Secret to clean windows

When I had a car detailing business, I would wash the car, chamois dry then use a two cloth method. I used to buy old flannelette nappies from a supplier ( they were more expensive than new ones.) I used a widow cleaner from Milestone Chemicals which was good; but it works just as well with Windex or similar. Secret is peter, don't use too much cleaner. Just mist a little on the area then use what will become the "wet" cloth. Dry immediately with the other cloth. Do around the edges first then work to the centre. Do this inside and out and you won't be disappointed. Don't get the cloths mixed up.Works well for me.
Cheers
Bill

Hi Peter,
I wash and dry as usual but use newspaper for the final drying, seems to leave it streak free.
Cheers
Graham

I use CRC Window Cleaner and find it brilliant providing the window is not "dirty"

cheers

I use a detergent / water mix and clean and dry off with newspaper. Works for me. I sometimes add metho if some is around That is if I haven't drunk it all!!)

Neil

I got into a truck that had been sitting for a while and had a built up of oily residue on the inside of the screen, it was difficult to see out of so I stopped at the first servo and used the window squeegy from the servo to do the inside of a windscreen, this servo used some sort of soapy solution in the water.
What i did was dip the squeegy in the bucket and flick of the excess water off, wipe it on the screen and wipe off with heaps of paper towel, the windscreen came up great.
I think the secret is in what you used to wipe off, paper towels seem to work to best
Scandal

Thanks for the tips, I will give them a go.

Regards
Peter

Water / white vinegar
About 20 to 1 mix
Use it ion windows, polished tiles etc
No streaks

No matter what sort of chemical concoction or precleaning method you use the secret to a realy good streak free finish is paper.

In the past news paper was the item of choice, these days I use paper towel...and lots of it.
As soon as the paper starts to get damp..either fold to a dry piece or get a fresh piece.


As for the actual cleaning....it realy depends on what is on the glass and how much.

Vinyl and the oils it contains evaporates from the dash and upholstery and deposits in the glass....this is why vinyl goes hard & cracks.

the various cleaing products and vinyl conditioners evaporate and get deposited on the window.

Stuff you leave in the car, like food, oily clothes, make up and almost anything you can name....yeh guess what...it evaporates and gets deposited on the glass.

if the glass is realy dirty or contaminated it realy does take some cleaning.

I have found the "two bucket, two rag" method works best.
One bucket with your concoction of choice...I like either detergent and metho or detergent and amonia...dishwashig liquid is fine.
One bucket with clean water.

use you detergent bucket to scrub the window clean, till the glass wetts properly showing the grease & what ever has been removed....repeated rinsing and wringing of the rag.

then go over with the clean rag and clean water..repeated rinsing & wringing of the rag.

then go at it with the paper till it squeaks dry.

IF you have a problem with windows fogging up, put a small amount of detergent on dry paper and rub it in well and then polish it out with clean paper.

After that smack people who touch you windscreen

After this treatement and without fingers or sneezing you windows will stay clean for quite some time and defog consistently.

realy clean windows seem to stay clean for longer.

cheers

Thanks for all the detail outlined here, certainly some food for thought.

I just had the windscreen replaced and it would be nice to keep that "like new" appearance, nothing worse than a smeared windscreen.

Cheers

On newish cars, or winodws, I use warm clean water and wash / clean with microfibre cloth, then dry straight away with a clean handtowel from our linen press. The missus always dries the towels in the dryer for a fluffy feel and I find the dryer also gets rid of the lint, so none stays on the glass.

I agree TTSA, it is always nice to look out of a sparkling clean window.

Hey TTTSA,

My dad makes up a formula all the time and works a treat!
%50 metho and %50 water, and plain paper towel or newspaper.

Hope that works.

Misha

Genuine Audi screen wash. Can't beat it.

Steve

In my working life, when I was a youngster, I worked in quite a few car yards detailing cars. In my adult life I worked in commercial window cleaning for 20 years.

For car windows you don't need any fancy chemicals or cloths. Keep it simple, keep it clean, use a bucket of water, a small dash of dish washing liquid and three terry toweling cloths (nappies).

Use one to wash the window, wring it out so it's not dripping wet and wash the glass. Then with another, wipe off the water, leaving the third cloth to buff it to a streak free finish.

Always wash your car in the shade and when it's cool to touch. trying to wash windows that are hot will only end up with streaks and will take a lot longer to buff them out.

Most window cleaning chemicals actually leave a thin film on the glass, which builds up over time, making it harder to clean.

metho and newspaper