Windscreen Cleaning

[alexmccabe]

How do you guys clean the inside of your windscreens? No matter what I try I just seem to smudge the crap around. I have a leather chamois that I use and window cleaning wipes, I have also tried window cleaning spray to no avail.

[stealthwolf]

Perfect palm applicator and AG glass polish. Alternatively, IPA.

[lukemk5gti]

If you want to stop condensation build up internally, apply a small amount of fairy liquid (no water) to the entire window internally with a lint free cloth.

Buff it to a clean finish with a clean dry microfiber cloth.

Hydrophobic particles in fairy liquid stop water adhering to screen and so stop condensation.

Usually lasts a few months before you need a new coat!

Plus it keeps dirt from sticking to the window therefore staying clean for longer.

[alexmccabe]

Perfect palm applicator and AG glass polish. Alternatively, IPA.

I used a microfiber cloth with the AG glass polish. It looks great, but I can't tell whether it got rid of all the grease marks on the windscreen yet. I used it on the outside with some RainX and the beading, oh my god, the beading. Haha

[Panthera]

You could purchase Auto Glym Glass Polish which has anti misting properties.

Prior to application, I would clean the windscreen with something like a APC and dry throughly and then apply the AG GP.  Don't so this in direct sunlight otherwise you will have smears.

[munkyboy]

+1 for AUto Glym Glass Polish

[xjay1337]

Use a proper Microfibre glass cloth this helps loads. Failing that use two microfibres, spray a small amount of glass cleaner (fast glass is fine) onto the towel not the window and buff then flip the towel or use a second to buff off any remaining streaks.

If you are getting streaks or odd "clotting" on the glass this is normally chemical residue eg from a new replacement windscreen or ingrained sh*te so try claying and polishing the windscreen.

Normal polishes won't touch glass really outside of cleaning the surface, even via Machine. EG if you  have hazing or marks you need rayon machiine polishing pads and a cerium oxide glass polish and a rotary.

 Best bet after any cleaning/polishing (regardless of what kind) would be to seal windscreen with something like Gtechniq G1 or Carpro Flyby30 or at least another wax or sealant..

[vRS Carl]

0000 grade wire wool is brilliant for cleaning screens and I find it works better than clay. Although I do still clay afterwards just because I'm OCD and don't want any bits of wire wool left around before I apply sealant. 

Rayon pads and cerium oxide is great for removing old sealants etc but probably a bit extreme and time consuming for frequent cleaning. Also if you do it by machine don't use anything higher than its lowest speed or you risk causing issues which would require a new screen.

For frequent clean as Xjay has said glass cleaner and proper glass cloth should be fine. The best one I've found is the megs water magnet drying towel. It's three times the size of a mint merkin for about the same cost. So buy one of them from halfrauds and cut it into 3 and hey presto you have 3 glass cleaning cloths. I keep 2 for outside (1 for front and rear screen and 1 for sides) and 1 for inside.

[xjay1337]

Just realised you wanted the inside of the windscreen....!! (doh).

Well yes, a proper microfibre glass towel is what you need and spray the towel not the glass. Streaks are normally from dirt and dust from dashboards when you spray the window and then wipe off the dashboard

[alexmccabe]

0000 grade wire wool is brilliant for cleaning screens and I find it works better than clay. Although I do still clay afterwards just because I'm OCD and don't want any bits of wire wool left around before I apply sealant. 

Rayon pads and cerium oxide is great for removing old sealants etc but probably a bit extreme and time consuming for frequent cleaning. Also if you do it by machine don't use anything higher than its lowest speed or you risk causing issues which would require a new screen.

For frequent clean as Xjay has said glass cleaner and proper glass cloth should be fine. The best one I've found is the megs water magnet drying towel. It's three times the size of a mint merkin for about the same cost. So buy one of them from halfrauds and cut it into 3 and hey presto you have 3 glass cleaning cloths. I keep 2 for outside (1 for front and rear screen and 1 for sides) and 1 for inside.

I can't tell if serious? Wire wool? Haha.

I used micro-fiber clothes and AutoGlym Glass Polish. It was amazing.

[George10]

Auto finesse glass cleaner is the best one out the IMO. It's easy to remove as well with a clean microfibre.

[xjay1337]

Autofinesse crystal is ipa at like 30%. Nothing different just paying sceney prices



Vrscarl I missed in your other post but you need to use a high speed on a rotary. Or it won't do anything.  I removed some serious wiper marring on my old windscreen with ceriglass and rayon pads. Check my detail for my car in the pro detailers section


You can damage the windscreen  sure,  but so can you damage any material you're polishing.  :)

[vRS Carl]

I can't tell if serious? Wire wool? Haha.

I used micro-fiber clothes and AutoGlym Glass Polish. It was amazing.

Yes i am being deadly serious. Google it if you want. As long as it is 0000 grade wire wool it is virtually impossible to scratch the glass with it.

Here are a couple of links for you

Here is a link when i posed the question about it on Detailing world.

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=314588&highlight=wire+wool

When i apply a sealant this is how i clean the screen prior

Wash
#0000 wire wool scrub
Clay
Polish with CeriGlass using a rotary with a rayon pad.
Eraser wipe to remove polish and oils
Second #0000 wire wool scrub
Clay
Neat IPA wipe 3 times

Then i apply the sealant. A little OCD/OTT maybe but it works and i get good longevity out of the sealant.

[vRS Carl]

Vrscarl I missed in your other post but you need to use a high speed on a rotary. Or it won't do anything.  I removed some serious wiper marring on my old windscreen with ceriglass and rayon pads. Check my detail for my car in the pro detailers sectio

You can damage the windscreen  sure,  but so can you damage any material you're polishing.  :)

I did my own windscreen with a rotary with the Ceriglass Kit and i got great results at 700rpm. My car was only a couple of years old though and i reckon 700rpm is faster than i could do it with the hand pads they supply It was more to remove the GTechniq G1 sealant though which i just don't rate so i could apply another.

I was advised by a few pro detailers not to go with a high setting. But if it worked for you then its something i can bear in mind for future reference.

[cashmang]

I've always used household windoleen and applied and cleaned using old newspaper. The newspaper will remove all the greases marks! Make sure you remove any staples first of course