The ungrateful and sisyphean nature of cleaning glass has direct many a homemaker to loudly declare that she does n’t do windows . But eventually , someone is gon na have to do the dirty piece of work , lest your family be surround by a lasting gray hurl . Most of us just apply plain old paper towels and last with the streaks and lint they leave behind . But there are many who avow by the combination of whitevinegarand water apply with an oldnewspaperas their secret windowpane - cleaning weapon system of choice .

Why newspaper publisher ?

Well , for one , newspaper is cheap and readily useable . Plus , it ’s disposable , so you do n’t have to wash it . And it ’s reusable , so there ’s no guilt about landfill contribution . What ’s the downside ? A handful of loaded newsprint does n’t obligate together so well . Also , the ink from wet newspaper can rub off on molding and prune , need more cleanup . It can also leave ink on your hands , although with the switch to water - based inks and more absorptive newsprint , there ’s less transference these days .

newspaper : Your New Dust Cloth

What is it about a newspaper that makes it an effective household dick ? Some muse that it ’s all in the ink . Theories admit that the old petroleum - based ink had a grit corresponding to a light sandpaper , and others believe that the solvents used to make the older inks were efficient cleaners . Of of course , the newspaper itself has a somewhat gritty texture that ’s helpful in cutting through dust and dirt . It ’s been rumored that newsprint is a first cousin to paper towel , and really , this possibility is probably the most scientifically snug to why newspaper is effective at clean . Many papers , like the ones you find in magazines , have a textile added – called sizing , if you were wondering – to make it more water - repellant . But newspaper has trivial to no sizing , leaving it super absorbent material so it can hold onto the ink that gets print on it . The in high spirits absorbency of the newspaper is likely what makes it so effectual at cleaning windows . It actually suck the liquid instead of just push it around . And glass is a sleek , non - porous surface , so the ink does n’t bond to it like it does wood molding .

Despite the theorists who think the old ink was better , the vegetable - based ink that are used today are actually less likely to streak than the inks of the past . But it ’s agree that newspaper as a window cleaner stay mostly a household tradition . The pros retrieve a squeegee to be equally as effective but a whole luck faster . Many also match that a fabric diaper or a tatter with a fuddled knit weave piece of work well .

Lots More Information

Sources