Make Super-Duper 2-Ingredient Glass & Multi-purpose Cleaner

Not too long ago I decided that there had to be a good glass cleaner recipe out there that was simple to make, worked better than the blue stuff (so many DIY recipes are better), and didn't use ammonia. Often, I can use just water & a microfiber cloth, but when I have a sticky fingered toddler around, there are times that I just need more grease & crud-busting power.

When I first started mixing my own cleaners years ago, I came up with a recipe that worked acceptably well, but it still wasn't as great as the stuff from the store, and it has ammonia in it. Ammonia is one example of when "natural" might not be nicer. This recipe didn't use a large amount, but I didn't use ammonia for anything else, I didn't want to have to buy & store it just to make this cleaner.

So, I researched glass cleaner recipes on the internet. I tried recipes using baking soda, cornstarch, dish soap, rubbing alcohol, essential oils, and of course vinegar. I love vinegar. But they all streaked or left a film on my windows & mirrors. I found one recipe that I almost liked, but sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. I don't need cleaners that have mood swings.

Then, recently our family took a turn cleaning our church building. I noticed that there was a new eco-friendly cleaner, so I looked at the ingredients. And, I did a double take; there were only two! It was simply peroxide and orange essential oil, diluted to two different strengths for different cleaning needs. And since I had just used them, I knew that they worked. Well. Better than the blue stuff.

So, being frustrated all of the DIY glass cleaners I had tried thus far, I mixed up my own peroxide water solution, added a drop of orange essential oil and gave it a shot. Ta-dah! It worked on my finger-print laden mirrors every bit as well as the blue stuff.

And - bonus! - it works as an-all purpose cleaner too! It doesn't have the acidity in it like vinegar cleaners so it is safer for surfaces like chrome, stone, or granite that can be etched by some cleaners. It has some great germ-fighting properties (if you use peroxide that isn't 12 years old like mine is), so you could make it a little stronger to meet specific needs (double the peroxide & essential oil, keeping the water the same).

So here is my new favorite cleaner, replacing two (or three) different things in my cleaning arsenal.

Super-duper Glass & Multi-purpose Cleaner
4 oz water
1 TB hydrogen peroxide (the regular pharmacy kind)
2 drops orange essential oil (optional, but it does make it smell nice and have anti-bacterial properties of its own)

Mix all in a spray bottle & go to town! Bump up your cleaning power a notch and use micro-fiber cloths or another lint-free cloth with it for the best experience. I will never go back to paper towels.

Just to be safe, Keep your cleaning cloths away from other fabrics until the cloths have dried. I kept this recipe small because the germ-fighting power is stronger when it is fresh. However, as I mentioned, my peroxide was so old that it didn't fizz when I poured it on anything, but it still cleaned just fine. So if you aren't worried about germ-busting, then mix away!