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This homemade outdoor window cleaner is super easy to make!

Not only does it make cleaning the windows quicker, but it is also convenient and cheap.

You can’t beat that!

I have been busy cleaning my outdoor windows, so I thought I would share with you what I use plus the science behind how it works.

Homemade Outdoor Window Cleaner

The awesome thing about our eBook, is how versatile the recipes are. This recipe uses the same ratios as our DIY glass cleaner from the eBook except I swapped vinegar for rubbing alcohol to make it a little more suited for outdoor use.  You can actually use multiple recipes from the eBook to clean windows outside: Vinegar Everything Cleaner, DIY All-purpose cleaner, or the DIY glass cleaner. They all work!

I threw together the ingredients for this post because I needed to clean my windows outside. I was so pleased with the results, I wanted to share my method with you!

Remember, homemade cleaners are meant to be convenient, which is why we have so many different combinations.

I hope this recipe can be helpful for you too!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar (5% acidity)
• 1/4 tsp blue Dawn
• Basic spray bottle
• Sponge or scrub brush (You can also use a microfiber scrub brush)
• Rubber hose with spray nozzle

Directions for mixing the DIY outdoor window cleaner:

1. In  your spray bottle, combine the water, vinegar, and dish soap.
2. Set the nozzle to stream if possible which will make it easier to reach all the window area.

Now, that you have your easy outdoor window solution mixed up, here is the easy way I use it. Also, don’t forget to stay tuned after these directions for a breakdown on the ingredients, why they are used, plus more information on using this cleaner for other things!

The Easiest Way To Clean Outdoor Windows With Our Homemade Outdoor Window Cleaner:

Step One: Spray your window with the homemade cleaning solution. As we mentioned above, setting it to stream can help reach taller areas.

Step Two: With a sponge or scrub brush (use anything soft and safe for windows), scrub the window area as best you can.

Step Three: With a spray nozzle attached to the rubber hose, spray every part of the window making sure all the cleaner is removed.

Step Four: You can air dry or wipe with a microfiber cloth to dry!

That is it!!

Method Number Two For Cleaning Outdoor Windows:

If you want to do a quick clean, you can actually just spray the window and wipe off with a paper towel. If your windows aren’t too dirty or maybe you can’t get a rubber hose to it, you can use this method. This won’t work as well for really dirty windows, but it is a good option. Below is a picture of my back window with just wiping it off and not using the rubber hose. The reflection is much cleaner after cleaning it lol!

Why Is There Such A Small Amount Of DIY Solution Made:

If you have many windows to clean, you can double this recipe. There is a reason why all of our homemade cleaners are made in small batches. Anything homemade will not contain stabilizers or preservatives like a store-bought cleaners, so you really want to use the solution within a few weeks. I have made these solutions to be a smaller portion to maintain freshness. You are welcome to double the recipe though! A great post to read is this one on cleaning vs disinfecting where we go into a little more detail on homemade solutions.

Update 8/5/20 – I have had many readers write in after using this because they loved it so much. I got this email and thought I would share with everyone! Just in case you aren’t sure if you want to try it 🙂 She basically said this stuff worked amazing! And she had tried everything without success to clean her windows.

Why do you use Blue Dawn Dishwashing Liquid?

The simplest answer for this is blue Dawn works better for us. Many years ago, I tried out all different brands of concentrated dish soap. The blue Dawn mixed better, and I liked it better for cleaning. It removed more grease and grim from kitchen surfaces. So, I just started using it universally.

If you can’t find Dawn or have something else on hand, just make sure to use a concentrated dish soap!

How Does Vinegar Work In This Solution?

Most of our readers know my all-purpose cleaning ingredient of choice is rubbing alcohol! We have so many posts about using it for cleaning and in homemade cleaners too. Vinegar is a specific ingredient. The 5% acidity of white distilled vinegar (also known as acetic acid) is great at cutting through dirt. I like using vinegar for outside solutions like this because it will break down dirt on your window making the cleaning time less. You won’t have to scrub as hard!

What vinegar does most of in this solution is cut down the filmy dust that can settle on outside windows! You can even just spray vinegar on a window outside and watching how it cuts down the film.

It really works great with the dish soap for this! So, I think it makes a better option for outdoor windows verses alcohol. Be sure to read our complete guide on vinegar.

Also, vinegar is great on shower doors. Read our post on DIY glass shower door cleaner.

What If I Still Have Water Spots?

If you have really hard water like I do, there are a few things to make sure you don’t get water spots. Make sure you rinse the windows right after scrubbing! Don’t let the solution dry! After you rinse thoroughly, you can also dry with a microfiber cloth to remove water. I don’t have many water spots, but usually have a few collected around the window panes. I try to follow up with a microfiber cloth.

You can even use this DIY Window Cleaner INSIDE!

I had some solution left after cleaning my outdoor windows, so I came inside and cleaned the inside of the window! You can see it in the bottom photo below (notice the reflection too). It cleans inside so well! It is derived from the DIY glass cleaner from our eBook, so it can clean inside too 🙂 So, this solution is double duty!

I hope you enjoy making it too!

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