OT auto glass cleaning

[Don Y]

Today was 6 month wax. Of course, wash beforehand.

It took us a long time but we've finally found a scheme for washing the HOUSE windows (lots of glass, here) without streaking, lint, etc.

But, no such luck with the car. *Any* car! Windshields are always a chore cuz of the low attack angle (can't get to the glass as it nears the dashboard). Other windows are too small/odd shaped for a squeegee.

And, of course, you never know if you've done a good-enough job until you get the car out in the sun and try to SEE through all your invisible smudges! :<

Presently using "Invisible Glass" which *seems* to do a good job but ONLY if you diligently remove ALL traces before it dries.

Next time, I'll try the stuff we use on the house windows (pour some of it into a spray bottle). Maybe see if I can find a TINY squeegee with which to apply it; virgin newsprint to dry.

Anyone have any secret (cleaning) solutions or techniques?

[Stormin Mormon]

I recently tried some of the yellow Rain-X washer fluid. Smells funny, but works well.

[Muggles]

I just take my van to the drive-thru car wash.

[Ed Pawlowski]

And that does the inside? Amazing

[Ed Pawlowski]

If really dirty I do two steps. Step 1. A quick wash with Windex and paper towels. Usually leaves some streaks.

Step 2 is a microfiber cloth and water. Wet cloth with plain water, wipe glass. Done. Works better than anything I've ever used. Do it once a month and you won't need step 1

[Muggles]

I clean the inside myself. I tried one of those places that do the inside and didn't really like what they did.

[clare]

A couple of good rags and a bottle of Phantom chrome and glass cleaner makes the glass sparkle like a diamond.

Stormy goes through the carwash with the windows down to clean the inside of the windsheild and the seats and to wash the mud off the floormats. Driving down the road soaked to the skin with the windows open afterwards keeps him cool so he doesn't have to fix the AC on his van either. The only problem is the batched mess of wires under the seat gets wet, so he has to ask how to waterproof wire connections again.

[DerbyDad03]

The only glass cleaner I use, indoors and out.

Bring plenty of paper towels.

[clare]

Vinegar in the water for the first step works pretty good too - and Phantom really polishes the glass with a normal cloth.

Microfiber cloths DO make polishing glass a lot easier though, for sure. I still have most of a bottle of Phantom left from my dealership days when it was what we used to detail cars for the show-room or lot

- back before microfiber.

[Don Y]

They are rarely dirty from normal driving. Sure, when it rains, they get "mud spotted" -- but that comes off with the wipers, etc.

What usually happens is they get fingerprints from installing and removing the front window shade. Or, the door windows show prints as I wrap my hands around the edge of the door to pull it closed. Or, hand/arm prints on the door glass from my arm leaning against it.

I.e., the back and rear windows never need cleaning (no one sits back there nor touches the glass)

Our usage pattern is REALLY low/infrequent. E.g., the car is barely on the road for ~15-20 hours/month.

I suspect the cloth and water might not cut the oils that accompany fingerprints?

Windex, Invisible Glass, etc. all do a great job of cleaning. But, seem to want to leave streaks unless you are insanely diligent.

Maybe your original suggestion: cleaner with the follow through of a "damp cloth"?

(I still want to try the stuff we use on the house windows as there's a LOT of glass there and we never see any streaks!)

[Don Y]

We've tried windex (with and without ammonia), "the pink stuff" (name slips my mind), vinegar, Invisible Glass, etc. I even tried a "dry erase eraser" (works pretty good but you need a LOT of elbow grease; and, hard to get at the inside low edge of the windshield where you can barely fit your fingertips!)

Phantom appears to be a CA brand.

[Paintedcow]

I read somewhere about using a microfiber cloth for computer and tv screens too. But what the heck is a "microfiber cloth" and where fo you get them? (Brand names will help).

[Stormin Mormon]

You didn't answer the question the original poster asked.

[Wade Garrett]

Maybe he leaves the windows and sun roof open and the tailgate up. Probably props the hood open too for a degreased engine.

[Stormin Mormon]

You have nothing better to do, than store information about usenet posters, and try to come up with insults? I would have thought you had some thing better to do? Like pulling the lint out of your navel, or rereading the ingredients on your breakfast cereal box.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Get them at Wal Mart, K-Mart, Sears, Target. Any place that had eyeglasses.

I have one that I use for the screen on my phone. Bought it at the optical department at Wal Mart. The other one i have is not as smooth but it was in the cleaning supplies section of wherever I saw it. Just wet it and wipe.

You can get them at Amazon too. Microfiber has a very thin stran as compared to a T shirt material. Something like 100,000 fibers per inch.

[Jon Danniken]

You can also get them washcloth-sized in the automotive section of most stores; I picked up a three pack at my local ACE hardware store.

Jon

[DerbyDad03]

Well, I think the ones you get at an eyeglass retailer might be a little small for cleaning car windows. Can't you just picture PaintedCow trying to wipe down a windshield with a 3" x 3" cloth? ;-)

But seriously, you have to be careful when choosing your microfiber towels.

I bought some at an automotive store for wiping down the vehicles after I wash them. They absorb tons of water, can be wrung out and used again right away. Then I bought some someplace else, may have been HF or maybe a Dollar Store, and all they did was push the water around the surface. A bath towel would have done a better job.

It would be a shame for someone to buy the cheap ones just because they say Microfiber on the package then get home and wonder why we're all saying how great they are.

[SeaNymph]

I've been following this conversation and must admit that I'm a bit confused by the terms being used.

I don't like cleaning cloths that are labeled microfiber because I don't think they do much except push stuff around. At least that's been my experience with them.

When I think of cleaning a car, I've always thought of the type of towel used to be a chamois, which soaks up water and can be wrung out and used again.

I don't know eye glass cleaning cloths are called, but the one I have is definitely not microfiber.

[clare]

The secret for the final clean is a damp MICROFIBER cloth made for the purpose. They don't leave streaks like cotton can and normal polyester or poly-cotton will.