Windex
An American household-cleaning brand best known for glass and hard-surface cleaners.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Windex is an American household-cleaning brand centered on glass and hard-surface cleaners. Its best-known product is a spray used to clean windows, mirrors and other washable surfaces, and the brand has become strongly associated with blue-tinted glass cleaner in the United States. The name is a registered trademark and is generally understood as a combination of “window” and the suffix “-ex.” The brand was originally developed and marketed by Drackett, a Cincinnati-based consumer-products company. Early Windex was sold in glass containers and had a yellow appearance. Packaging later shifted to plastic, while the product’s familiar liquid color became blue in many contemporary versions. The plastic spray format helped make the product convenient for routine household use and reinforced Windex’s identity as a ready-to-use window-cleaning product rather than a general-purpose chemical sold primarily in bulk. Ownership of the brand changed during the consolidation of the household-products industry. Drackett sold Windex to Bristol-Myers in 1965. S. C. Johnson acquired the brand in 1993 and has manufactured and marketed it since then. Under S. C. Johnson, Windex has remained part of a broader portfolio of household-cleaning products while retaining a distinct identity focused on visible, streak-free cleaning of glass and hard surfaces. The product range has expanded beyond a single formula. Marketed variants have included ocean-fresh blue, sunshine lemon and citrus-orange versions, as well as fragrances such as spring bouquet, ocean mist, lavender and tea tree. Some versions use additives or positioning associated with vinegar, lemon, lime or orange ingredients. The brand has also offered products for different household surfaces and cleaning needs, although glass cleaning remains its defining category. Windex’s formulation and ingredient disclosure have changed over time. A 1969 U.S. patent by Melvin E. Stonebraker and Samuel P. Wise described a glass-cleaning composition containing ingredients such as isopropyl alcohol, a glycol ether, a surfactant, a water softener, ammonia, dye and fragrance. A formulation described in 1989 was a 5% ammonia solution, while the product was reformulated in 2006. Beginning in 2009, S. C. Johnson published ingredient information for its products, including Windex. The listed ingredients for a contemporary formula include water, 2-hexoxyethanol, isopropanolamine, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, lauramine oxide, ammonium hydroxide, fragrance and blue dye; formulations can vary by product. The principal competitive context for Windex is the retail glass-cleaner category. Glass Plus, produced by Reckitt Benckiser, has been identified as a major competitor. Windex also benefited from the familiarity of its name in popular culture. In the film My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the product is humorously presented as a folk remedy for a wide range of skin conditions. That portrayal was comedic rather than a safety recommendation: household cleaning products are not intended for direct application to skin. Today, Windex remains an active S. C. Johnson brand. Its positioning combines recognizable blue liquid, spray-bottle convenience, household visibility and a specific promise of cleaning windows, mirrors and other hard surfaces. The available reference material does not establish a precise original founding year, a single founder, a standalone corporate headquarters or a complete worldwide market list.
History
Windex developed as an American household glass-cleaning brand associated with Drackett. Its original format used glass packaging, and the early liquid was yellow. The brand name is a registered trademark derived from “window” and “-ex,” reflecting its initial association with window cleaning. The product’s packaging later moved from glass containers to plastic ones, making the spray easier to handle and helping establish the format familiar to modern consumers. A patent granted in 1969 to Melvin E. Stonebraker and Samuel P. Wise described a glass-cleaning composition containing isopropyl alcohol, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, sodium lauryl sulfate, a water softener, ammonia, dye and perfume. The patent illustrates the type of formulation technology associated with the product, although a patent example should not be treated as proof that every later commercial formula used exactly the same ingredients. Ownership changed in 1965, when Drackett sold Windex to Bristol-Myers. The brand later passed to S. C. Johnson, which acquired it in 1993 and has manufactured it since. This transaction placed Windex within a large household-products portfolio while allowing it to remain a separately recognized consumer brand. Windex formulas and product presentations evolved over the following decades. A description from 1989 characterized Windex as a 5% ammonia solution. The product was reformulated in 2006. S. C. Johnson began publishing ingredients for its products in 2009, including Windex. A listed contemporary formula includes water, 2-hexoxyethanol, isopropanolamine, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, lauramine oxide, ammonium hydroxide, fragrance and Liquitint sky-blue dye. An alternative household formula includes related cleaning agents, colorants and fragrances. These disclosures reflect the fact that formulations can differ by variant and over time. The brand’s visual identity also broadened. While the original product was yellow, current Windex products are commonly blue, and variants have been marketed in colors such as ocean-fresh blue, sunshine lemon and citrus orange. Fragrance positioning has included spring bouquet, ocean mist, lavender and tea tree. Some offerings have highlighted vinegar or citrus-associated ingredients such as lemon, lime or orange. Windex operates in the competitive retail glass-cleaner market. Glass Plus, a Reckitt Benckiser product, has been identified as a principal competitor. The competitive relationship was also connected to S. C. Johnson’s acquisition of Dow Chemical’s DowBrands consumer-products division: to obtain Federal Trade Commission approval for that transaction, S. C. Johnson was required to divest Glass Plus. This context demonstrates the antitrust sensitivity of concentrated household-cleaner categories, although it does not indicate a dispute involving Windex itself. The product has also acquired cultural recognition beyond its intended cleaning use. My Big Fat Greek Wedding used Windex as a comic folk cure-all for skin problems. The joke contributed to the product’s popular-cultural visibility, but household cleaners are not skin treatments and should not be applied directly to the body. Windex remains an active S. C. Johnson brand. Its core identity continues to rest on glass and hard-surface cleaning, spray-bottle convenience and high consumer recognition. The supplied reference material does not document a precise launch year, a named founder, standalone Windex financial results or a complete list of current national markets.
- 2009
Ingredient publication expands
[1]S. C. Johnson began publishing ingredient information for its products, including Windex.
- 2008
Greenlist-related bottle logo introduced
[3]S. C. Johnson announced a new Windex bottle logo intended to draw attention to its Greenlist process.
- 2006
Product reformulation
[1]Windex was reformulated after earlier descriptions had identified a 5% ammonia solution.
- 1993
S. C. Johnson acquires the brand
[1]S. C. Johnson acquired Windex and became its continuing manufacturer and marketer.
- 1969
Glass-cleaning composition patent granted
[2]A U.S. patent granted to Melvin E. Stonebraker and Samuel P. Wise described a glass-cleaning composition using alcohol, surfactant, ammonia and other formulation components.
- 1965
Drackett transfers Windex to Bristol-Myers
[1]Drackett sold the Windex brand to Bristol-Myers, beginning a new phase of ownership for the household-cleaner brand.
Products and positioning
A recognizable, convenient household spray brand for cleaning windows, mirrors, glass and other hard surfaces, strongly associated with blue-tinted liquid and streak-free everyday cleaning.
Glass and window cleaner
Windex Original Glass Cleaner
The core Windex offering is a ready-to-use spray for windows, mirrors and other glass surfaces. It is strongly associated with the brand’s familiar blue appearance and with everyday household cleaning. The product’s identity is built around convenient spray dispensing and visible cleaning performance rather than a specialist commercial-cleaning format. Formula details have changed over time, and the exact ingredients may vary by market or product version.
Glass and surface cleaner variants
Windex Scented and Color Variants
Windex has marketed variants in several colors and fragrances, including ocean-fresh blue, sunshine lemon, citrus orange, spring bouquet, ocean mist, lavender and tea tree. These variants extend the brand beyond a single visual and olfactory profile while preserving its association with glass and hard-surface cleaning. Some versions have also emphasized vinegar or citrus-related ingredients.
Hard-surface cleaner
Windex Hard-Surface Cleaners
The broader Windex range includes products positioned for washable hard surfaces in addition to windows and mirrors. These offerings apply the brand’s spray-cleaner format and recognizable identity to household surfaces where consumers seek removal of fingerprints, dust, grime and other everyday marks. The supplied references do not provide a complete current catalog or standardized list of all markets and variants.
Marketing campaigns
- 2008Greenlist bottle-logo communication
United States
S. C. Johnson announced a new logo on Windex bottles to highlight its Greenlist process. The communication connected the package and brand identity with the company's stated approach to evaluating product ingredients.
Outcome. The available reference identifies the packaging and communication change but does not provide measured sales or consumer-response results.
Brand decisions
2009
Ingredient-transparency initiativeStrategyBackground
Consumers and regulators were paying increasing attention to the composition of household cleaning products.
Action taken
S. C. Johnson began publishing ingredient information for its products, including Windex.
Aftermath
Consumers gained access to more detailed information about listed Windex formulations, although formulas can vary by product and market.
2006
Windex formulation changeGeneration changeBackground
Earlier descriptions of Windex had identified a 5% ammonia solution, while household-cleaner formulas continued to evolve.
Action taken
S. C. Johnson reformulated the product.
Aftermath
Later ingredient information described a formula containing water, cleaning agents, ammonium hydroxide, fragrance and blue dye, among other components.
1993
S. C. Johnson acquisition of WindexM&ABackground
Windex was an established glass-cleaner brand previously owned by Drackett and Bristol-Myers.
Action taken
S. C. Johnson acquired the brand and assumed manufacturing and marketing responsibility.
Aftermath
Windex became part of S. C. Johnson’s household-products portfolio and remains associated with the company.
1965
Transfer of Windex from Drackett to Bristol-MyersM&ABackground
Drackett sold the Windex brand during a period when consumer household-product brands were changing corporate ownership.
Action taken
Bristol-Myers acquired the Windex brand.
Aftermath
The brand later changed hands again when S. C. Johnson acquired it in 1993.
Recent events
- 2009
S. C. Johnson begins publishing product ingredients[1]
Regulation
S. C. Johnson began publishing ingredient information for its products, including Windex, providing consumers with more detailed formula information.
- 2008
New logo highlights S. C. Johnson Greenlist process[3]
Campaign · Product generation
S. C. Johnson announced a new logo on Windex bottles intended to highlight the company's Greenlist process.
- 2006
Windex reformulation[1]
Product generation
The Windex product was reformulated after earlier formulations had been described as containing a 5% ammonia solution.
- 1993
S. C. Johnson acquires Windex[1]
M&A
S. C. Johnson acquired the Windex brand and subsequently became its manufacturer and marketer.
- 1969
Patent granted for glass-cleaning composition[2]
Product generation
Melvin E. Stonebraker and Samuel P. Wise received a U.S. patent describing a glass-cleaning composition that included alcohol, a glycol ether, surfactant, water-softening ingredients, ammonia, dye and fragrance.
- 1965
Drackett sells Windex brand to Bristol-Myers[1]
M&A
Drackett transferred ownership of the Windex brand to Bristol-Myers as part of the changing ownership structure of the household-products business.
Sources3 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/windex · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled