9 Best Window Cleaners, According to Lab Testing

In the Good Housekeeping Institute Home Care and Cleaning Lab, we test dozens of surface cleaning products every year, from all-purpose cleaners that tackle messes all around the home to dedicated products like stainless steel cleaners that keep your appliances fingerprint-free and glass and window cleaners. Even DIY cleaners are tested in our Lab (only the safe ones, of course). We evaluate glass and window cleaners in several ways. First, we evenly smear black glass test panels with greasy fingerprints, a dusty/greasy mix and lipstick marks. We use black glass because it’s easier to assess any film or streaks the test cleaners leave behind. Then we apply a measured amount of glass cleaner, wipe it a pre-determined number of strokes and score the thoroughness of cleaning. Finally, we completely clean the glass and count the number of passes required to do so for each test cleaner. Next, we spray the cleaner on a greasy lipstick smear we’ve applied to the glass and time how long it takes for the cleaner to break or dissolve the lipstick. We use weights to control the level of pressure applied with each pass and use identical paper towel sheets for each cleaner. (Of course, we recommend you use microfiber cloths at home!) During our testing, we note any streaking or filminess after cleaning and how difficult it is to remove them. We look at how drippy and messy or neat and convenient the products are to use and dispense, the completeness of the label directions and any safety cautions that need to be included on the label. Then we grade each brand on effectiveness, formulation, packaging, ease of use and clarity of directions. In our latest round of testing, we wiped more than 300 strokes just to assess cleaning performance alone!

Ingredients: Think about what you plan to clean. If ammonia or vinegar are in the ingredients list, keep in mind that you won’t be able to use the product on tinted glass surfaces or granite countertops. If you’re sensitive to scents, consider purchasing a product that doesn’t contain added fragrance.

Form: Liquid sprays are the most common type, but they can also be the drippiest to use. Sprays that dispense as a fine mist are neater. Foams go on heavier and may need extra wiping. Pre-moistened wipes are convenient, but can dry out quickly and are likely more expensive per use than other forms.

Sustainability: A growing number of brands are offering recyclable or reusable packaging and concentrates that you mix with your own water. No matter which brand you purchase, consider using it along with a reusable and washable microfiber cloth rather than paper towels. You’ll get better results and make less waste.

Not usually. Even though many brands of glass cleaners contain ammonia and alcohol, they aren’t formulated with the ingredients or amounts necessary to sanitize or disinfect surfaces. To know that a cleaner is effective at killing germs, look for an EPA registration number on the label. You’ll usually find it on the bottom of the back label. It’s what we use in the GH Cleaning Lab to confirm that any sanitizing or disinfecting claims have been tested and supported. For instance, one of our picks, Windex Multisurface Disinfectant Cleaner, contains the active ingredient lactic acid and is EPA registered.

In some cases, yes. Most window and glass cleaners can safely be used to clean chrome fixtures, laminate countertops, glass cooktops and more. We don’t recommend using them, however, on electronics, wooden floors and table surfaces and certain types of kitchen countertops, like granite, especially if they contain ammonia or vinegar. Check the product’s label to determine where it’s safe to use — and where you should avoid applying it.

Carolyn Forté has more than 40 years of experience as a consumer products expert testing all kinds of glass cleaners on windows, glass-top tables, mirrors and a multitude of other surfaces. She has met with and visited the manufacturing facilities of major glass cleaner manufacturers and is a stickler for clean windows and glass in her own home. She loves her gas-on-glass cooktop because it’s so easy to clean, has many glass-front cabinets to clean and has been known to take vacation days from work to stay home to clean her own home windows.