The car windows quickly become covered in dirt. Between road dirt, pigeon droppings and other unidentified stains, glass surfaces never stay spotless for long. For the inside of the windshield, we know that chamois is very effective. However, for the exterior, we always rely on this good old window cleaner! The good news is that replacing this chemical-based cleaner is easy and cost-effective. With household products that are good for the environment and your health, you can concoct homemade windshield washer recipes for impeccable results. You just need to know the right natural products to use so as not to damage the windshield wipers and seals. Here are 3 non-toxic homemade windshield washer recipes that won’t leave any marks.
The basic and easy recipe
Ingredients to use all year round:
-900 ml of water (If possible, take a distilled water to prevent limescale deposits on the windshield. In addition, demineralized water will prevent the formation of scale that could clog your windshield wiper nozzles)
-100 ml of white alcohol vinegar
-2 teaspoons of dishwashing liquid
To add in winter:
The alcohol will serve as an anti-freeze. If methylated spirits are not recommended here, you can easily turn to household alcohol or isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol). If you live in an area where it is not very cold, 100 ml will be enough to start. Otherwise, increase the doses to 250 ml of alcohol for 1 liter of windshield washer fluid. The squeegee to scrape off the gel just has to hold tight!
The recipe for very clean windshield washer fluid
-5 liter can
-100 ml of white vinegar
-100 ml of 70° alcohol to cope with negative temperatures and obtain an anti-freeze windshield washer
-2 tablespoons of soda crystals
-1 tablespoon of liquid black soap
-Water to fill the empty space in the container
The recipe for windshield washer fluid without vinegar
-1.3 liters of demineralized water
-600 ml (60 cl) of 90% alcohol
-3 tablespoons of dishwashing detergent.
How to proceed?
For these three grandmother-style windshield washer recipes, pour the ingredients into your container and mix. Respect the doses of dishwashing liquid or soap to clean thoroughly without creating bubbles. Then pour everything into the compartment intended for the product for cleaning windows. You can also apply it with a spray bottle or pour it onto newspaper or a microfiber cloth. to scrub the tiles. This will allow the windows to shine without streaks.
Final tips for the road:
-To make the product smell good, use perfumed alcohol or a few drops of essential oils. Moreover, many essential oils have cleansing properties and insect repellents. This makes them not want to hang on the windshield! The essential oil of lemongrass, lavender or lemon eucalyptus can, for example, repel mosquitoes.
-You can also improve the smell of vinegar by infusing it with citrus peels, aromatic herbs or spices!
-For a more anti-freeze effect, increase the doses of household alcohol to 1/4 of the window cleaner. So, there is no risk of the product solidifying! You can do the test: pour your windshield washer fluid into a bowl and put it outside. If the product freezes, it will be necessary adjust dosages by increasing the dose of alcohol until it no longer freezes.