I have along commute every morning and part of that drive occurs as the sun is just coming up over the mountains. My commute is generally in an easterly direction so I’m diving directly towards the sun for a large percentage of it.
Here’s the problem: no matter what I do I cannot get the inside of the windshield clean. On the commute home, when the sun is not shining directly into the car from the front, the windshield looks perfectly clean. However, on my morning drive as soon as the sun hits it at that low angle I suddenly have a visible film on the glass. It’s like looking through a sheen of milk or a badly frosted pane of glass. That opaqueness disappears as soon as I drive into a shadow or, as noted, any time the sun is not at that extreme low angle.
I have tried the usual Windex + paper towels. The window looked fine during the middle of the day but in the early morning the film was still there, swirl marks and all. I’ve tried (supposedly) lint-free microfiber cloths and the Windex, there was no difference. I finally bought some special auto glass cleaner at the auto parts store, that didn’t work either. Finally in desperation I covered the dash with some beach towels and actually scrubbed the window with some soapy (Dawn dish soap) water and a clean washcloth. I then squeegeed the water off as best as I could. However, being that the windshield is at an extreme angle there were some corners and crannies I couldn’t reach. I had to blot those dry with a towel.
Even that didn’t really work. The film was still there, but at least the swirls from trying to wipe it by hand were gone.
I’m absolutely out of ideas. It’s becoming a safety issue as the days get shorter and sunrise is occurring more in line with my commute rather than before I leave. It’s especially maddening because I cannot see the film at all except when the sun is at that extreme low angle. Therefore I really have no idea how clean I’m getting the glass when I do try to clean it as I can’t see what I’m trying to remove.
What can I do to actually get his crap off of my windshield and have just glass?
You’re not smoking/vaping in the car, right? Just asking because I vape cannabis in my gf’s car (as the passenger) and it creates a film like what you describe.
ETA: I use isopropyl alcohol to wipe my gf’s windshield. Makes a ~80% improvement.
Windex is crap, I do not have very good luck with it removing the thin film layer on the inside of windows ChrisFix, a pretty good YouTuber, has a video on how to “Super Clean” the inside of your windshield:
It’s a 7 minute video, but the TLDR is: Use a dry microfiber towel, then clean with either rubbing alcohol or a magic eraser, then follow up with a good glass cleaner like Invisible Glass. He also explains where the film comes from and why you need to repeat this process every so often.
Also, I would recommend putting some towels on the dash itself before starting, that will prevent any drips from staining the dashboard, especially if you’re using rubbing alcohol, which can discolor plastics, vinyls, and leathers on most dashboards.
I have the same issue. I use a power buffer normally used for waxing cars. RainX on the outside and Windex on the inside. I clean it twice on the inside.
You’re never gonna completely get rid of that “haze” though, that’s just the light reflecting.
Sorry, I didn’t mention this – no, I don’t smoke or vape in the car. I try not to eat anything in the car or keep drinks without a lid on them. The car is a 2020 model year, purchased in December 2019.
Water vapor condenses on the coolest surfaces first, on your car that is generally going to be the glass and your A/C’s condenser which is designed to draw moisture from the interior of your car. While just sitting frost will form on your windows (both inside and out). Where is this moisture coming from? Your breath and humidity in the air. In a sealed car with the AC removing moisture the source is you and your passengers.
Of course of sources of moisture contribute to the haze. Drinks left in the car, food dehydrating and such. But people are a major source and the moisture you breath out is not pure water.
I had the same problem as you, and tried the Invisible Glass product several people in that thread recommended. I concur that it is much better than Windex. I found it at AutoZone, but you can probably also find it in someplace like the automotive section at Wal-Mart.
Thanks for this. Have you personally tried and does it work? I ask because I thought the Magic Erasers were mildly abrasive – that’s how they work. I’ve scratched windshield glass before by using a kitchen sponge (stupid me) so I’m always a it leery of using anything that isn’t extremely soft.
I’m at work right now (the precarious drive up the mountain is what prompted me to start this thread) so can’t check what brand of glass cleaner I got at the auto parts store but I think it was Invisible Glass. I’ll check when I get home.
I sure hope I can. I had to have the windshield replaced in February due to a rock chip that turned into a spreading crack. For the first couple of weeks after it was installed the windshield was pristine, there was no film at all. It gradually became cloudy in the sunlight – the video that crazyjoe linked to explains why that likely was the case.
I have a great way to clean my windshield , and it’s also the simplest:
NEWSPAPER.
Yep, an old newspaper. Dry. No windex, no spray cleaners, no alcohol.
Just a single sheet of plain newspaper. Brunch it up a bit in your hand, so it’s shaped short of like a piece of cauliflower or broccoli.
Then scrub your window.
Works great!
If the window is really dirty, maybe splash a minuscule amount of water on it before using the newspaper.(splash a teaspoon-worth of water onto your fingers, then “throw” your hand at the window, so you get a couple dozen drops of water spread on the glass.)
The magic erasers are abrasive, but the abrasives in them are softer than glass. It’s melamine, if that makes any sense to you. Scotch-brite style scrubbing pads can and will scratch glass, but magic eraser should not. If you’re nervous though you can use the rubbing alcohol and microfiber, which is not abrasive (though make sure you have lots of ventilation).
That film is very stubborn to get off if it’s been on there a while, in my experience. And depending on how new your car is and if you put protectant on the dashboard, it will re-appear either quickly or slowly.
First one has already been mentioned. Newspaper. I clean all windows with newspaper and windex. I think it is one of those things you assume everyone does, but they don’t. My wife thought I was crazy the first time she saw me do it. But the results speak for themselves. I don’t know why it works so good but it does.
Second, I get my car detailed maybe every other year. The guy I’ve been using recently really gets the windows noticeably cleaner than my technique. I asked him about it. He uses a clay bar on the windows, the type used on the cars paint usually. Not sure what cleansers are involved or other details of the technique. But its the cleanest window I’ve ever seen. Doesn’t last forever though.
This is excellent advice and I too am a fan of ChrisFix’s YouTube channel. He seems like a good guy.
Invisible Glass is great for regular use. I’ve done the rubbing alcohol thing when I was prepping my windshield for ceramic coating. The lesson I learned about rubbing alcohol is never to use paper towels. Viva paper towels seemed to actually melt/disintegrate and leave residue that made the job 3x as hard in the end. I switched to newspaper and then microfiber towels to finish.
I don’t have an answer, but OP I feel your pain. I smoke and spend a lot of time at the beach. The amount of crap that accumulates on the inside of the windshield drives me nuts. The best I’ve done so far are Clorox disinfecting wipes. After that, I’ll hit it with a rag. I’m looking forward to giving newspaper a try.
I have no idea if it’ll work, but I always recommend trying vinegar. If the problem is film stuck to the glass, you’ll have to find something that will dissolve it. If soap doesn’t work, try alcohol and vinegar (separately).
A few comments brought to mind by this discussion:
The outgassing of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from OP’s 2020-model car has likely already passed its maximum rate of windshield-haze production and is coasting through the long-tail of ever-decreasing annoyance. It never really stops, but the first year or two is the worst year or two. So don’t give up!
Another vote for Invisible Glass. Good stuff. Don’t let the name of the company scare ya off.
I’ve actually had good results using dishwashing scrubby-sponges on the exterior of my windshield, with two very important caveats. First, I only use the “delicate” scrubby-sponges that are marketed for washing stuff like wine glasses and crystal and such. One very major brand (yes, the one you’re thinking of) offers pink “delicate” scrubbers alongside their ubiquitous blue “everyday” scrubbers; they’re purportedly softer than glass. And second, I only use the scrubber after a pretty thorough wipedown/squeegeeing or two, to make sure there are no grains of sand or what-have-you lurking to scratch the windshield. Best solution I’ve found for helping bug/tar remover along.
W/R/T the mention of dashboard/steering wheel protectants depositing a film on the inside of the windshield, yes, that absolutely happens, and no-one should ever use Armor All on a dashboard. It’s a silicone emulsion, and cleaning silicone haze off the inside of a windshield is a huge PITA. I hope that’s not the source of the OP’s hassles, because that would suck. (No-one should ever use Armor All on a steering wheel either, because it’s slippery!)
Lately I’ve taken to using a small silicone squeegee (designed for detailing) on the inside of my windshield, along with a two-phase regimen of Windex followed by Invisible Glass. It’s also a huge PITA, and a lot more work than I really want to do, but it does yield very nice results. Feel free to give it a try and see how your personal Hassle-vs.-Results cost-benefit analysis plays out.
The film is from out-gassing from vinyls/plastics/adhesives. The 1975 Chevy has long since had solvents from these materials evaporate. It used fewer materials like that in the first place.
One thing you can do to eliminate the possibility of condensation issues is to run the defroster. It may be a combination of VOC’s and water vapor adhering to it.