Cleaning Windshield Glass

[Oz]

Sent: 6/27/2006

There is some kind of splotchy film on my glass.  It appears as just patches of "foggy" areas when it rains, but when it rains and it's dark out... yikes!  The rain sticks to these spots and they really impair visibility.

What can I use to thoroughly clean the glass?

[Easy]

Sent: 6/27/2006

Have you ever tried Bar Keeper's Friend?  It's some pretty good stuff for stubborn gook on windshields.

[OldEdBrady]

Sent: 6/27/2006

The first thing ya gotta look at here is, is the mess caused by the way things are happening now, or is it something that's been building for a while?

Glass is a liquid.  (I know; doesn't seem like it.)  Runoff from the eyebrow, over time, can actually stain it, and then there's nothing you can do but replace it.

But, if it isn't runoff, then maybe it's a flaw in the glass.

If it isn't that, then go back to the stuff you grandmother used.  Take some vinegar diluted in water, and trying cleaning it with that.  My grandmother, about 5,000,000 B.C., used watered vinegar, and newspapers.  (She had to use a time machine to go forward in time to find any newsprint.)  She would use several "coats" of vinegar, wiping the glass completely dry each time.

Worked like a charm.

THEN, she would use one last coat, and clean it with soft towels.  (Yeah; plural.)  When each towel started to get even damp, she'd use a new one.

Maybe that will help, but, if not, work up in the message.  Start with the easy one, and go up to the hard (which translates to:  EXPENSIVE) one.

[tiinytina]

Sent: 6/28/2006

I agree with the vinegar treatment and use of newspapers (newspapers are used because the ink acts as a sort of polish for the glass).

I personally mix about a cup of ammonia, a couple drops of ultra dish detergent, and water to so volumn is 1.5 pints or so. For stubborn goo and bugs I use a plastic based scrungie, or for the worst case scenario one of those never rust (non metal) SOS pads.

Finally once the windshield is spotless I apply good ole Rain X (did you know its just actually de-smellified onion juice???)  spreading it on with just my bare hand sometimes, or a folded up paper towel. Once that dries to a light haze I vigourously buff it off with a nice clean terry cloth until its shiny. I usually get inside and take a peak out as its hard to tell if you miss a spot or two from the outside. I actually wax all the side windows in and out.... Wax has very fine abrasives that don't damage the glass but will get off some "things" that just washing won't.
Tina

PS some of the haze may be "etching" of the glass due to age, wind run off from the roof etc... thats replacement time.....

[Oz]

Sent: 6/28/2006

Thanks for the tips, gang.  The "foggy" stuff is definitely a very thin layer of something smeared on the glass, not rain run-off or glass impurity. 

I've been using Rain X since about '87... wouldn't try running the interstate in rain without it.

[DanD2Soon]

Sent: 6/28/2006

Tina - I'm with you! Don't think anything gets you to the bottom of the problem like ammonia - If ammonia doesn't clean that glass, it can't be cleaned! 
 
DanD

[denisondc]

Sent: 6/29/2006

We have fairly 'hard' water in Alexandria, and I have had to clean spots off of glassware and one or two windows in the house. It was worst when we let some cleanser dry on the glass - it left smeary streaks and blotches. No amount of normal cleanser seemed to remove them. I have a bottle of muriatic acid, which dissolves any calcium based deposit rapidly; it got the glass clean again.
I follow the instructions on the bottle about diluting it, using rubber gloves and working in an open area, and I hold my breath when I pour the diluted liquid onto a sponge.
After cleaning the windshield, rinse the area thoroughly so it wont damage your shiny aluminum trim. If the stuff is full strength it will dissolve concrete.
I got it at a local hardware store. Muriatic acid seems to be another name for diluted hydrochloric acid. And the cleaning ingredient in vinegar is of course acetic acid. I think you can still buy acetic acid in hardware stores too.

[tiinytina]

Sent: 7/7/2006


I agree on the acid wash for glass hazing. Vinegar to start (dilute acid pH about 2.6), muriatic next.... gloves a must! good ventilation also. HCl (hydrochloric acid for all you non-geek chemist types...) last choice.
Tina

[Oz]

Just recently saw an ad on TV for Meguiar's Next Generation glass cleaner.  It's supposed to be specifically designed for removing hard water stains, etc.  I don't know what the active ingredients are but, I do know from my detailing days that they make some of the best stuff.

[Lefty]

I've had good luck with using just #000 or #0000 steel wool (available at Lowe's or Home Depot).
They can be used dry, but I prefer using them with warm water with a bit of liquid dish detergent (Dawn), and then rinse thoroughly. They also are fantastic for cleaning/polishing the stainless trim too.


Plus... they are cheap.