"Your family is who you grew up seeing clean, and who taught you to clean when we were old enough to pitch in. So, you settle into your own home with those methods and may not even stop to question them. But a cleaning technique that's generations old isn't necessarily a good thing - as years go by, technology and products improve, as does our knowledge of things like where bacteria comes from and how to actually wipe it out."
"The approach developed because people noticed that newspaper had a bit of abrasiveness to it - it could get into smudges and build-up on kitchen windows or glassware and lift it off, without being so rough it damaged the glass. Newspaper is also relatively absorbent, and didn't have any fuzziness or lint to leave behind like a rag or towel might have. But what newspaper does have that can transfer onto glass is ink - which is far tougher to remove than some lint."
Many household cleaning habits are inherited across generations and often go unexamined. Older methods can become outdated as products, technology, and understanding of bacteria improve. Wiping glass with newspaper was popular because newspaper is slightly abrasive, absorbent, and lint-free, allowing it to lift smudges without scratching. However, newspaper ink can transfer to glass, especially when wet, leaving stains and smudges. Petroleum-based inks transfer more than soy-based inks, and a simple finger rub can reveal the ink type. Safer glass-cleaning methods use non-ink, lint-free materials and appropriate cleaners.
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