Household cleaning
Windolene Original Cream dupe
Why pay around £2.50 for Windolene? The bulk active is Isopropyl alcohol 99% (IPA) diluted to ~10% — 88% less per working litre than a typical shelf pack.
From the retail pack to the active and the mix
1 · Retail
Windolene Original Cream
500 millilitres · £2.50 typical snapshot
Water, emulsion/cream body and a little surfactant
2 · Active
Isopropanol (propan-2-ol)
10% on the label
67-63-0C3H8O
Bulk Isopropyl alcohol 99% (IPA) diluted to ~10%
3 · Mix
1:9 (1 part 99% IPA + 9 parts water → ~10%)
£0.32 per working litre · 88% less than the shelf pack
- Active
- Isopropanol (propan-2-ol)
- CAS
- 67-63-0
- Dupe
- Isopropyl alcohol 99% (IPA) diluted to ~10%
- Saving
- 88% / L
Saving is per litre of working-strength mix versus a typical pack price, not versus the DIY kit total. Shop prices move — always check the listing.
Label teardown
What the pack promises versus what the label chemistry actually is.
The marketing claim
“Non-smear shine on glass and shiny surfaces”
The chemical reality
Classic Windolene cream is isopropanol at about 5–15% in a pink emulsion — the smear-cutting solvent is IPA (CAS 67-63-0), not a secret glass polymer. Dilute 99% IPA 1:9 for a ~10% wipe. That is not Carex 70% hand gel, and it is not the modern trigger ‘Diamond Shine’ (glycol ether).
Active vs filler
10% Isopropanol (propan-2-ol) · 90% carrier / filler — Water, emulsion/cream body and a little surfactant
- Typical retail
- £2.50
- 500 millilitres
- Estimated active cost
- £0.16
- Scaled from bulk £15.99 / 5 litres
- Indicative markup
- 15.5×
- Snapshot maths, not a live shop price
The Marketing Claim & The Catch
A 500 millilitres pack of Windolene Original Cream typically retails around £2.50 in household cleaning. That is a UK shelf-price snapshot for the maths on this page — not a live shop quote or a manufacturer RRP. Listings, sizes and deals move. The marketing line is that you are buying a finished lifestyle product, not a weighed chemical.
On the pack: Non-smear shine on glass and shiny surfaces; The original pink cream; and Polish off before it dries.
The catch: Classic Windolene cream is isopropanol at about 5–15% in a pink emulsion — the smear-cutting solvent is IPA (CAS 67-63-0), not a secret glass polymer. Dilute 99% IPA 1:9 for a ~10% wipe. That is not Carex 70% hand gel, and it is not the modern trigger ‘Diamond Shine’ (glycol ether).
- “Non-smear shine on glass and shiny surfaces”
- “The original pink cream”
- “Polish off before it dries”
Proprietary Blend & Dosage Breakdown
The labelled active is Isopropanol (propan-2-ol) at 10%. Everything else in the pack is water, emulsion/cream body and a little surfactant.
At 10% active, most of what you pay for is carrier and packaging. The brand is selling convenience, fragrance and a label — not a uniquely potent molecule.
Branded working strength is whatever comes out of the bottle. The bulk alternative is 99% Isopropyl alcohol 99% (IPA) diluted to ~10%, mixed to 1:9 (1 part 99% IPA + 9 parts water → ~10%).
- Labelled active
- Isopropanol (propan-2-ol)
- 10%
- Carrier
- Water, emulsion/cream body and a little surfactant
- Retail pack
- 500 millilitres · £2.50
The Active Chemical Alternative (Dupe Stack)
The dupe stack is Isopropyl alcohol 99% (IPA) diluted to ~10% at 99% bulk. Indexed as CAS 67-63-0, formula C3H8O. Buy it as 5 litres for around £15.99 from Amazon UK.
Working strength: 1:9 (1 part 99% IPA + 9 parts water → ~10%). Indicative cost £0.32 per diluted litre — 88% below a typical branded pack on a per-litre basis, before you reuse leftover bulk.
Follow the mixing method and the supplier SDS. Wear the listed PPE. Do not mix incompatible oxidisers, acids or ammonia.
- Flammable until diluted. No flames beside an open bottle. Ventilation. Gloves if you have broken skin. Do not drink.
- Mix 100 ml of 99% IPA into 900 ml of water (1:9) for a ~10% glass wipe — the cream’s solvent band without the pink emulsion.
- Spray or wipe sparingly on glass and shiny laminate. Buff dry with a lint-free cloth before it dries to avoid smears. Keep off solvent-sensitive paint and car windscreens with existing coatings you care about.
- 5 litres of 99% IPA at 1:9 makes 50 litres of 10% wipe — a hundred 500 ml cream bottles.
- This is a household glass-cleaner comparison, not a licensed antiseptic. For 70% hand gel see the Carex teardown.
Dilution recipe
0.5 L working batch
Working strength 1:9 (1 part 99% IPA + 9 parts water → ~10%). Educational estimate from the listed ratio — check the SDS before you mix.
Chemical
50 millilitres
Isopropyl alcohol 99% (IPA) diluted to ~10%
Water
0.45 litres
Carrier / diluent
10% concentrate · 90% water by working volume (solids are dissolved into the water share).
Required PPE
Loading calculator…
Side-by-Side Price & Potency Comparison
Head-to-head comparison
| Measure | Retail brandedWindolene | Raw active dupeDupeStack |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Original CreamAmazon UK search — listing, not a confirmed seller | Isopropyl alcohol 99% (IPA) diluted to ~10% |
| Pack / unit | 500 millilitres · £2.50 | 5 litres · £15.99 |
| Active | Isopropanol (propan-2-ol) at 10%Carrier: Water, emulsion/cream body and a little surfactant | 99% bulkC3H8O |
| CAS number | Not disclosed on pack | 67-63-0 |
| Working strength | Ready-to-use pack | Dilute 1:9 (1 part 99% IPA + 9 parts water → ~10%) |
| Cost per litre | £5.00 / L typical pack | £0.32 / L mixed from bulk |
| Headline saving | Baseline | 88% cheaper |
| COSHH / PPE | Follow the branded SDS | Gloves. Chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile or neoprene)Ventilation. Use outdoors or with mechanical extraction |
Active ingredient and cheaper alternative — FAQ
Is this the same as Carex hand sanitiser?
Same molecule, very different strength. Carex-style gel is 70%+ alcohol for hands. Windolene cream is ~10% IPA for glass. Do not use 70% gel as a window cream, and do not use 10% IPA as a hand sanitiser.
Is Windolene Diamond Shine the same as Original Cream?
Often not. Diamond Shine triggers are typically a dilute glycol ether (butoxypropanol) plus surfactant. Original Cream is the IPA emulsion. Read the SDS, not the brand on the cap.
How do you mix the Original Cream dupe stack?
Flammable until diluted. No flames beside an open bottle. Ventilation. Gloves if you have broken skin. Do not drink. Mix 100 ml of 99% IPA into 900 ml of water (1:9) for a ~10% glass wipe — the cream’s solvent band without the pink emulsion. Spray or wipe sparingly on glass and shiny laminate. Buff dry with a lint-free cloth before it dries to avoid smears. Keep off solvent-sensitive paint and car windscreens with existing coatings you care about. 5 litres of 99% IPA at 1:9 makes 50 litres of 10% wipe — a hundred 500 ml cream bottles. This is a household glass-cleaner comparison, not a licensed antiseptic. For 70% hand gel see the Carex teardown.
DupeStack provides chemical concentration data and educational mixing guides only. Wellness pages compare food supplements, not medicines or prescribed treatments. Always review the supplier Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and comply with UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and COSHH regulations when handling concentrated substances. Mixing and storage are at your own risk. Some links are affiliate advertisements (Amazon Associates, eBay Partner Network, and Awin when those programmes are live). Commissions do not change listed concentrations or calculator output.
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£22.00Save 88% / L
Indicative DIY stack