Glass Cleaner Reviews and Buying Guide:

Cleaning your house requires a good glass cleaner as mirrors, windows, and other surfaces are constantly being smudged or dirtied. Over the years I have used all varities of glass cleaners including the leading brands like Glass Plus and Windex. With the move to natural glass cleaners that don't have ingredients like perfumes or dyes, alternative brands like Seventh Generation and Earth Friendly have gained some recognition. I happened upon an excellent automotive glass cleaner called SprayWay which is ammonia free and does no harm to tinted windows. I used to have to really scrub my dirty windshield and car windows to get off all the grime and buildup using traditional glass cleaners like Glass Plus, but Sprayway is a thicker foam spray that sticks to the window (doesn't run) and really cleans as you wipe away the foam.

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I had been using Windex Original (with Ammonia D) but found that the Windex No Drip product was superior. Consumer Reports recently did a survey on glass cleaners to determine which ones perform the best on real messes which included items like clay, mineral oil, and solvent on panes of glass which simulated outdoor conditions and then they coated glass to simulate indoor conditions with smoke and greasy finger prints. They tested 10 glass cleaners and regular tap water along with a homemade cleaner to see which ones did the best job on the glass. The results were based on how well the glass cleaners did on streaking, cleaning, and smearing. Not surprisingly, almost all the cleaners did a satisfactory job with only 1 scoring at "good" on indoor grime (Seventh Generation). Both of the so called "natural" solutions from Earth Friendly and Seventh Generation did the worst compared to the major brands. In terms of getting your moneys worth from a glass cleaner, Streak Free which is sold at Wal-Mart is the cheapest in price at $.03 an oz and it still does a pretty good job on glass that is slightly dirty. The winner was Windex No Drip since it did such a great job on both indoor and outdoor glass. Online reviews back up these results with consumer feedback pointing towards Windex No Drip as the superior glass cleaner on the market. When it comes to cars, a heavier cleaner is probably needed as more gunk and grime buildup over time that normal glass cleaners just can't clean off. Car review sites and Amazon say Sprayway is the best choice when it comes to automotive window cleaners. I used to use Pledge for things like tv stands and coffee tables to get rid of dust, but I have found that glass cleaners do a surprisingly good job on those surfaces too. Make sure the surface you are cleaning is ok to clean with products that include Ammonia so that you don't ruin the surface. You can buy glass cleaners at any major department store like Target, Wal-Mart or even at your local grocery store in the cleaning isle. For automative glass cleaners, go to Napa Auto Parts or search on Amazon.com. Armor All and Sprayway were the 2 most popular brands we could find and the results were consistently good. When it comes to homemade glass cleaners, we found dozens of websites of supposed "experts" with their own creations that work. Depending on the surface and the amount of dirt, tests have shown that basic tap water can do a decent job on glass. We will go into home made glass cleaners down below.

Best Glass Cleaner:

Per owner reviews and those done by independent companies like Consumer Reports, Windex No Drip gets the best feedback. It does an excellent job of cleaning glass both indoors and outdoors, a claim that no other cleaner can make. Windex has been around for decades and is a trusted name in the cleaning products industry. Their no drip and streak free glass cleaners are reputable and carried in almost all stores nationwide. The Windex No Drip product works great on appliances, mirrors, and windows. The solution sticks to the surface versus running down so you can take your time. I find myself rushing sometimes when I clean windows or mirrors with other cleaners as the solution immediately starts running down. Check out all the Windex products online at Windex.com and look for coupons you can print out. For the best "streak free" and "shiny" finish, consider switching over to Windex No Drip.

Auto Glass Cleaner:

Sprayway Glass Cleaner ($3) is perhaps the best car windshield cleaner on the market. I have been using it for years and all the reviews I could find on Carreview.com on Amazon.com were extremely positive. This aerosol foam spray doesn't streak and gets off all kinds of oil, dirt, and grime that collects on car windows, especially the windshield. Unfortunately, it's hard to find Sprayway in individual packages since stores like Sam's Club offers it in bulk. I was fortunate enough to get mine from the car detailer who worked on my car after an accident and gave me the container for free. Sprayway is ammonia free which is why it's such a hit with car owners who have tinted windows (ammonia based window cleaners can run tinted windows and void warranties). Sprayway costs about $.11/oz and works better on outdoor windows (cars and houses) than indoor glass such as mirrors. Amazon sells it in lots of 6 so you will have to get some neighbors to go into it with you or try to find it in an automotive store as a single. Armor All Glass Cleaner is another option that is ammonia free and leaves your car free of fingerprints, bugs, and haze.

Homemade Glass Cleaner:

Don't feel cheap if you are trying to make a homemade glass cleaner. In tests, many homemade solutions do as good a job as those that are packaged and sold in stores. We came across plenty of homemade recipes, but wanted to share just a few as to not confuse you as to which ones work the best. In the "housekeeping" section of About.com their homemade glass cleaner calls for 1 cup rubbing alcohol, 1 cut water, and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Consumer Reports says you should mix 1/2 cup of sudsy ammonia, 1 pint rubbing alcohol, 1 tablespoon dishwashing liquid and water (create about 1 gallon of cleaner). Give these a try and adjust the % of each ingredient if you aren't getting the results you want.

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