Windshield Polish versus Cleaners?
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Joined: Feb 2001
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Windshield Polish versus Cleaners?
On my 01F150 I have a film, a haze, spotty but random throughout the window, on the outside. I have tried Stoner, Eagle 1, Windex, etc, but can't get it off. Appears clean in the sunlight but with fog or rain, the haze turns visible. I can reach around and rub my finger through it and make marks. Its almost like a oily film, but I can believe its still there after all that cleaner.
Whats the difference between the polishes and the cleaners. The polishes come with a lot of caution notes and I am afraid of screwing something up. When do you use one or the other, and which ones are the best.
Whats the difference between the polishes and the cleaners. The polishes come with a lot of caution notes and I am afraid of screwing something up. When do you use one or the other, and which ones are the best.
Member
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
From: Cincinnati
Really simple way to resolve the issue
1. Don't use normal household glass cleaners. Get one that is ammonia free.
2. Mist the "ENTIRE" glass area with an alcohol based glass cleaner. It must make contact and there must be enough product to break the "film" from the plastizer loss of the vinyl, smoke etc.
Make sure you cover the entire area of the glass, don't shoot a single stream on the glass!
3. The towels are important!! If you are using towels that have washed and dryed with a fabric softener, you will get another film transfered to the glass. Try to find someone who can get you "surgical towels", used, clean ones! ( If you can not get these towels, use quality paper towels, but fold them as instructed in #4.)
4.Fold the "two" towels into quarters, these fit the hand very well.
(Think about this, "you must make EVEN contact with the glass cleaner you have sprayed, as well as the glass!"
If you were a bodyman and sanding a clearcoat to prepare it for buffing, you would not "wad" up the sandpaper, or you would have uneven removal of the clearcoat, now, wouldn't you?
Use "one" towel to agitate the mist of glass cleaner, do this in straight up and down and side ways motions, NEVER in circular motions.
5. Take the second folded surgical towel and wipe off the surface, using the same up and down and sideways motions.
6. When you are done, look closely, and wherever you see any "haze" , etc, rewipe with the second towel.
7. The towel should exhibit some "grabbing" as you wipe the second time with the removal towel. This tells you that you have removed all the residue from the glass.
(I have seen some glass that is so "loaded" with residue from household glass cleaners ammonia, soap and butyl components, that you will have to do this process twice to remove them)
8. If the towel, "slides easily", then that is where you will see the condition that you are talking about. It wil be "smeary", and later you will see a "haze".
9. Any "smears" or the like are due to one of several of factors.
A. You didn't spray (mist) the area completely and allow it to dwell on the glass for at least 15 to 30 seconds, this is necessary in order to break down the residue on the glass.
B. Your towels are contaminated with polishes, etc and are transferring to the glass. (Fabric softeners are a dimethal silicone and will cause smearing of the glass. the same as towels that have dressing, polish or wax residues in them)
C. You are using a glass cleaner that is for household use and it contains butyl cellosolves, soap and/or ammonia.
D. You are not keeping a flat surface of the agitation procedure and the followup wipe off with the towels of the glass. (think "even" contact)
We predeliver over 200+ new vehicles everyday, and using our automotive glass cleaner and this method, have very, very few concerns. We also use this on used vehicle reconditioning,(detailing) of around a 100 vehicles a month.
There are also some tips on taking care of your glass towels under the Tech Tips Section on the site www.autoint.com.
I feel your pain, been in the business for over 30 years, and hate to clean vehicle glass. However, my girl friend has learned to use these techniques on the glass in and around the house and is amazed at how easy it is and how streak free the glass is!
Ketch
2. Mist the "ENTIRE" glass area with an alcohol based glass cleaner. It must make contact and there must be enough product to break the "film" from the plastizer loss of the vinyl, smoke etc.
Make sure you cover the entire area of the glass, don't shoot a single stream on the glass!
3. The towels are important!! If you are using towels that have washed and dryed with a fabric softener, you will get another film transfered to the glass. Try to find someone who can get you "surgical towels", used, clean ones! ( If you can not get these towels, use quality paper towels, but fold them as instructed in #4.)
4.Fold the "two" towels into quarters, these fit the hand very well.
(Think about this, "you must make EVEN contact with the glass cleaner you have sprayed, as well as the glass!"
If you were a bodyman and sanding a clearcoat to prepare it for buffing, you would not "wad" up the sandpaper, or you would have uneven removal of the clearcoat, now, wouldn't you?
Use "one" towel to agitate the mist of glass cleaner, do this in straight up and down and side ways motions, NEVER in circular motions.
5. Take the second folded surgical towel and wipe off the surface, using the same up and down and sideways motions.
6. When you are done, look closely, and wherever you see any "haze" , etc, rewipe with the second towel.
7. The towel should exhibit some "grabbing" as you wipe the second time with the removal towel. This tells you that you have removed all the residue from the glass.
(I have seen some glass that is so "loaded" with residue from household glass cleaners ammonia, soap and butyl components, that you will have to do this process twice to remove them)
8. If the towel, "slides easily", then that is where you will see the condition that you are talking about. It wil be "smeary", and later you will see a "haze".
9. Any "smears" or the like are due to one of several of factors.
A. You didn't spray (mist) the area completely and allow it to dwell on the glass for at least 15 to 30 seconds, this is necessary in order to break down the residue on the glass.
B. Your towels are contaminated with polishes, etc and are transferring to the glass. (Fabric softeners are a dimethal silicone and will cause smearing of the glass. the same as towels that have dressing, polish or wax residues in them)
C. You are using a glass cleaner that is for household use and it contains butyl cellosolves, soap and/or ammonia.
D. You are not keeping a flat surface of the agitation procedure and the followup wipe off with the towels of the glass. (think "even" contact)
We predeliver over 200+ new vehicles everyday, and using our automotive glass cleaner and this method, have very, very few concerns. We also use this on used vehicle reconditioning,(detailing) of around a 100 vehicles a month.
There are also some tips on taking care of your glass towels under the Tech Tips Section on the site www.autoint.com.
I feel your pain, been in the business for over 30 years, and hate to clean vehicle glass. However, my girl friend has learned to use these techniques on the glass in and around the house and is amazed at how easy it is and how streak free the glass is!
Ketch
Last edited by Ketch2; Oct 16, 2001 at 08:21 PM.
Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: Central Florida
Try 'Barkeeper's Friend.' It's a soft powder and REALLY gets the glass clean. Saw Sam & Dave use it on "Crank and Chrome." I got mine at my local grocery store (Winn Dixie) in the cleaning products aisle. Look for a package that is similar to Bon Ami or Comet.