‘Secret ingredient’ leaves windows and glass ‘sparkling’

Windows, mirrors and glass doors can be difficult to clean, and stains and marks quickly reappear. While there are many products on the market designed specifically for cleaning glass surfaces, eco-friendly home and lifestyle influencer Kate Jones has a homemade solution that she says leaves glass “sparkling.”

Kate is the driving force behind My Plastic Free Home on Instagram and TikTok (@my_plastic_free_home) and the founder of eco-friendly The Natural Living Shop (@thenaturallivingshop).

Speaking to Express.co.uk, she said: “You won’t believe the secret ingredient in my homemade glass cleaner that leaves shower doors, windows and mirrors sparkling and streak-free in no time. It’s cornmeal.”

While you may be most used to using cornmeal in cooking and baking, Kate recommends adding a natural thickener to cleaning products as well.

This is due to the structure of cornmeal. Since the cornstarch granules are naturally abrasive, they can gently treat any accumulated dirt without leaving harsh scratches.

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Kate explained, “Add a quarter cup of rubbing alcohol, a quarter cup of vinegar, two cups of water, and one tablespoon of cornmeal together. It just makes cleaning so much easier, and your glasses and mirrors stay spotless and sparkling.”

Using alcohol to clean windows and other glass surfaces helps create a streak-free finish because it helps the cleaning solution evaporate quickly and creates a streak-free surface on the glass. However, alcohol must be combined with other ingredients in order for it to work at its best.

Vinegar is a non-toxic alternative that is a great alternative to store-bought glass cleaner.

Thanks to its acidic composition, vinegar breaks down the thin film that accumulates on glass surfaces. Sometimes it can be cleaned with baking soda for cleaning, although this is replaced with cornmeal in Kate’s cleaning solution.

The solution can be injected into a spray bottle or simply dip a rag into the mixture and wipe directly onto the glass.

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How to clean windows and glass with natural products

If you don’t have cornmeal on hand, there are several alternative methods for cleaning windows and glass surfaces.

White vinegar and baking soda are often praised for their ability to achieve a streak-free shine. First, wet your glass with a shower head or splash it with a bucket of water.

Next, fill a spray bottle with white vinegar and use this to saturate the glass.

Depending on how dirty your glass is, you may need to let the vinegar sit for up to 10 minutes.

Alternatively, the experts at Clean Heart Maids say that lemon juice can be used instead of vinegar. Just like acetic acid, the high citric acid content in lemon juice can cut through soap scum, limescale, and other glass build-up.

Just combine two tablespoons of lemon juice and a cup of hot water for a DIY cleaner.

Add a kick by dipping the sponge in baking soda and rubbing the glass. In the same way as cornmeal, baking soda acts as a gentle abrasive, removing any marks.

When you are satisfied with your results, rinse again with clean water and polish the surface with a microfiber cloth.

Working with a spatula from the top of the window or pane of glass can also be useful to avoid leaving stains or marks on the surface.