Auto Glass cleaning -- HELP ME

[John_Wayne777]

Ok. I have tried EVERYTHING on the shelves of every auto, department, grocery and discount store to clean my auto glass. NOTHING has ever delivered a streak free result.

My most recent trial was some awful gel type cleaner, but that was WORSE than anything else I have tried.

Is there ANYTHING out there that will actually NOT streak up my windows so bad I can't see out of them? Is there a special cloth or towel you can use to get rid of streaks?

I washed the two Intrepids last night. I spent Heaven only knows how much time trying to get rid of those streaks before I just said a bad word and gave up...

[jfelbab]

Re: Auto Glass cleaning -- HELP ME

Originally posted by John_Wayne777
Ok. I have tried EVERYTHING on the shelves of every auto, department, grocery and discount store to clean my auto glass. NOTHING has ever delivered a streak free result.

My most recent trial was some awful gel type cleaner, but that was WORSE than anything else I have tried.

Is there ANYTHING out there that will actually NOT streak up my windows so bad I can't see out of them? Is there a special cloth or towel you can use to get rid of streaks?

I washed the two Intrepids last night. I spent Heaven only knows how much time trying to get rid of those streaks before I just said a bad word and gave up...

I get good results with a very fine MF towel. I slightly dampen the towel with distilled water and that's it.

[TOGWT]

Put your hand in a plastic sandwich bag and lightly run your fingertips over the windshield's surface. Chances are, it will have a rough, gritty feel. Glass cleaners will not remove this grit.

Clay Magic® is a deep cleaning and smoothing clay bar that instantly removes harmful pollutants from today's vehicle finishes without using strong, acidic chemicals or harsh abrasives, its also effective in removing paint over-spray. It is a totally unique product that instantly removes the environmental contaminants, which can deteriorate a vehicle's finish. Developed as a solution to the increasing damage being done to the finishes of today's vehicle due to harsh pollutants that burn right through conventional protectants

Stoners Invisible Glass™ cleans windshields, windows, and mirrors. Other glass cleaners use water and "foamy" surfactants or soaps, these ingredients remove basic dirt, but leave "streaky" residues that is difficult or impossible to remove. Invisible Glass cleans fast with a powerful, non-streaking, non-abrasive formula. It evaporates 100% and contains no surfactants, soaps, or foams.

303 Wiper Treatment™ reconditions hardening rubber windshield wiper blades and stops annoying chattering, skipping and streaking. By reconditioning hardening rubber blades. 303 Wiper Treatment™ restores lost flexibility and performance and keeps wiper blades working like new.

a) Exterior glass –
·Wash glass surface to remove dirt, dust and etc
·Stoners Invisible Glass™ and #0000 steel wool will quickly and efficiently cut through the toughest dirt and grime
·Apply clay (Magic Clay®) and lubricant solution (Woolite™ / Water 5:1) onto the glass surface
(Do not apply to plastic as dulling may occur.)
·Wash off any residue from glass and dry with a damp waffle weave towel
·To polish glass surfaces -apply a quarter size amount of Autoglym Car Glass Polish™ to dry 100% cotton or Microfiber cloth or a foam pad attached to a Porter-Cable random orbital buffer set at speed 4.
·Apply to half of the windshield, polishing first in an up and down motion then in a left-to-right motion and then repeat on the other side, proceed to other glass surfaces.
·Go over the glass several times in each direction, glass will polish virtually residue free.

·Before cleaning door glass, open the widow half way. Clean the top and the leading edge of the glass as these usually sit in the door window tracks. Wipe off any residue, and polish with a clean dry 100% cotton Microfiber cloth.
·Inspect glass for clarity and smoothness. Repeat if necessary.
·Before you clean the vehicle exterior mirrors use a ‘shot’ of canned air to remove any water from the rear of the mirror housing and avoid any water running on to the paintwork. Use a non-abrasive glass cleaner (Stoners Invisible Glass™) on the mirrors
·Apply 303 Wiper Treatment™ to the wiper blades to clean, restore suppleness, eliminate wiper noise or ‘skipping’ and to avoid glass smearing

b) Removing water spots:
·Use water/distilled white vinegar or an Isopropanol Alcohol solution, 5:1 (adjust ratio as required) or try equal parts distilled white vinegar, Isopropanol Alcohol and distilled water to dissolve the alkaline-based mineral water deposits.
·Use a clean spray bottle and a 100% cotton Microfiber cloth to apply the solution to the glass surfaces
·Wipe off any residue from glass and dry with a damp waffle weave towel
·If any ‘water spots’ remain apply Distilled White Vinegar un-diluted to a 100% cotton micro fibre towel, using a medium/heavy pressure on glass surface.
·If this does not remove the ‘water spots’ use Autoglym Car Glass Polish™, and #0000 steel wool
·Wipe off any residue from glass and dry with a damp waffle weave towel
·Inspect glass for clarity and smoothness.
·Repeat if necessary.

Do not use a glass polish or any grade of synthetic steel wool on after market (Mylar tint) glass, as it will cause scratching

c) Interior glass –
Wipe glass with a damp waffle weave towel; apply Stoners Invisible Glass™, to 100% cotton Microfiber cloth and rub glass surface with a light to medium pressure (it will dry streak-free / lint-free)

d) Rear window –
Use a Glass Master™, it has two swivel paddle heads that fit on to a handle and comes with three bonnets, terry, and Microfiber and bug scrubber, allowing access to sloped rear window glass. Apply Stoners Invisible Glass™ with a light to medium pressure to the glass surfaces (it will dry streak-free / lint-free)

e) ‘Soft Top’ Rear window (vinyl) –
Wipe with a damp waffle weave towel; apply Plexus Plastic Cleaner, Protectant and Polish™, safe for all types of clear and coloured plastics, Perspex, Lucite, Mylar (window tinting) and clear acrylics.

f) Drying Pattern- use a different drying pattern for interior / exterior glass surfaces (i.e. horizontal for interior and vertical for exterior) utilizing this technique you can easily determine the location of any streaking.

[Jimmy Buffit]

Well, now you know about cleaning windows!

I find the damp microfiber towel to be quite efficient...

Jim

[Bill D]

I'll second that. Key is high quality mfs

[2000]

the best and easiest way to get streak free windows is with a hammer.

just kidding, you just got the best advise you could ever get for doing windows from TOGWT. good write up.

[Lynn Matthews]

One of top 5 favorite Meguiar’s products is the Glass Cleaner Concentrate with a microfiber. It is ammonia-free so it is safe for tinted windows and also non-streaking. I have been using it for a few years in the house and on our cars.

D-1301 It dilutes at 10:1 So a one gallon jug will make 11 gallons of Glass Cleaner.
+ =

Great write up and TOGWT has a point about the surface contaminates. If you have bonded contaminates no glass cleaner in the world will get rid of bonded contaminates or hard water spots.

Here's what I would do if your exterior glass is not slick to start with:
Clay
DACP by PC
Glass Cleaner with a Microfiber

To add to the information overload here is another thread on glass cleaning: Glass Cleaning thread on SCG

Lynn

[gb387]

If there is one thing I hate about cleaning cars its WINDOWS! Ahhhhh.... It seems they are never clean and streak free, I too have had good luck with Stoners Invisible Glass. I have yet to try the glass cleaner concentrate but I hear it works well

[GearHead_1]

I'm about getting ready to get flamed here. I don't know why I do this to myself. Like the original post stated: I've used everything on the market at one time or another. When I'm really particular about windows, I clay as has already been suggested, use Autoglym glass polish with a PC and follow it up with either Meguiar's Glass Cleaner or Stoner's. I always go back to black and white newspaper as my "towel". I picked this trick up over 20 years ago and though people laugh it actually works. I've tried high quality cotton and high quality microfibers, they just don't work as well for me.

[gotwax1234]

i found that if ur glass is recently cleaned, it works just to get a nice terry or microfiber cloth and just kinda scrub it. Don't use any water...i use microfiber and itll just wipe off a lot of the time. Also, (sorry if this is illegal or anything on the forum to talk about a different company...im sorry, and i dont mean to annoy [edited for langauge; 2hotford] any1 off. im just trying to help out) i found that eagle one's "20/20 vision" works very well for me.

[RamAirV1]

Actually, the EO 20/20 works very well, just about as good as the Inivisible Glass. The 20/20 is harder to find in stores, and it is less expensive than the Invisible Glass. Both glass cleaners are good, but I think the NXT Glass Cleaner is better.

RamAirV1

[That Sam Guy]

Re: Auto Glass cleaning -- HELP ME

Put your hand in a plastic sandwich bag and lightly run your fingertips over the windshield's surface. Chances are, it will have a rough, gritty feel. Glass cleaners will not remove this grit.

Clay Magic® is a deep cleaning and smoothing clay bar that instantly removes harmful pollutants from today's vehicle finishes without using strong, acidic chemicals or harsh abrasives, its also effective in removing paint over-spray. It is a totally unique product that instantly removes the environmental contaminants, which can deteriorate a vehicle's finish. Developed as a solution to the increasing damage being done to the finishes of today's vehicle due to harsh pollutants that burn right through conventional protectants

Stoners Invisible Glass™ cleans windshields, windows, and mirrors. Other glass cleaners use water and "foamy" surfactants or soaps, these ingredients remove basic dirt, but leave "streaky" residues that is difficult or impossible to remove. Invisible Glass cleans fast with a powerful, non-streaking, non-abrasive formula. It evaporates 100% and contains no surfactants, soaps, or foams.

303 Wiper Treatment™ reconditions hardening rubber windshield wiper blades and stops annoying chattering, skipping and streaking. By reconditioning hardening rubber blades. 303 Wiper Treatment™ restores lost flexibility and performance and keeps wiper blades working like new.

a) Exterior glass –
·Wash glass surface to remove dirt, dust and etc
·Stoners Invisible Glass™ and #0000 steel wool will quickly and efficiently cut through the toughest dirt and grime
·Apply clay (Magic Clay®) and lubricant solution (Woolite™ / Water 5:1) onto the glass surface
(Do not apply to plastic as dulling may occur.)
·Wash off any residue from glass and dry with a damp waffle weave towel
·To polish glass surfaces -apply a quarter size amount of Autoglym Car Glass Polish™ to dry 100% cotton or Microfiber cloth or a foam pad attached to a Porter-Cable random orbital buffer set at speed 4.
·Apply to half of the windshield, polishing first in an up and down motion then in a left-to-right motion and then repeat on the other side, proceed to other glass surfaces.
·Go over the glass several times in each direction, glass will polish virtually residue free.

·Before cleaning door glass, open the widow half way. Clean the top and the leading edge of the glass as these usually sit in the door window tracks. Wipe off any residue, and polish with a clean dry 100% cotton Microfiber cloth.
·Inspect glass for clarity and smoothness. Repeat if necessary.
·Before you clean the vehicle exterior mirrors use a ‘shot’ of canned air to remove any water from the rear of the mirror housing and avoid any water running on to the paintwork. Use a non-abrasive glass cleaner (Stoners Invisible Glass™) on the mirrors
·Apply 303 Wiper Treatment™ to the wiper blades to clean, restore suppleness, eliminate wiper noise or ‘skipping’ and to avoid glass smearing

b) Removing water spots:
·Use water/distilled white vinegar or an Isopropanol Alcohol solution, 5:1 (adjust ratio as required) or try equal parts distilled white vinegar, Isopropanol Alcohol and distilled water to dissolve the alkaline-based mineral water deposits.
·Use a clean spray bottle and a 100% cotton Microfiber cloth to apply the solution to the glass surfaces
·Wipe off any residue from glass and dry with a damp waffle weave towel
·If any ‘water spots’ remain apply Distilled White Vinegar un-diluted to a 100% cotton micro fibre towel, using a medium/heavy pressure on glass surface.
·If this does not remove the ‘water spots’ use Autoglym Car Glass Polish™, and #0000 steel wool
·Wipe off any residue from glass and dry with a damp waffle weave towel
·Inspect glass for clarity and smoothness.
·Repeat if necessary.

Do not use a glass polish or any grade of synthetic steel wool on after market (Mylar tint) glass, as it will cause scratching

c) Interior glass –
Wipe glass with a damp waffle weave towel; apply Stoners Invisible Glass™, to 100% cotton Microfiber cloth and rub glass surface with a light to medium pressure (it will dry streak-free / lint-free)

d) Rear window –
Use a Glass Master™, it has two swivel paddle heads that fit on to a handle and comes with three bonnets, terry, and Microfiber and bug scrubber, allowing access to sloped rear window glass. Apply Stoners Invisible Glass™ with a light to medium pressure to the glass surfaces (it will dry streak-free / lint-free)

e) ‘Soft Top’ Rear window (vinyl) –
Wipe with a damp waffle weave towel; apply Plexus Plastic Cleaner, Protectant and Polish™, safe for all types of clear and coloured plastics, Perspex, Lucite, Mylar (window tinting) and clear acrylics.

f) Drying Pattern- use a different drying pattern for interior / exterior glass surfaces (i.e. horizontal for interior and vertical for exterior) utilizing this technique you can easily determine the location of any streaking.

I do realize this article is very old, But I thought the last tip was very simple and effective. Also, if someone in power wanted to reformat/edit TOGWT post with some more modern product suggestions it would be a great read for many beginners. FWIW

[sgrier]

Re: Auto Glass cleaning -- HELP ME

I use "Invisable Glass" also. I haven't tried them all but I haven't found anything better either.

I can also attest to the "newspaper" trick. It works, just don't ask me why.

[Anvstang'04]

Re: Auto Glass cleaning -- HELP ME

Man, I haven't heard about the newspaper trick in a few years.... I remember one of my "punishments" as a kid was to clean the windows on my dad's Camaro with distilled vinegar and newspaper. I hated the smell like none other but man did it work.

[CieraSL]

Re: Auto Glass cleaning -- HELP ME

Well, I won't argue with anybody one way or the other about the products they use to arrive at streak-free windows. I only know what works for me. I use No. 43 Clear Difference ready-to-use glass cleaner from Auto Magic. I also use quality paper towels (the Tork blue center-pull towels - they cost $35 a roll, but the roll is huge and you only have to use 2 paper towels to clean all the inside and outside windows, so they'll last me a long time). That's just my two cents.