Are You Putting Your Landscaping At Risk For Clean Exterior Windows?

Dust, pollen, dirt, and grime clogging up your exterior windows? Cleaning your outdoor windows offers multiple benefits, such as preserving their lifespan, improving curb appeal, and enhancing your energy efficiency. Windex now features a specially formulated outdoor cleaner, Windex Outdoor Sprayer window and glass cleaner, which easily attaches to a regular garden hose to clean your windows for a streak-free finish. If you have a lush landscaped yard, a thriving garden, or even just a couple of window planters, is it safe to spray Windex Outdoor Sprayer window and glass cleaner near your plants? Your answer is yes. While you shouldn't spray plants or vegetation directly, Windex states their outdoor sprayer cleaner won't harm your plants: "Yes. Windex^® Outdoor Sprayer will not harm plants, painted surfaces (water or oil-based paint), siding, grills or plastic surfaces."

Windex Outdoor Sprayer is recommended for use beyond windows, such as on patio furniture and playsets. When you spray your windows or anything else outside your home with a cleaning solution, a little runoff might be inevitable as a product drips onto your plants. However, your landscaping's accidental exposure to the Windex Sprayer cleaner isn't a cause for concern because of the cleaner's common and plant-safe ingredients. Here's what they are and what they do.

One reason why people think twice about cleaning with Windex is that it contains ammonia, which can burn plants after too much exposure. This isn't a concern with Windex Outdoor Sprayer window and glass cleaner, an ammonia-free product. Multiple reviewers on Amazon note that their use of the Outdoor Sprayer didn't harm their plants, with one user stating, "I had no issues with any plant kill in my gardens." The cleaner contains water, sodium xylene sulfonate, ethoxylated alcohol, sodium citrate, and sodium carbonate, according to Windex's parent brand, SC Johnson. 

While they may have scary names, these chemicals are common in other household products. For instance, sodium xylene sulfonate is a biodegradable wetting agent and is common in shampoo. Ethoxylated alcohol is a biodegradable surfactant and emulsifier that helps improve the product's cleaning ability.  Sodium citrate is a sodium form of citric acid and sodium carbonate is soda or washing soda, a common water softener. None of these ingredients pose a risk to plants if they accidentally come in contact with the outdoor cleaner. One word of caution you do want to consider is to wear glasses while you use the sprayer, just as you would when pressure washing your home because you might have some splash into your eyes.  If you're still concerned with the effect of Windex Outdoor Sprayer window and glass cleaner on your plants, drape a tarp over your landscaping to limit any contact.