Cleaning Car Windows and Windshields

Whether or not you wash your car or truck on a regular basis, it's important to keep your glass clean as often as possible.  Depending on the climate and situation, there ar several ways to make sure you can see out, even when the sheetmetal starts to build up some unsightly dirt.

1. Use the best cleaner for the job.  For most situations, I use Invisible Glass by Stoner.  It leaves a clean, streak-free shine, and does a particularly good job with rear view mirrors.  But because it's water-based, it should be avoided in very hot or very cold weather.

   - In cooler weather, use a vinegar-base cleaner like Windex Multi Task as it has a lower freeze point and won't turn into a sticky mess on the glass before you can wipe.

   - If it's very hot, avoid cleaning your glass until sundown, or make sure your vehicle is in and has been in cool shade for a while.  Glass cleaners will evaporate in high heat and direct sunlight.

   - In extreme cold, put some winter washer fluid in a spray bottle.  For this purpose, I recommend Prestone De-Icer washer fluid and Mr Clean All Season washer fluid.  Both of these products stay liquid well below 0°F and contain cleaning agents that the usual blue washer fluid does not.

2. For cleaning, you should use 2-ply paper towels or a thin lint-free cloth/towel.  You can also use old newsprint, but that has a tendency to fall apart quickly when wet.

3. Use smooth circular wiping motions, similar to that of waxing.  Rub a little more where you need to clean stains or built-up dirt - if necessary spray a little extra on such areas.

4. Switch to a dry towel or cloth to polish and remove any excess cleaner.

5.  Clean the wiper blades.  You can wipe the blades with the wet towel, but the best thing for wiper blades is rubbing alcohol.  Alcohol cuts through the dirt and grease that your wipers collect while they do their job.

6. Don't forget the inside of the glass!  Because of the angles of the glass, it can be difficult, but it's just as necessary.  You may want to use something like the Swiffer dusters (wrapped in a cloth or paper towel) that have arms allowing you to reach tight spots and steep angles.

7. And remember to clean the light lenses - headlights, taillights, and marker lights should all be cleaned regularly to make sure you can see and be seen.

8.  As for washer fluids, I use the Prestone De-Icer from late fall to early spring, the Mr Clean in spring and fall (when temps can fluctuate wildly), and Prestone Bug Wash in the summer.  Again, all these products have actual cleaning agents that the regular blue stuff does not.

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