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Glass cleaners can remove smudges, fingerprints, streaks, soap scum, and more messes to make your glass surface shiny again. To help you select a cleaner, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the best glass cleaners on Amazon. Here are our top five recommendations.
Compare Top Glass Cleaners
Product | Quantity | Formula | Usage |
---|---|---|---|
Invisible Glass Window Spray | Four 32-ounce bottles | Liquid | Designed for tinted and untinted windows, mirrors, and more |
Sprayway Glass Cleaner | Four 19-ounce cans | Foaming | Designed for vertical windows, mirrors, and more |
Stoner Invisible Glass Glass Cleaner | 22-ounce bottle | Liquid | Designed for tinted and untinted windows, mirrors, and more |
Windex Foaming Glass and Window Cleaner | 19.7-ounce bottle | Foaming | Designed for vertical windows, mirrors, and more |
Koala Eyeglass Lens Cleaner | Two eight-ounce bottles, one two-ounce bottle, and three cloths | Liquid | Designed for eyeglass and sunglass lenses |
Product | Quantity | Formula | Usage |
Most Spray: Invisible Glass Window Spray
Pros and Cons
✔ Also comes in other quantities
✔ Works on stainless steel appliances and other surfaces besides glass
✔ Disperses cleaner exactly where you spray it
✘ Doesn’t save you much money to buy the spray in bulk
✘ Packaged in single-use plastic spray bottles
What Customers Are Saying
The majority of customers gave this glass cleaner multipack a high rating and positive review, stating that it produced a streak-free shine on car windows. However, some customers thought that the formula was too watery. Others said that it required a lot of effort to get it to dry without streaking.
Best Foam: Sprayway Glass Cleaner
Pros and Cons
✔ Doesn’t include ammonia
✔ Has a fresh scent
✔ Dries quickly
✘ Has arrived with a broken lid for some customers
✘ Has a chemical smell
What Customers Are Saying
Customers said that the cleaner was easy to use and worked well on both glass and stainless steel surfaces. Those who were disappointed with their purchase said that it smelled like chemicals even though it was ammonia-free and advertised as having a fresh scent.
Best For Car Windows: Stoner Invisible Glass Glass Cleaner
Pros and Cons
✔ Won’t damage tints or finishes
✔ Adds a protective UV barrier to your glass
✔ Designed to be residue-free
✘ Left a streaky surface for some customers
✘Comes in a black spray bottle, making it difficult to know when you’re running low
What Customers Are Saying
Customers raved about this cleaner’s ability to remove fingerprints and smudges. However, despite being advertised as streak-free, some customers saw marks on their windows after using it.
Most Effective: Windex Foaming Glass and Window Cleaner
Pros and Cons
✔ Has been lab-tested to ensure performance
✔ Doesn’t drip when it’s applied to vertical surfaces
✔ Requires a small amount to clean a large surface
✘ Comes in a small 19.7-ounce aerosol can
✘ Can’t be exposed to high temperatures because it’s pressurized
What Customers Are Saying
Most customers agreed that this foam provided a thorough, streak-free clean. Customers who were unsatisfied with their purchase said that the product wasn’t packaged properly for shipping.
Best Eyeglass Cleaner: Koala Eyeglass Lens Cleaner
Pros and Cons
✔ Comes with one travel-size spray bottle
✔ Is made in the United States
✔ Doesn’t have ammonia, VOCs, or other harmful chemicals in the spray
✘ May grow mold in the top of the spray bottles, according to some customers
✘ Not meant for glass surfaces around your home
What Customers Are Saying
Reviewers mentioned this cleaner working well on cameras and other lenses besides eyeglasses and sunglasses. Though effective, some customers found the spray’s scent to be overpowering.
Buyer’s Guide
Though most people use glass cleaners for home windows and bathroom mirrors, you can also find options for eyeglass lenses, car windows, and other glass surfaces. As you search for the right cleaner to cleanup your surfaces, consider the following factors.
Ingredients
Many glass cleaners have an ammonia-based cleaning solution because it removes fingerprints, smudges, and more and leaves a streak-free shine. However, this harsh-smelling fragrance can make you feel sick if you use too much of it or clean in an enclosed space. If you’re sensitive to smells, we recommend getting an ammonia-free glass cleaner. Ammonia-free formula cleaners that use natural ingredients may lose some effectiveness, but you won’t burn your nose, eyes, or throat, and it will be more eco-friendly.
Consistency
Most glass cleaners come in a bottle that sprays onto windows and mirrors. Others come in a pressurized can that turns the liquid into foam. These foams are typically more expensive, but they’re better at clinging to vertical surfaces without dripping.
Quantity
Many glass cleaners come in small bottles or cans that hold between 20 and 25 ounces of cleaning product. If you have a lot of glass in your home or frequently clean glass surfaces, you can purchase a multipack to get more cleaner for less money.
Surface
Not all glass cleaners work on all glass surfaces. While most can clean clear windows, shower doors, countertops, stovetops, and mirrors, you may need a special formula for tinted windows or eyeglass lenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I clean my windows?
To clean windows, wipe the inside once a week when you’re doing the other cleaning around your home. At least twice a year, clean the outside of your windows.
How can I clean my windows from the outside?
To clean your windows from the outside, follow these steps:
- Apply soapy water with a strip applicator
- Remove the water with a squeegee
- Dry any remaining drips with a soft rag
How can I achieve a streak-free clean?
Choose a cleaner that has a streak-free formula, and wipe it across the surface with a microfiber towel. As opposed to paper towels, microfiber towels soak up all of the leftover cleaner, don’t scratch the glass, and are reusable.
Why Trust The This Old House Reviews Team
This Old House has empowered homeowners for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement content in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content on its website and social media platforms. The This Old House Reviews Team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content to help inform your purchasing decision for just about any item or resource that you might need for your home. The This Old House Reviews Team has written over 1,000 reviews on products in the home space, from cordless drills to kitchen trash cans, lawn mowers, and dining room decorations.
We recommend products in each review using an intensive research process, spending hours combing through the best available models on Amazon. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. After narrowing down our list of recommendations, we conduct additional research and sometimes in-person testing to ensure that the products meet our standards. Once we conclude the research phase, we craft a well-rounded, user-friendly article that includes our recommended products and additional information to help homeowners like you make the right purchase.
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