There’s a kinder way to clean glass. It starts with a spoon and a staple you probably already have in your cupboard.
I was standing in a kitchen lit like a gallery, the kind of bright that shows everything — fingerprints, pollen, a story of smudges down to the dog’s nose prints. My neighbour Meg swears by vinegar, and the whole street knows when she’s at it because the air turns salad-sharp, yet her panes still catch the light in little crescents of haze. Then an old theatre carpenter — the sort who knows tricks for everything from glue to gloss — told me a secret from backstage glasswork: cornflour, one spoon, warm water, a steady hand. The next morning looked different. Just one spoon.
The pantry trick hiding in plain sight
Cornflour — Americans call it cornstarch — is not just for custard and crisp batter. Stir a spoon into warm water and you get a feather-light elixir that behaves beautifully on glass. It pulls grease without the sour punch of vinegar and leaves a finish that seems to shrug off dust.
We’ve all had that moment when the sun hits the window and your “clean” feels suddenly performative. I mixed a jar in a hurry before guests arrived, wiped once, then buffed with a dry cloth, and the panes looked like someone had upgraded the glass. Two weeks later, after rain and a messy cuppa near the sink, they still looked quietly perfect.
There’s a logic here you can feel under your fingertips. Those fine starch particles act like a tiny polish, levelling micro-roughness and cutting the static that makes dust cling. Less static means fewer particles show up, fewer streaks catch the light, and the clean doesn’t peak on day one then fall away. *Yes, a teaspoon really can make a difference.*
How to use one spoon for weeks of clarity
Fill a jug with 1 litre of warm water, whisk in **one spoon** of cornflour until it looks like thin milk, then decant into a spray bottle or keep it in the jug for a cloth dip. Mist the glass lightly or wring the cloth well, glide in long S-shapes, and finish with a dry microfibre to buff. If you love a squeegee, run it once, then a quick dry cloth kiss at the edges.
Go light on product — a little beats a swamp every time. Work out of direct sun so you’re not racing the dry time, and swap cloths the moment they feel damp or draggy. Let’s be honest: nobody does this every day, so aim for a pass that’s thorough, not heroic, and remember grit is the enemy — flick it away before your first wipe or you’ll chase scratches you can’t unsee.
You’ll smell nothing, which is the joy. And the finish has that **streak-free** calm that makes rooms feel bigger and mornings softer.
“Cornflour is the old stage trick for glass — gentle, cheap, and it keeps the set windows camera-clean for days,” said Tom, a veteran prop hand in Soho. “We mixed it by the jug and never smelt like a chip shop.”
- Mix: 1 tbsp cornflour to 1 L warm water.
- Motion: long S-shapes, light pressure.
- Finish: dry microfibre buff, edges last.
- Bonus: a single drop of washing-up liquid helps on greasy panes.
Why this works beyond day one
Starch particles are tiny, soft, and a touch grabby in the best way. They bind to the oil films you can’t see, lift them from the glass, and leave nothing sharp behind, so your next wipe doesn’t chase smears. The light lands cleanly, which is why colours through a window suddenly look a notch truer.
There’s also a low-key anti-static effect at play, the kind that matters after a fortnight. Dust rides currents and loves a charged surface; reduce that charge and it’s less likely to settle. Rain spots don’t bloom into halos because there’s no greasy base clinging to the pane, so the drops dry flatter and don’t print their little rings.
And this is a cupboard fix, not a specialist buy. You can mix it fresh in under a minute, it costs pennies, and you won’t be airing out rooms. If you like numbers, think about the cycle: a window that stays clear for **weeks, not days**, means fewer big cleans, fewer cloth washes, less faff, and a home that looks looked after without your life becoming a maintenance job.
150 words to take into your week
Clean windows change a room in the same way a good haircut changes a face — you don’t notice the glass, you notice the light. This tiny pantry hack lets you hold on to that feeling longer without the ritual turning into a chemical fog or a chore you dread. It’s gentler on your nose, your wallet, and your Saturday.
If you try it, watch what happens on day ten and day twenty, not just the hour after you finish. You might catch the way morning sun doesn’t draw maps of streaks anymore, or how rain dries without leaving little cuffs of chalk. Share a jar with a neighbour, pass it to someone who rents and can’t live with smells, or to a friend with a newborn who wants simple wins.
Small fixes don’t fix everything. They do shift the day a degree or two toward ease, and that’s often enough.
| Key points | Detail | Reader Interest |
|---|---|---|
| — | One spoon of cornflour in warm water cleans glass without odour | Fast, cheap, kinder than vinegar fumes |
| — | Leaves a low-static, polished finish that resists dust | Windows stay clear for weeks between cleans |
| — | Light S-shape wipe, dry microfibre buff, avoid direct sun | Simple method that fits real-life routines |
FAQ :
- What’s the “one spoon” staple you’re talking about?Cornflour (also called cornstarch). It’s the white, silky powder you’d use to thicken sauces.
- Will this leave residue or a film on my glass?Not if you use a light mix and a dry buff at the end. Too much powder will haze, so keep it to one tablespoon per litre.
- Can I add vinegar or alcohol to the mix?You can, though the point here is to skip the vinegar smell. A single drop of washing-up liquid helps on greasy kitchen panes.
- Is it safe for tinted or treated windows?Test a tiny corner first if you have films or special coatings. The mix is gentle, but every finish is different.
- How often should I use it?Most homes get great mileage doing a proper clean monthly and quick buffs in between. Your view — and the weather — will tell you.
