Glass Cleaning
Cleaning automotive glass is tricky, but well worth doing. Clean,
clear glass looks beautiful next to clean, waxed paint. Plus, clear
glass will give you optimum visibility when driving. That’s a safety
feature you can’t afford to overlook. Just a few extra minutes will
add the finishing touch to your vehicle and give you a clear view of
the road ahead.
Glass Cleaners
Most glass cleaners contain ammonia, which is a good cleaner but it has
some disadvantages. It releases fumes that should not be inhaled in enclosed
areas, like the inside of your vehicle, and it can dry out plastic, rubber,
vinyl, and leather. Overspray is not an option with an
ammonia cleaner. Plus, you cannot use ammonia on tinted windows.
Chances are, if a glass cleaner does not contain ammonia, it will say
“ammonia-free” or “safe for tinted windows”. If the label doesn’t say
one way or the other, assume the worst and find another cleaner. Avoid using
household glass cleaners, which almost all contain ammonia. An example
of a window tint-safe cleaner is PRO C-13 Super Glass Gleam.
Some people prefer to use plain water to clean their windows. While
this is a very safe method, it may not be effective on stubborn
spots, like bug splatter. However, a glass-cleaning microfiber towel,
like the 16 x 16 Plush BlueTowels will
provide a gentle scrubbing action to help remove contamination.
Dampen this towel lightly and clean the glass. Then, buff the glass
dry using a dry microfiber towel. High quality microfiber does not
produce lint and is extremely absorbent to prevent streaks.
Clean by numbers
1. Detail your vehicle. Glass should be the last thing you do to
avoid re-contaminating it during the detailing process.
2. Work out of the sun on dry windows. The sun can cause glass
cleaner to evaporate too quickly and leave streaks.
3. Spend some extra time on your windshield because you look at it
more than the rest of the glass. Lightly dampen your microfiber towel
with your cleaner of choice. Wipe up and down and then side to side
using long strokes. Then immediately buff it with a dry microfiber
towel, like the Plush 16 x 16 Blue Microfiber This will prevent streaks. Do the
same on the back window.
4. When you clean your windows, be sure to roll them down to clean
the top edge.
5. Whether you clean all your inside glass first, all the outside
glass, or window by window is up to you. The advantage to cleaning
one window at a time is that you’ll immediately see any streaks you
left on the outside when you get in to clean the inside.
6. You can’t always get it right the first time. It may take a mist
of glass cleaner to remove stubborn film and then another cleaning
with plain water to remove any streaks created by the film. It all
depends on exactly what is on your glass. Don’t be afraid to use more
than one cleaner on the same window, if that’s what it takes.
7. When you clean the inside of the back window, it may be helpful to
use the backside of your hand to hold the towel against the lower
edge of the glass. This technique will allow you to reach the bottom
of the glass with greater ease.
Removing Water Spots
Water spots are mineral deposits that have etched their way into the
paint. When a drop of water evaporates, all the minerals contained in
that water remain on the paint. Etching is a gradual process, but it
sneaks up on you before you know it. The best way to avoid them is to
dry your vehicle each and every time it gets wet. If that sounds
ambitious, at least dry it after washing it and after a rain shower. If it’s already too late, here are some
tips for removing those cloudy spots.
Glass can be polished just like your paint. A gentle glass polish
like PRO C-27 Q Glass Polish will remove most water spots and
cloudiness to restore perfect clarity to your windows. You can apply
it by hand or with a polisher, but set your machine on a low speed
(1000-1200 RPM on a rotary or 5000-6000 OPM on a dual action) and use
a polishing pad. Do not apply pressure; the pad will do the work for
you. When the polisher starts to dry, stop polishing and buff the
residue away with a microfiber towel.
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