How To Clean Your Vehicles Windows

Cleaning your windows can be difficult and a huge chore in it's self. Different fallout will be on the outside of the car verses the inside but lucky there is a great solution to use to break down that dirt and grime that normal household window cleaners just push around and smudge and streak your windows.

But with the right supplies and a few helpful tricks of the trade, your car windows will be crystal clear in no time.

1) Save yourself from a head ache!

When cleaning your vehicle you should save the windows for last to prevent oversprays from interior cleaners, dressings, and contaminating it with grease and grime, by cleaning the rest of the vehicle before you clean your windows.

2) Make sure your car is not hot to the touch.

If your vehicle is hot to the touch you may want to pull it into a shaded area. Cars absorb heat rapidly, and sitting in the sun your car may be to hot to the touch. If this is the case, then youll want to pull your car in a shaded area or garage and allow the vehicle to cool down before you start the cleaning process or just work in a small area to control the evaporation.

Note: If your vehicle is to hot, it will cause the cleaners or water to dry to quickly and cause a film or spots on the window from evaporating to rapidly, which will make it even more diffcult to clean.

3) Rounding up your arsenal.

Your household ammonia base window cleaners can be damaging to tint windows, rubber trim, and seals of the vehicle. You should go to a local automotive parts store to purchase glass cleaner formulated for automotive purpose. Use distilled water for optimum results if useing a concentrated solution, tap water can leave water spots from contaminants in the water.

TOOLs:

* 92% Isopropyl alcohol "IPA" ( Dilute 1:1 ratio with distilled water)

* Automotive Glass Cleaner (Stoner invisable glass is recommended)

* Magic eraser

* severial Low Pile Microfiber glass cleaning cloth

* Clay Bar

4) Cleaning interior window

As your vehicle sits in a parking lot in the hot sun, it heats up the vinyl and plastics from the dash panel and makes it release chemicals that build up on your window. This residue is a yellowish and spotty film which with normal glass cleaner will just smudge and push it around.

With the IPA mixed solution youll want to spray the microfiber cloth directly not on the window itself, because you dont want over-spray on your clean dash panel. The IPA will break down this residue film and make cleaning the window much easier then to keep trying with glass cleaner and going thru rags and rags.

You will want to cleaning from the passenger side seat, this is so your not working over the steering wheel and straining yourself. Reach over to the driver side," this window isn't very comfortable to clean, but better then the driver side". Wipe your finger deep into the edge of the window and work your way half way to the rear view mirror in a horizontal ( Up and down) motion. Repeat the same on the passenger side of the window.

* Cleaning in a diffrent direction to make it easier to see smudges or missed spots. For example, you might wipe horizontal inside the window, and vertical on the outside window. ( Side to Side / Up and Down) This will allow you to know if you missed or smudge a spot in or out side of the window.

If there is sneezed bombs, smoke, or other hard residues, you may want to use the IPA mixed solution sprayed directly on to the magic eraser and lighty scrub them off the window. Be careful as the eraser is slightly abrasive and may scratch the glass if not lubricated enough and to much force is applied.

Once all contaminants are removed, grab your microfiber cloth and spray your automotive glass cleaner (stoners invisable glass) directly to the cloth.

Same as before wipe the window down from passenger side. Reach over to driver side deep into the window edge's and in a horizontal motion spliting the window in half .

* Fold the microfiber cloth into four sections, this is so youll have eight clean side to use while cleaning the windows. Spray one side for the cleaning solution and flip over and use the dry side to buff out the cleaner to make the window crystal clear. Once the cloth gets dirty, fold it again to expose a new clean side.

4) Cleaning Exterior Front Windshield

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Your front windshield of your vehicle takes on a lot of brute force from the elements, it is prone to hove oxidation (oxidation is a word we use in the professional industry, it is a fancy word for pollution). Brake dust from other vehicles, bugs, bird bombs, sap, and pollen, etc. This substance isn't easy to removed from just glass cleaner or a IPA solution. The use of a clay bar is recommended to pull the oxidation off the glass.

You'll want to take your clay bar and rip it in half , knead and smash it into a handburger state. Spray the window down with your automotive glass cleaner or a all purpose cleaner as a lubricant and use the clay bar to pull the contaminants off the glass. Rubbing the clay bar in a hex pattern, side to side / up and down motion. To insure you dont miss any particals.

* Be sure not to drop the clay bar onto the ground. If this does happen you must throw away and start with a new piece this is why I had you rip it in half. Once the clay bar hits the ground it will have embedded stones and dirt in it and if use again it can scratch your surface your working on.

* To further your efficiency you could of clay barred the window while washing the vehicles paint and could of skip this step as it would of been done already.

* As you work on your surface the clay bar will pull up the oxidation and start to build up on the clay bar, once you can see this yellowish spotty build up on the clay bar knead it again by fold it and smash into itself and remold it to a hamburger state and reuse. repeat this often to insure contaminants don't scratch your surface

* Once your finish, run your finger across the windshield if it is smooth then the oxidation is removed, if you still feel bumps and roughness to the glass then repeat till its smooth.

* After the use of a clay bar use several microfiber cloths to remove heavy black residue from the edges of the windshield before final application of window cleaner.

* Use a new clean microfiber cloth to do your last wipe of window cleaner and buff out to insure no smudging will happen.

As you use glass cleaner as a lubricant you will not have to reapply anymore at this point unless you feel the desire to add more. Use a new clean side of your microfiber cloth and wipe off the glass cleaner in a vertical motions now , this is so you can look thru the glass to see if you missed any thing in the inside of the window. Working your cloth deep in the edges of the window and around the wiper blades to lift black residue that builds up in these locations. (smudges will be horizontal remember if it is in the inside, and if the smudges are vertical then that mean the smudge is on the outside.)

* As cleaning the outside window reaching the middle can be difficult, use a larger microfiber cloth to drape over the hood of the car to the fender so you can avoid scratching the paint with your clothes as you stretch over the vehicle. Also you can use a small step stool or step latter to reach over.

* Be sure to lift the wiper blades and clean around them as that can be where a lot of build up will sit.

* As a final touch you can use Rain X or a spray wax ( polymer sealant wax) not a Carnauba , on the exterior windows to add protection. This will make cleaning the window in the future easier and will provide protection on your windows from the harsh elements.

This will insure superior results to a crystal clear window. If this seems a little to much to handle and you truly wish to have your glass super clear call Virtuous Detailing, Chautauqua county to professionally do your windows at your convenience of your home. All done in a way that interrupts your life as little as possible.

Contact me today at 716-581-2670, looking forward to hearing from you.