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Out of all the regimens of detailing a car, one of the most problematic ones would appear to be relatively easy... cleaning the windows.
This is the method I and materials I use.
Interior window cleaning
A car's interior glass may look "foggy" on the inside. This film on the inner glass is from the off gassing of the plastic surfaces in the vehicle. On a hot day, the interior temperatures of a car can reach 120+degrees Farenheit (48.8+ Celsius), accelerating the off gassing of the plastics. This film makes it difficult to see out of the windshield in bright daylight when traveling east in the morning during sunrise and west in the evening during sunset. At night, this film on the windshield also makes it difficult to see in inclement weather as well as when traffic approaches with their high beams and driving lights on.
I start my glass cleaning regimen one the passenger's side windshield. I spray the glass cleaner onto a microfiber towel and move it across the glass in a horizontal motion (more on this later!), then dry the glass with a second microfiber. Use caution cleaning around any state inspection stickers, as they tend to be made of cheap paper and can easily be torn or dislodged if one is too aggressive with cleaning the area. I then move to the passenger side door windows and use the same technique.
Rear windows can be problematic, especially with any vehicle that has a fastback rear window as it can be diffiicult to reach into the corners and the bottom of the windshield. You also have to be a contorsionist to get into the back seat areas in some cars!
For the rear window, I use the Stoner's Invisible Glass Reach and Clean tool and use the microfibers that come with it to clean these areas. Be careful around the connections for the rear window defroster, breaking one is frustrating and can be expensive to repair.
When the rear window is done I start on the driver's side and use the same regimen, finishing at the driver's side interior windshield.
Exterior glass cleaning
The exterior glass takes its share of abuse, too. Road grime, road salt solutions for those in snow country, bird and insect droppings, hard water, acidic rain, dust and sand can cause the exterior glass to get stained and pitted.
I start at the driver's side windshield. I raise the wipers, then spray glass cleaner onto my microfiber towel and apply it to the glass in a vertical motion and drying with another microfiber (more on this later, too!).
I proceed to the passenger side exterior windshield and make my way around the car, using the same technique and vertical motion.
When I am done with the exterior glass, I apply RainX to my windows using a another microfiber towel using a vetical motion and allow it to dry to a haze. I then take a damp micofiber and remove the haze and wipe the window with a dry microfiber in a vertical motion.
What's up with the horizontal and vertical motions?
When you are cleaning the car's glass inside a garage, you really cannot tell if the glass is fully clean and streak free... however, when you pull it outside into the sun... you can see areas you may have missed and streaks.
The motions tell you which side of the glass you need to redo.
This is the method I and materials I use.
- Dedicated microfiber towels for glass.
- A good quality automotive glass cleaner (I prefer Stoner's Invisible Glass; any glass cleaner you use should be ammonia free to prevent damage to tinted windows)
- Stoner's Invisible Glass Reach and Clean tool
Interior window cleaning
A car's interior glass may look "foggy" on the inside. This film on the inner glass is from the off gassing of the plastic surfaces in the vehicle. On a hot day, the interior temperatures of a car can reach 120+degrees Farenheit (48.8+ Celsius), accelerating the off gassing of the plastics. This film makes it difficult to see out of the windshield in bright daylight when traveling east in the morning during sunrise and west in the evening during sunset. At night, this film on the windshield also makes it difficult to see in inclement weather as well as when traffic approaches with their high beams and driving lights on.
I start my glass cleaning regimen one the passenger's side windshield. I spray the glass cleaner onto a microfiber towel and move it across the glass in a horizontal motion (more on this later!), then dry the glass with a second microfiber. Use caution cleaning around any state inspection stickers, as they tend to be made of cheap paper and can easily be torn or dislodged if one is too aggressive with cleaning the area. I then move to the passenger side door windows and use the same technique.
Rear windows can be problematic, especially with any vehicle that has a fastback rear window as it can be diffiicult to reach into the corners and the bottom of the windshield. You also have to be a contorsionist to get into the back seat areas in some cars!
For the rear window, I use the Stoner's Invisible Glass Reach and Clean tool and use the microfibers that come with it to clean these areas. Be careful around the connections for the rear window defroster, breaking one is frustrating and can be expensive to repair.
When the rear window is done I start on the driver's side and use the same regimen, finishing at the driver's side interior windshield.
Exterior glass cleaning
The exterior glass takes its share of abuse, too. Road grime, road salt solutions for those in snow country, bird and insect droppings, hard water, acidic rain, dust and sand can cause the exterior glass to get stained and pitted.
I start at the driver's side windshield. I raise the wipers, then spray glass cleaner onto my microfiber towel and apply it to the glass in a vertical motion and drying with another microfiber (more on this later, too!).
I proceed to the passenger side exterior windshield and make my way around the car, using the same technique and vertical motion.
When I am done with the exterior glass, I apply RainX to my windows using a another microfiber towel using a vetical motion and allow it to dry to a haze. I then take a damp micofiber and remove the haze and wipe the window with a dry microfiber in a vertical motion.
What's up with the horizontal and vertical motions?
When you are cleaning the car's glass inside a garage, you really cannot tell if the glass is fully clean and streak free... however, when you pull it outside into the sun... you can see areas you may have missed and streaks.
The motions tell you which side of the glass you need to redo.
- horizontal - inside.
- vertical - outside.
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