Tough window cleaning question

[jeffsford]

Ok new to the boards and new to detailing. I just bought a new SUV which turned out great after 2 coats of NXT.....

Well that means the wife got the 04 honda. She works as a dealer in a downtown casino in las vegas and parks it outside during the worst hours of the day. I looked at her windshield and saw it was soooo dirty so i busted out the meguiars glass cleaner and a microfiber towel and went to work. Did the whole window like normal and looked at it.... hmmm didn't seem right. So i rubbed my hand on it.... ... sandpaper. So i sprayed some more on a smaller area and put a little elbow grease in it ...... same thing... window is clean but has a gritty feel to it.

So what is the best way to get all that grit off? Will the clay work on glass? Thanks for any advice

Jeff

[Woodie6250]

Re: Tough window cleaning question

I have used clay on glass several times with good results. For the situation that you are describing, I would definitely try clay - use the same process/technique as you would on the paint.

[g88]

Re: Tough window cleaning question

try claying first else you can try using very mild polisher...

I am thiking how about using very fine sandpaper ? 3000 grit ?

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Tough window cleaning question

I would clay. The improvement in the windshield will be tremendous. I always clay the glass when I clay the paint. Imho it is a must do step.

I would also use 2 glass microfibers for the cleaning. 1 to "work" the glass cleaner. Then I like using the second one to remove any left over product. This seems to give a streak free finish. Let us know how you solved your problem.

[TimG]

Re: Tough window cleaning question

sanding glass...you have my blessings then..

[yalerd]

Re: Tough window cleaning question

I would use a clay and see how it turns out.
In the sun or in certain angels, does it look like water marks imprinted in the glass? Mineral deposits?

[Murr1525]

Re: Tough window cleaning question

Start with claying, then we can move to something stronger if that doesnt do it.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Tough window cleaning question

Will the clay work on glass?

Yes. You can clay anything smooth.

Paint
Glass
Chrome

You can't clay surfaces that have a texture as the clay will get stuck in the irregular surfaces.

In most cases you can clay whatever contaminants are bonded to the glass, in some cases you cant and that's because whatever the contaminants are they are tougher than the abrasives in the clay.

Clay works by basically sanding contaminants off the surface.

So give claying a chance, work a small section to start with and then check your results.

Post back here what you find out?

[HemiMopar]

Re: Tough window cleaning question

Chrome polish works great also. Just don't use it on the interior where their might be some aftermarket tint. I polish mine whenever I do a major thorough detail. Clay first.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Tough window cleaning question

Chrome polish works great also. Just don't use it on the interior where their might be some aftermarket tint. I polish mine whenever I do a major thorough detail. Clay first.

Just to chime in...

I don't know what's in ALL the chrome polishes on the market, don't even know what's in ours. So while some chrome polishes might be safe to work on glass it's possible that some chrome polishes could scratch glass.

I don't know?

So if you take HemiMopar's advice then you might want to do a test spot first and make sure no harm is being done.

Here's another option... the below can be found in, Hot Topics

Glass Polishing - Deep Cleaning

[jeffsford]

Re: Tough window cleaning question

Well just a quicky update. The clay has worked well but a lot of effort has been put in it. Come to think of it the problem might have started when I took the car in to a autobody shop to have the side pounded out and repaint in some areas. I am not sure if he taped off the window since the particals might be overspray from the paint. The whole car does feel like and sound like sandpaper, worse then the youtube video on claying.

It took me about 15 mins to clay a area about 3x3 to get it baby smooth on the hood. Spent over a hour on the window and it does look a lot better but not perfect. Hard to get the lighting perfect to find the small areas that need more attention. Well back to the hood and to the store to buy more QD since I will be using a lot of it I feel.

Hope the wife is happy for all the sweat I am pouring out. Just ***** that the wind is so bad in vegas for the next few days... can't even open the garage.

Thanks for all the advise and help

[Murr1525]

Re: Tough window cleaning question

May need to go to a more agressive clay.....

[jeffsford]

Re: Tough window cleaning question

May need to go to a more agressive clay.....

I read about the 2 other clays and seeing how it can mess up the paint if you don't use it correctly, I am a little worried about moving up to the next step since my detailing career is all of 2 days now

[Murr1525]

Re: Tough window cleaning question

Its kind of a big tub of clay, but it certainly wouldnt swirl the glass.....

[jeffsford]

Re: Tough window cleaning question

I am more worried about the paint of the car.... I clayed the hood for a good 2 hours alone tonight. Wife is happy and I think its about as good as job as I can do but it still had a noise to it when I rubbed the hood. Do I need to worry about swirls with the middle of the line clay or can I use it as I am using the clay bar I have now?

Thanks so much for the help with everything.... best forum I have ever been on.