for washing your car windows
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE
Glass windows are one of the trickiest areas of a car to keep clean, but also one of the most important. From fingerprints and smears to insects, dust and road dirt, glass surfaces are subject to all sorts of daily wear and tear, resulting in poor visibility and an annoying amount of cleaning and maintenance. While cleaning a car’s bodywork is more about keeping up appearances, there’s a safety element to ensuring your windows and headlights are clean. In this article, we’ll provide a complete guide to cleaning car windows, so you can avoid dangerous sun dazzle and get complete visibility.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
– Four clean microfiber cloths (two for cleaning, two for drying on the inside and outside of the car)
– Glass cleaning spray
– Reach and clean tool (for the interior windscreen and rear window)
Bonus Tip: If it’s possible, clean the glass in the shade where it’s cool – this prevents glass cleaner from evaporating too quickly and leaving a streaky finish.
CLEANING THE OUTSIDE WINDOWS
1. Wind down the windows slightly: This allows you to clean the top of the glass, which may be covered in oily residue and dirt.
2. Apply the glass cleaning spray evenly, each window at a time: Applying the cleaner evenly will ensure you don’t use too much and waste the spray. Don’t worry about overdoing it, however, as any excess will be mopped up when drying. Remember to focus on one window at a time, so that the cleaner doesn’t dry hard or evaporate.
CLEANING THE OUTSIDE WINDOWS CONTINUED
3. Starting at the top, wipe the window clean using a horizontal motion: By cleaning the exterior glass in a horizontal direction, you’ll easily be able to tell where remaining smears are when you’ve finished cleaning the interior glass.
4. Wipe dry with a second microfiber cloth: Aim to remove as much moisture as possible, working in the same horizontal direction.
CLEANING THE INTERIOR GLASS
1. Apply the glass cleaner directly to the microfibre cloth: This prevents the spray from coming into contact with any other surfaces inside the car.
2. Wipe each window clean in a vertical direction: This will help you identify smears on the outside or inside of the car, so you needn’t waste time cleaning each window in turn.
CLEANING THE INTERIOR GLASS CONTINUED
3. Use a ‘reach and clean’ tool to clean the windshield: Unless you’ve got super long arms, it’s near-impossible to clean the far corners of the windscreen on the inside. To clean this hard-to-reach area, we’d recommend using a reach and clean tool — like this. With its soft cleaning pad and pivoting triangular head, this is perfect for cleaning every inch of the windscreen and rear window for a smear-free finish.
4. Wipe surfaces dry, and you’re done
REMOVING STUBBORN STICKY SUBSTANCES
Tar, bugs, oil and tree sap can be hard to remove from car windows using conventional glass cleaner. For stubborn, sticky stains like these, you’ll need to use a more powerful cleaning agent. Remove dirt such as insects and traffic film for a streak free finish. You can use it on your windscreen and use your wipers to remove it. You can use it on windows and simply wipe it away with tissue.