How to Get Pet Prints Off Windows

As it gets closer to the holidays, I know a lot of you will be hosting family and friends. We’re celebrating the art of hospitality on the blog this week with simple solutions to common problems.

Ok, so today, I want to talk to you about something kind of gross. If you’re reading this at 6 am when this blog post goes live you may want to do yourself a favor and go ahead and have that cup of coffee before reading this post. It’s not offensive or anything, it’s just something no one really talks about but it’s a common problem with pet owners. You ready? Today, I’m going to tell you how I get dog nose prints off the windowpanes.

We’re really blessed to have so many windows in our home. All of the natural light is one of my favorite things about the house. From about 7 am to 7 pm we rarely turn on the overhead lights or chandeliers. It’s so nice. Having so many windows in the house means the dogs are constantly entertained because there is always something to look at outside. One of their favorite places to hang out is the front door. There are five small windowpanes surrounding each side of the front door. The dog that is 45 pounds of mutt loving, takes the second window from the bottom while the two little jack russell terriers hold court at the very bottom pane. The 3 dogs make the trip from their cushy beds to the windows around the front door multiple times a day. You know? Just to check things out.

I deep clean the areas I know they’re going to be around on a regular basis. I want to make sure I do it with natural products because they lick and sniff everything. I’ve tried several different formulas for natural cleaners but it wasn’t until I discovered this recipe that really made my windows shine and cleaned the “wet nose grime.”

Before you get started you’ll want to use protective gloves for your hands. Heat 2 cups water (it should be very warm to hot but not boiling water). Use caution, as water will be hot and could potentially burn your skin.

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Next pour in ¼ cup of organic apple cider vinegar

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Add ¼ cup isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol

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1 Tablespoon of cornstarch (skip the cornstarch if you’re allergic to corn or corn based products)

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Mix together with a spoon and pour mixture into spray bottle.

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Next I spray the mixture onto the windowpane and use a coffee filter that is heavy duty but also textured to gently clean off any pet print build up. You can also use a micro fiber cloth or a reusable cloth like Handi Wipes. I’ve not personally had it happen to me but I’ve read that over time vinegar can scratch the surfaces of some windowpanes so take that under advisement if you decide to use this recipe.

Here’s a look at the before, you’ll notice it’s cloudy

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and after…

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This is a look at the other side of the door. Again, use gloves to protect your fingers and hands (I took my gloves off in some of these shots because I was having a hard time taking the picture with them on.)

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Living with pets is always interesting. I swear my three dogs are as messy as my niece and nephews. They do require extra care and clean up but the snuggles you get in return are like little rays of sunshine on a cloudy day.


See you guys back here tomorrow. We’ll be peeking into one of the guest bedrooms at Bliss Barracks and discussing how to make guests feel comfortable when they come to visit.

Many blessings,

CoCo

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14 Comments

  1. Thanks so much for the tips Coco! Our two boys leave our glass doors and windows such a mess. I’ll give this formula a try.

    1. I hope you like this method, Kimm! Even my parents use it – they don’t have any pets but wow, 4 grandkids under the age of 8 gives their windows and glass doors a workout almost every weekend 🙂 Hugs, CoCo

  2. Hey CoCo – this is a fantastic recipe. We have never heard of adding cornstarch to the mix – can’t wait to try this. As we each have a dog and they love looking out the front door windows, we have this problem too. Vinegar is a favorite cleaning base for us and we appreciate the organic variety. Thanks for sharing your tried and true method!

    1. The cornstarch is supposed to help with streaking. As you guys know, we have 3 dogs so we will take all of the extra help we can get 🙂 Hugs, Coco

  3. This recipe came at the perfect time, and I have all the ingredients already (yay!). I’m definitely going to be giving this a try very soon 🙂

    1. I hope it helps you too, Nicole! The dogs are constantly looking out the windows to see what’s going on. My parents don’t have any pets and they still use this recipe to clean their windows 🙂 Hugs, CoCo

  4. Great idea! It’s a good reminder to remember the little things when you have guests or family coming over to stay. I love that last picture with your furry friend peeking out the window 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

    Shonee
    http://www.hawthorneandmain.com

    1. ha ha that was my sweet little Jelly Bean! She’s 12 pounds of awesome 🙂 Hugs, CoCo

  5. Thanks for the tip! My back patio door takes a beating from my sweet little Wheaten Terrier. How can little paws be so cute yet make your windows look so terrible.? I’m going to try this. 🙂

    1. I have two jack russell terriers and big ol everything dog so the windows are always being licked or sniffed 🙂 Hope this helps you! Hugs, CoCo

  6. Oh Coco… it sounds exactly like my house only I just have one 10 lb fur ball to contend with. I alllllways have an abundance to nose prints on my sliding glass doors and all over my car windows too for that matter! I will definitely try this mix 🙂 Thanks for posting 🙂 Hugs, Lisa

    1. Lisa, that makes me so happy to hear! I almost didn’t post this because I didn’t want to gross people out but I know it has really helped us so I’m hoping it will help you too. I swear dogs are as messy as kids 🙂 Hugs, CoCo

  7. I don’t have pets but I do have a Max :). We have a lot of windows too and he leaves grubby little fingerprints on everything! I’ve switched pretty much all my cleaning products to natural alternatives over the past few years so I’m excited to try your recipe.

    1. ha ha Max is so cute! He’s going to melt someones heart one day 🙂 I know what you mean, it is hard to keep it all cleaned and organized when you have so much activity in the house. My parents use this recipe too and they don’t have pets just frequent visits from grandkids ha ha. Hugs, CoCo

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