The Best Way to Clean Windows with Vinegar and Soap

Keep windows looking shiny and smudge-free with this easy guide

Co-authored by Ashley Matuska

Last Updated: August 8, 2024 Fact Checked

Distilled vinegar, also called white vinegar, is a staple cleaning product in any household and has the benefit of being completely natural. Vinegar's most common and perhaps most effective cleaning application is cleaning glass, such as windows. Using vinegar to clean smaller/inside windows or larger/outside windows can ensure a good clean without streaks. Using vinegar and baking soda to clean your window tracks also helps prevent you from just smearing dirt or dust around.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Mixing a Vinegar Solution

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1
Mix a strong vinegar solution. If you’ve never cleaned your windows with vinegar before, you might want to mix up a slightly stronger vinegar solution for your first attempt. Mix two cups (480 mL) water, ¼ cup (60 mL) white vinegar (you can also use apple cider vinegar), and ½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) of dishwashing detergent.^{[1]
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- You can also mix up and use this formula if you haven’t washed your windows in a while.
2
Make a basic vinegar solution. If you clean your windows with vinegar pretty regularly, you can use a more basic solution for your cleaning needs. Mix 1 cup (240 mL) water with 1 cup (240 mL) vinegar.^{[2]
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- This is a good solution to mix up ahead of time and have on hand just in case you decide to do some cleaning.
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3
Use straight vinegar. If you have really grimy windows, you’ll want to wash them with an extra strength solution. Simply warm 1 cup (240 mL) of white vinegar and apply it directly to glass (a spray bottle is best for this particular solution).^{[3]
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- If your windows are extra dirty, you can leave this solution on your windows to soak for a minute or two before you rinse it off.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Cleaning Small Windows

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1
Prepare the area for cleaning. Before you apply a vinegar solution to the window, make sure you remove any dust from the window using a cloth or paper towel. Eliminating this layer of dust before you clean can help prevent you from simply moving dust around on the window.
- If there are small objects near the window, consider moving them to keep them from getting wet with vinegar.^{[4]
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- You might also want to place a bath towel on your windowsill or the floor under your windows to catch any solution that drips.^{[5]
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Select your solution strength based on the dirtiness of your windows and fill a small spray bottle with it. Using a spray bottle for small windows is particularly effective because it allows you to spray a small area that you can easily dry before moving on to the next window.
Use the spray bottle to mist the entire first window that you want to clean with the mixture. If you’re cleaning more than one window, only apply the vinegar to the first window.
The best tool for this is a lint-free towel, but paper towels also work well. Concentrate especially on spots that have visible stains or grime. Work quickly to help avoid streaks from appearing.^{[6]
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Dry the window's entire surface. This is best done with a microfiber cloth, and should be done after most of the moisture has been collected by the lint-free towel. Dry the window vigorously and quickly, as this will prevent streaking.
- If you don’t have a microfiber cloth, paper towel will also work. Don’t use towels with lint in them – like regular hand and dish towels – to dry your windows because it will cause your window surfaces to streak.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Cleaning Large or Outdoor Windows with Vinegar

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For large windows, you’ll need a larger amount of your vinegar solution than what will fit into a spray bottle. You can use the same formulas listed above, again depending on the state of your windows.
If you’re cleaning outside windows, rinse them first with your garden hose to remove any excess dirt. You might need to spray certain areas for longer if there's caked on dirt.^{[7]
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Wash with a soapy water mixture. You should give your windows a quick clean before you apply the vinegar mixture, especially if there are a lots of stains on the outside windows.^{[8]
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- You can scrub particular problem areas, but make sure you're using a sponge or mop head, not steel wool or anything similarly abrasive. It can scratch your windows.
- After you’ve washed the windows, rinse again with the hose.
EXPERT TIP

Ashley Matuska
Professional Cleaner
Ashley Matuska is a Professional Cleaner at the Founder and Owner of Dashing Maids in Denver, Colorado. Ashley has over seven years of experience in the cleaning industry. She and her team specialize in offering sustainable deep cleaning and maintenance cleaning services. She received a BS in Biology and Sociology from Indiana University.

Ashley Matuska
Professional Cleaner

Our Expert Agrees: Ashley Matuska, the owner of Dashing Maids, strongly recommends washing exterior windows with soapy water before applying a vinegar solution.
4
Apply the vinegar and water mixture across the window's surface. Using a sponge, apply the vinegar mixture to one window’s surface. You can gently scrub at any stubborn spots if you need to.
- Load the sponge by dipping it in the bucket, and rub it across the entire surface of the window. As with smaller windows, working quickly will help prevent streaking.^{[9]
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- You can also use a scrub brush attached to a multi-purpose extension pole that has a universal threaded end that brushes can screw into.This lets you reach upper story windows or the tops of tall first story windows.^{[10]
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Using a spray bottle (if you’re washing large inside windows) or your hose (if you’re washing larger outside windows).^{[11]
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Because the windows need to be dried quickly to keep streaks from appearing, a squeegee is essential for large windows; it also saves you from having to use a lot of towels. Dry the entire window with the squeegee as quickly as possible.
To get the remaining moisture out of the corners of the window, use a microfiber cloth to rub the vinegar away. Rub any areas that begin to streak with the microfiber cloth before moving on to the next window.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Cleaning Window Tracks with Vinegar

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Using a small amount of baking soda – no more than a tablespoon or two per track – sprinkle your windows' tracks. Once you add vinegar, this will lift the dirt off your tracks without having to wipe it around.
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Pour on vinegar. Use a small amount of pure vinegar for this step. You should get some fizz when the vinegar hits the baking soda, but you shouldn’t let it fizz so much that it comes up over the top of the window track.
- If you like, you can open the window screen and let the excess run off outside.
Using a q-tip, rub at the dirt in your window tracks to loosen it. This will force it to mix with the baking soda/vinegar mixture and make it easier to wipe it up.
Place paper towels in the track to soak up the vinegar and baking soda. You might have to repeat this more than once. Depending on how dirty your windows are, you might also have to wipe the window tracks with paper towel as well.

Community Q&A

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Question

Why did vinegar and water not get my windows clean when I used a power washer?

Community Answer

Maybe the strength of the washer just blasted the solution off without giving it a chance to get the grime off your windows. Next time, skip the power washer.

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Is it okay to use a quality glass cleaner after first cleaning with water and vinegar?

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Yes, that seems unecessary, but it won't hurt anything.

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Can I add vinegar to my window cleaner?

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It depends. You should not add vinegar to a window cleaner that contains ammonia because vinegar is an acid and ammonia is a base, so they would neutralize each other.

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Tips

If your windows are really grimy, you might need to wash them with soap before you apply the vinegar solution.

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Clean your screens, too. Rinse with vinegar solution and then with water.

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If you really dislike the smell of vinegar, you can add the essential oil of your choice to the vinegar mixture. This will reduce the smell.

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Warnings

Avoid cleaning windows in direct sunlight, as this causes them to dry so quickly that streaks are nearly inevitable.

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