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Clean and clear auto glass pairs well with pristine, shiny paint. However, the windows and windshield are among the most challenging parts of your car to keep clean. Excellent visibility and safety in all weather conditions are among the reasons why you should keep your vehicle's glass free of dirt, grime, smudges, and nasty car window haze. Unfortunately, it's easier said than done, because your car's windows can accumulate unsightly streaks if you use incorrect tools and cleaning methods.
On the bright side, maintaining streak-free car windows is possible without expensive, harsh cleaners or a lot of elbow grease. Start by handwashing your vehicle with clean water and car shampoo. Then, rinse well with water after washing to remove streak-inducing soap residue. Because automatic car washes can damage a vehicle's paint, handwashing is a more effective way to prevent scratches and swirls. This preliminary washing process removes excess dust and dirt from the windows and windshield and prepares the surfaces for more thorough cleaning afterward.
It's best to dry the windows and glass using a dedicated microfiber towel, different from the one you use to dry the paint. The reason is to avoid contaminating the glass with leftover dirt or wax residue from the body, which can cause streaking and decrease visibility. At this point, the glass will be relatively clean, but there are a few more steps required to ensure a streak-free finish. Those steps include using a specially formulated glass cleaner and a detailer's clay bar to really bring out the shine. We'll cover the process in greater detail below.
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The next step to sparkling clean car windows is to treat all glass surfaces with an ammonia-free glass cleaner like the Sprayway Foaming Aerosol Glass Cleaner or Windex Glass Cleaner Spray. We prefer an aerosol cleaner's no-drip formula that enables the cleaning foam to cling and dwell on the glass, essentially dissolving leftover dirt, smudges, and fingerprints. However, a liquid glass cleaner is fine.
Spray the glass cleaner and wipe it off with a clean microfiber towel using circular motions, making sure to cover the corners and sides of the glass. Repeat this process until all the windows and the windshield are clean. You can stop at this stage and admire your work, but treating the glass with a clay bar (yes, the same thing that detailers use to decontaminate the paint before polishing and waxing) is a safe, easy, and cost-effective method for removing embedded dirt and contaminants from glass.
You'll need a clay bar and a spray bottle filled with clean, warm water. Knead the clay bar into a flat shape, spray water on the glass, and wipe the clay bar on the wet surface using a back-and-forth motion. The clay bar will pick up stubborn dirt without scratching if you keep the surface wet. Wipe the surface dry with a microfiber towel afterward.
The final step after using a clay bar is to re-clean the windows with glass cleaner and wipe them dry with a fresh microfiber towel. You'll need at least two or three new or freshly washed microfiber towels to guarantee a streak-free finish.
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There are loads of car cleaning tips and tricks that you can use to make washing your vehicle easier, including a method for achieving crystal clear, streak-free windows without using any chemicals. All you need is a clean synthetic leather cloth and a dry microfiber towel. Rinse the synthetic leather cloth with water and wring it out gently to remove the excess liquid, but make sure the cloth is still damp. Wipe the glass multiple times with your synthetic leather cloth and finish off with a clean, dry microfiber towel. Repeat this process on all windows until they're clean. To avoid streaking, do this away from direct sunlight, and allow the glass to cool down first if the car was left baking in the sun.
After cleaning the outside window glass, it's best to spend a few minutes wiping the interior glass, too. You can use an ammonia-free glass cleaner to achieve similar results, but the synthetic leather cloth method is equally effective in removing haze, oily fingerprints, and all sorts of gunk from interior glass surfaces. There's no need to clay bar the inside glass since it's not as vulnerable to the same deep contamination as the outside surfaces.
