Almost all glass and hard surface cleaners contain ammonia. Glass and hard surface cleaners are mostly either vinegar-based or ammonia-based. These two chemicals have strong cleaning properties.
Ammonia is a good cleaning agent. Because of its light density, it evaporates quickly, leaving no streak behind. This lightness makes it a good ingredient in most surface cleaners. But ammonia can cause some environmental hazards too. You may want to know what your surface cleaners contain, and this curiosity is understandably for your safety.
Windex is an American brand of surface cleaners that has its market in the United States, Canada, Germany, Sweden and others. Now, here’s the question.
Does Windex have ammonia?
Yes, but not all Windex products. Windex glass and hard surface cleaners contain detergents, different solvents, and fragrances. In some cases, they contain ammonia, whereas some have vinegar as the cleaning agent.
So, suppose you want to purchase a Windex cleaning product without ammonia, you can go for the vinegar-based ones. In any case, Windex is a brand that has many cleaning products. The products vary in constituent and usefulness.
Beyond ammonia-based cleaners, Windex has disinfectants, wipes for cleaning electric gadgets, and lots more. Whatever your choice of cleaning agents is, there is a Windex product for you. This post contains more information on Windex. Keep reading for more details.
What Are The Properties Of Ammonia In Windex?
Almost every cleaning agent has ammonia as one of the ingredients. Ammonia is a go-to chemical for its strong cleaning qualities. Its strong reducing power allows it to remove tough grease stains and can be a bleaching agent depending on the concentration.
Secondly, because ammonia has a low density, it evaporates quickly. So if you are struggling with removing streaks from surfaces, ammonia comes to the rescue. Ammonia is a potent binding agent. Its binding abilities are due to the free bond left in its chemical structure. This binding ability makes it remove the toughest grease stains, leaving your surfaces squeaky clean.
These properties of ammonia make it a good ingredient in Windex cleaners. It is ok for cleaning bathtubs, sinks, glasses, and ceramic tops. But these great qualities are not the only things ammonia comes with – talk about strengths and weaknesses, right?
Ammonia is neither germicidal nor kills viruses. So in a situation where you need to disinfect your surfaces, Windex products containing ammonia might not give you the desired result. When you want to disinfect your surface, vinegar-based Windex products are a better choice. Nevertheless, the vinegar-based Windex products do not substitute the use ofWindex disinfectants.
Ammonia contained in Windex products can irritate the skin if exposed in large quantities or for long periods. It can also cause chemical injuries in the eye when it touches the eye. Ammonia also has a pungent smell that, when inhaled, can irritate the throat and lungs.
Because children have smaller bodies, they suffer the harmful effect of ammonia irritation most. They are closer to the ground and they may likely inhale large quantities of ammonia as they play. Also, children are carefree; they can quickly put their hands in their mouth after touching surfaces cleaned with ammonia.
Handy Tips: You should not clean children’s play areas with ammonia. Also, doctors advise you should protect your eyes and skin when cleaning with ammonia-based surface cleaners.
What Surfaces Can You Use Ammonia-Based Windex Products To Clean?
Ammonia-based Windex products boast the ideal cleaning agents for glassware: mirrors, windows, glass doors, glass tabletops, et cetera. They always leave these surfaces without streaks – thanks to the ammonia contained in these Windex products.
You can clean other materials with ammonia-based Windex products. If you do not have money to buy jewelry cleaners, you can improvise with ammonia-based Windex products. Spray the jewelry and clean it with a brush. After that, rinse in warm water. Your jewelry will glow!
Handy tip: do not use Windex products that contain ammonia on soft jewelry like pearl, shell, or coral. Ammonia will discolor them.
Ammonia-based Windex products can also remove tough oily and greasy stains from clothes. If you have a stained cloth, spray it with an ammonia-based Windex product. Allow the sprayed fabric for about 10 minutes, rub the fabric with another soft material. After rubbing the fabric, go ahead to wash the cloth as you would normally.
Handy tip: consider using a colorless Windex product to avoid leaving blue stains on the cloth.
You can use Windex products to clean upholstery made of soft polyester.
How To Use Windex Products To Clean Glass And Hard Surfaces
Windex products give a streak-free sparkle after using them to clean your surfaces. Here are steps to use ammonia-based Windex products and achieve your desired result:
Step #1: Ready your spray nozzle
On the spray nozzle of your Windex product, you will see the inscriptions “on” and “off.” Twist the cover towards the “on” inscription. Your Windex cleaner is ready for use.
Step #2: Spray the surface
Spray the surface you wish to clean generously with the Windex product. You can easily do this by squeezing the nozzle.
Step #3: Allow the sprayed area for 5 to 10 minutes
Leave the area you just sprayed to stand with the Windex product for about five to ten minutes. The Windex cleaner begins to do its work on the surface even before you start wiping. The time you allow it to stay on the surface is enough to get out the tough dirt and grease stain.
Step #4: Gently wipe
After sitting for about 5 to 10 minutes, wipe the surface clean with a microfiber fabric. It takes out every streak and leaves your surfaces shiny and clean. As it is said if you want to brighten your home – use Windex.
Are There Surfaces You Cannot Clean With Ammonia-Based Windex Products?
Windex products bring shine to your glass surfaces. It also can be used on some ceramic surfaces. Still, there are surfaces you should never use ammonia-based Windex products on. They include:
#1. Wooden surfaces and furniture
Never use Windex products on your wooden surfaces or furniture. Glass cleaners such as Windex would ruin your wooden polish; destroy the finish of the wood, and with time damage the overall look of the wooden surface or furniture. Therefore, if you want your wooden surfaces to remain clean and beautiful, use recommended cleaners.
#2. Electric gadgets
Please never use ammonia-based Windex products to clean your electric gadgets. Thankfully, Windex has a special cleaner for electric devices – Windex electronic wipes. To be safe and for the safety of your gadgets, do not spray them with ammonia-based Windex products.
#3. Your body
Do not begin to get ideas for cleaning your body with Windex when you see how sparkly your ammonia-based Windex products leave your glass surfaces. Never use these products on your body! They can cause skin burns and irritations.
As earlier mentioned, protect your skin and eyes adequately when using ammonia-based Windex products.
#4. Cooking utensils
Do not use ammonia-based Windex products to clean your cooking utensils. A better option compared to Windex products is natural cleaners such as baking soda or milder cleaners than Windex to clean your cooking utensils. Ammonia-based Windex cleaners cannot disinfect your utensils.
Also, cleaning cooking utensils with ammonia-based Windex cleaners might lead to ammonia poisoning in the long run. So avoid using ammonia-based products to clean cooking utensils.
#5. Rugs
Ammonia-based Windex products are generally harsh on rugs. They destroy the fabrics over time. So, when you see stains on your carpet, you can clean them with milder cleaning products.
#6. Car
Never use ammonia-based Windex products to clean your car windows. To wash your car, use specialized cleaners for cars. Windex products containing ammonia will discolor your car finish.
Ammonia-based Windex products are generally bad for tinted glass because of the bleaching property of ammonia. Ammonia will not just discolor the tinted glass but also cause bubbles on the tinted glass with time.
Windex With Ammonia And Without Ammonia: Which Is Better?
Every Windex product has its advantages and disadvantages – whether ammonia-based or ammonia-free. But overall, you should allow your Windex supplier to guide you on which to choose.
Your choice of whether to use ammonia-based or ammonia-free Windex products should be guided by:
- The type of surface you want to wipe and
- Potential hazards that constituent chemicals can pose.
Conclusion
Not all Windex products contain ammonia. We have looked at the characteristics that make ammonia a great cleaning agent. We have seen that ammonia could be terrible for some surfaces.
Therefore, your choice of ammonia-based or ammonia-free Windex product should be based on the potential hazards you foresee and the type of surface you want to clean. You can look up the various Windex products available to see the one that suits your cleaning needs per time.
