an attempt.

I covered two pieces of glass with chocolate and sprayed the left with the homemade solution and the right with Windex.

So both solutions worked just fine but I might add some bullet points the original post doesn't mention...

Homemade solution: 

   * Smells bad (if you're cleaning all of your windows, get used to the smell of vinegar!)

   * Leaves streaks

Windex solution:

   * Full of chemicals

   * Paper towel leaves lint (though that might be the fault of the paper towel, not the Windex)

In the end, it's really up to you. I didn't like the streaks, nor did I like the smell of vinegar, but at least I knew what was in the solution. If I had kids and was concerned for their health, perhaps I'd stick with the homemade glass cleaner. For now, though, I think I'll stick with the Windex.

TOTAL COSTS: About $6

$3.29 for white vinegar

$.99 for rubbing alcohol
$1.80 for corn starch
Empty Lysol bottle already on hand
Cost of Windex is $2.79 at Vons

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: Less than 5 minutes

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 1 out of 5

There's nothing difficult about pouring all the ingredients into an empty bottle, it's just up to you whether you prefer this method over buying some over the counter!

DIY Toilet Tablets

I came across these DIY toilet tablets that I thought would come in handy - they're easy to make, they supposedly clean and remove odors in toilets, and no one will ever know you used one. This recipe comes courtesy of SavvySugar. The question is - do they work?

First you'll need:

*1 C of baking soda
*1/4 C of citric acid OR powdered preservative (which is what I used - it was easier to find)
*1/2 t of vinegar
*1 T of hydrogen peroxide
*Essential oil (to make it smell nice - I used peppermint)
*Parchment paper
*Cookie sheets or a hard surface out of the way
*Measuring spoons (yes, those are Mickey Mouse spoons, don't judge)
*Spray bottle (optional but recommended)

First, combine your baking soda and citric acid/powdered preservative in a bowl and mix them together with a fork, to remove any clumps.

Next, combine your vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in a glass and very VERY slowly add to the dry mixture. It doesn't have to be one drop at a time but constantly stir and slowly add the liquid until clumps start to form.

Then add your essential oils - I did about 15 drops and I think the peppermint permeated my nostrils because I can't stop smelling it!

Take your parchment paper and your cookie sheets (or hard surface) and place down enough parchment paper to hold all the tablets you'll be making. The original post says it makes 30 tablets but I made 112!

Finally, grab your 1/2 teaspoon, put some of the mixture in the spoon, and very gently tap it onto the parchment paper. You'll want to be very gentle so the mold holds and doesn't crack or crumble.

Spray equal parts vinegar and water onto the finished tablets (I used 1/3C of each and found it was way too much - had to toss most of it down the sink) and set them aside to dry.

The original post said to let them dry between 4 hours and overnight.

But since "patience" is not my middle name, I only waited 5 hours before giving them a try. They do fizz a little and they look a bit yellow in the water but they didn't smell up the toilet like I thought they would. When they're not in water, these smell freakin' amazing so keep them away from children, pets, and very hungry roommates! Please clearly label the jar you put them in and keep them out of harm's way. But in the toilet? You're definitely going to have to put in more than 1 to do any sort of damage.

TOTAL COSTS: About $15 to make at least 112
$2.99 for parchment paper from Target

$1.59 for baking soda

$1.99 for 32 fl. oz of hydrogen peroxide

$6.29 for Ball produce protector

$2.82 vinegar

Cookie sheets, measuring spoons/cups, and spray bottle on hand

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: 5 hours, 41 minutes
13 minutes to combine ingredients
28 minutes to make 112
5 hours to dry (though some were still crumbling so overnight might be your best bet)

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 2 out of 5
You might have difficulty making the tablets, as they can crumble if you hit them against the parchment paper too hard but other than that, they're very easy to make. Now whether they work? That's a different story...