Window Wonders

For years I struggled with window cleaning.  Streaks can be stubborn, and I couldn't conquer them without MUCH elbow grease.  (And as you know, grease isn't the best glass cleaner.)

When I was about twenty, my then-mother-in-law told me her trick.  She uses a mixture of vinegar and water...and sheets of newspaper.  She was the queen of cooking, kept a very tidy house, and was right on almost EVERY housekeeping count.  Thus, I never even questioned her wisdom on the matter.  Besides, being the least expensive option, I was eager to believe!

Now days, I question everything...unless I have seen it with my own two eyes!  So, I set out to prove her right...or wrong.  The frugal part of me was hoping her vinegar/water mixture would prevail.  The lazy part of me was hoping there was something...anything...easier. If any question remained after trying these simple, common products, I would invest in some of the more expensive name brands to further my investigation.

First, and most painfully, I let the window above my kitchen sink go untouched for SIX months. Oh, the sacrifices I make in the name of science!  Next I sprayed a touch of each of the cleaners below onto the top of the window, in the same order as shown below.  I allowed each spray to naturally drip down the length of the window, and then wiped the strip with a paper towel. To document the various results, I took pictures, of course  I would never ask you to take only my words on the matter!

The product I chose for attempt #1 up was Mean Green Mildew Destroyer, a semi-generic cleaner that I purchase at our local Family Dollar for $1.50, but works very well for some jobs.  As you can see, it was a sure-fire way to turn a spotty opaque window into one big opaque streak.  And we have a LOSER!

Second, an inch or so to the left of the first streak, I shot the shameful pane with a few squirts of a generic glass cleaner I recently found that is as effective as Windex (as far as I've experienced thus far.)  I was very impressed with its capability.  Please note that the slightly askew grey line in the top of the clean line is a pole on our trampoline...and not a residing streak.

I really could have stopped there, those first results were so clear.  But, alas, my goal was to prove or disprove the water/vinegar theory...and so, my quest continued.

Next in the line-up, came Mean Green Commercial-Strength Degreaser.  Though it is quite powerful on my stove & appliance surfaces, I wasn't expecting much on the window scene.  Nevertheless, it certainly beat its mildew-destroying brother.  In fact, I think if combined with a little of that old fashioned elbow grease, a determined (and slightly bored) person could make it do.

It was time to try the totally edible common recipe ingredient, which works wonders on chrome & bathroom fixtures.  I was pretty sure this would beat the degreaser...but it would take a lot to wipe out the generic glass cleaner.  However, it did just that.  And with utter ease, I might add.  It was certainly the winner thus far, followed closely by the glass cleaner.  I do wish I had an even background in each picture, to make the differences even more clear to the digital-image-viewing eyes...but if my words do count for anything...you may take them to heart that vinegar was incredible!

Still, prudence kept me hoping that the next attempt, vinegar diluted with water, would hold to the same standard as its pure version, because folks...vinegar is more expensive than the generic glass cleaner.  However, my hopes weren't very high being that I have used vinegar & water for years.  Look below, and you can see how much time & effort this one instance of following the advice of previous mother-in-law has cost me. Check out those ridiculous streaks!

 Finally, and only because I had a little space left and it was at hand, I tried my diluted bottle of pine sol.  My guess was right on with this one...it was a TOTAL bomb

To sum it up, I would certainly rate these products as following:

FIRST PLACE:  Pure Vinegar

SECOND:  Generic Glass Cleaner

THIRD: Mean Grean Degreaser

FOURTH:  Ah, heck...why rate the rest?  Instead, let me simply give a hearty shout-out regarding their effectiveness on the window scene:

"DON'T USE MILDEW REMOVER, PINE SOL, OR DILUTED VINEGAR ON WINDOWS."

They are truly a window pane.

Duh.

Next week...we'll test the generic glass cleaner against some name brands, as well as tub/sink/counter cleanters!