I have a situation…I mean, a friend of mine who is utterly disgusting when it comes to cleaning his car has a situation, yeah…
My ‘friend’ has a car that is about 9yrs old and in pretty good condition overall. But the inside windows have NEVER been cleaned…EVER! I…I mean, my friend…doesn’t smoke so there’s no yellow nicotine film, but there is a distinct and somewhat blurry film of dirt that needs to be removed!
Any suggestions on how to clean my windows? I’m thinking Windex isn’t gonna be up to the job (or 20-Mule-Team Borax, for that matter) but is there a product or some chemical that will cut thru the dirt and get them clean?
I car share. Generally, everyone’s cool and takes care of the cars and leaves them really clean. Except for this one time last spring. I grabbed a car for a few hours and there was - something - all over the inner windshield and dash and it was hindering my vision of the road at sundown.
I stopped for gas and used the windshield cleaner by the pump on the inside. Worked a treat! I squeezed most of the solution out so it wasn’t all drippy, but between the solution with the applicator and the squeegee (wiped with paper towels after each swipe) it cleaned the window beautifully. I’d totally do it again if it happened again.
I don’t think any cleaner is going to be easy. I’ve found that Windex on the inside leaves a film - not as bad as dirt, but still annoying. What I do is pour some water in a bucket and poor dish cleaning liquid like Palmolive in. Cleans reasonably well and doesn’t leave a trace.
But if it is really bad maybe Windex followed by Palmolive.
A diluted dish soap might be a good idea because at least with the film on the inside of the windshield some of it is oil coming off the motor. I’ve always just used that aerosol glass cleaner stuff though (I forget what it’s called… I think it comes in 2-packs at costco) and that seems to work reasonably well.
Could it be residue from a old, and since removed layer of tint film, which has since gathered dust and everything else it can? In which case a auto glass shop could remove it for you, using a combination of professional glue remover, steam and razor blades, (be careful around the rear window demister if needed), or, you could just grab a scraper/blade, keep the window in front of your blade wet, and slide the blade along on a 45° ish angle.
Personally, I’d go with a blade, then just a good windex type cleaner to finish up…
(Don’t use blades on film tinted windows, nor ammonia based cleaners. Stick with a vinegar/water mix or specialized tint film cleaning liquid. )
always make sure blades are clean and free of damage, dirt etc
Use a clay bar first to remove all impurities. Then use a microfiber cloth to wash the windshield. Plain distilled water is usually fine but if you think it’s extra dirty, use a commercial window cleaner, as long as it isn’t ammonia-based. Then dry with another clean and dry microfiber. Some people use newspaper instead. It’ll work too.
The real point here is if your friend (:dubious:) is expecting some chemical to be spray-on-wipe-off easy they’re going to be disappointed.
It took 9 years of non-cleaning for the car to get that gunked up. So that’s maybe 9*12 = 100ish routine cleanings that were skipped over the years.
He/She can expect to spend about 10 normal cleanings-worth of effort undoing the effects of all that skipped cleaning. The good news for you lazy friend is s/he’s still ahead by a factor of 10. Ignoring the hazard & irritation of looking through gunk for a decade.
Here’s a trick my grandma taught me: Use normal window cleaner, but instead of rags use newspaper. Just regular pages from a paper. If the ink smudges, just wear gloves. Works like a charm.
We bought one of these triangular thingies for cleaning interior windows. It works like a charm. It enables you to reach way into those hard-to-get-at corners. It comes with different “bonnets” so that you can scrub crud with the scrubby bonnet, and polish away streaks with the microfiber bonnet. We love it.
And as for cleaning solutions, I haven’t found any glass cleaner to beat Sprayway glass cleaner. It’s pretty cheap and to be found anywhere you can find cleaning supplies. It cuts away the film and doesn’t have ammonia so it’s pretty gag-free.
Since that thread was about the exterior, I’ll add a warning for interior windows. Don’t use steel wool on the interior glass if it is tinted and don’t use it on any glass that has a built in defroster.
Use Windex to start for a couple of applications to get off the top layers. Next get something automotive specific. I like Invisible Glass which is available at places like Wal Mart and Autozone. Make sure to get the version for interior windows. Also use good quality paper towels for the final cleaning.
Ignoring the hazard & irritation of looking through gunk for a decade.