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Discussion » Questions » Transportation » Vehicle owners, for those of you who wash your vehicles yourselves, what are your best methods for cleaning the windows inside and out and
Randy D

Vehicle owners, for those of you who wash your vehicles yourselves, what are your best methods for cleaning the windows inside and out and

avoiding streaks? Sometimes when I’m finished cleaning them, the windows look perfect with the car sitting there on the driveway, then as soon as I drive down the street and the angle of the lighting changes, STREAK CITY!



  SO frustrating! Grrrrrrr. 

~

Posted - January 1, 2021
Tags : None

Responses


  • 16843
    Windex and DON'T squeegee. Just rinse.
      January 2, 2021 12:04 AM MST
    2

  • 17619
    I use Target's version of Windex and a birdseye cotton diaper.  TWICE.  That is the kicker right there.
      January 2, 2021 1:19 AM MST
    3

  • 19937
    The trick for non-streak windows for me is to make sure your car is in the shade when you clean the windows.  I also use newspaper rather than paper towels and I do that for the windows in my apartment, too.  Newspaper leaves absolutely no lint and gets the windows squeaky clean.  
      January 2, 2021 10:08 AM MST
    3

  • 53531

     

      Thank you, I agree 100% about the newspaper, I learned that as a youngster and have always used it. Actual newsprint is even better, but not as readily available. 

      I will add the shade touch to make it better. 


    ~

      January 2, 2021 9:47 PM MST
    1

  • 44661
    I used nitric acid to clean glass wear in my lab.
      January 2, 2021 11:19 AM MST
    3

  • 16843
    glass wear glassware
      January 2, 2021 1:50 PM MST
    2

  • 44661
    It red lined.??? I agree. Wait...when did you become a grammar-cop?
      January 2, 2021 5:52 PM MST
    2

  • 53531

     

      No hyphen. Grrrrrrr.

      January 2, 2021 9:49 PM MST
    0

  • 10664
    NEVER wash car windows in the sun or when they are hot!  If you do, it'll steak every time.

    For the outside I use regular water, a car squeegee and a dry rag.  Scrub the window thoroughly to remove road grime, bird-doo, tree sap, and such.  Use a Dobie if necessary.  Then, using the squeegee blade, wipe 3" at a time top to bottom wiping blade with cloth each time.  Buff window lightly with a CLEAN, dry cloth.

    NEVER wash interior windows when the inside of the car or the windows are hot! 

    The interior glass (especially the windshield) get a film of plastic "fumes" from the dashboard and other plastics in the car whenever they get hot.  This gunk isn't easily removed ... no matter how "clean" the glass may look.   It's what your causes smears and streaks (even on the rear-view mirror).
    I use regular ol' Windex and several clean, dry rags to clean the interior glass.  Use hard, short, circular motions (wax on; wax off).   It takes several through wipes to remove the plastic film.  Keep changing rags, as once the plastic gets on the rag it'll just smear back on the windows.   
      January 2, 2021 12:05 PM MST
    1