Add Dishwasher Rinse Aid to Homemade Window Cleaner for a Streak-Free Finish

The Problem

Vinegar-and-water window cleaner is the classic homemade mix, and it mostly works — until the light hits the glass sideways and every wipe stroke shows as a streak. The missing ingredient isn't more vinegar; it's a surfactant that makes water sheet off the glass instead of drying in droplets.

The Technique

1. Mix in a spray bottle: 2 cups water, ½ cup distilled white vinegar, and a squeeze of dish soap — call it a tablespoon, the measurement isn't fussy.
2. Most recipes stop there. Don't: add about a tablespoon of dishwasher rinse aid (any brand, the generic works). Rinse aid exists to make water sheet off dishes spot-free, and it does the same on glass.
3. Spray the glass and either wipe it down or pull it off with a squeegee — both finish clean with the rinse aid in the mix.