How to get a really clean windscreen?

Zascar · 28-02-2007 11:48am #1

Not having a very clean windscreen drives me nuts when driving. Its imperative to have a clear view in front of you for safety reasons etc. I usually change my drivers side wiper quite often as they can get little nicks and cause streaking which I hate.
However recently I have tried cleaning my windscreen thoroughly but it is juts not right. Say for example when there is light drizzle, and the wipers are on, it leaves a slight haze on the windscreen for about a second or two and then it disappears. Its very annoying. I’m told this is grease. I’ve tried a number of windscreen washer solutions over the years and find the little sachets of (Clearex?) the best, but they can be sometimes hard to find.

Can anyone advise the best way to keep a perfectly clean and haze/smudge free windscreen?
Thanks

prospect · 28-02-2007 12:05pm

Vinegar rubbed on with newspaper.

Also, wipe the wiper blades with the vinegar on tissue.

fletch · 28-02-2007 12:48pm

I cleaned mine a few weeks ago and then applied RainX. On the motorway you can nearly drive without your wipers and the window stays clean nearly all week, mud and dirt seems to just repel off it, could definitely recommend it

Zascar · 28-02-2007 12:53pm

Yeah I've tried one of those before, not RainX but comehting similar,w as really good, but a pain to apply properly. Where can you buy it though I rarely see it here?

fletch · 28-02-2007 12:58pm

They sell it in Halfords for €7.99. Just make sure you rub it off properly otherwise your wipers will smear it.

bennyx_o · 28-02-2007 1:00pm

Halfords sell it, along with RainX Windscreen Washer additive which works well, too.

TomMc · 28-02-2007 1:08pm

The ink on newspapers use to be great for cutting through grime, along with vinegar. The inks were solvent based then, now water based so not as effective. I use to also use both the RainX Glass Cleaner & Sealant but have since found Crystal Vision Glass Sealant to be the best of the lot. Does the two jobs in one. It lasts several months on side & rear windows and if topped up every month or two on the windscreen (as wipers tend to wear it down over time), it will keep the screen really clear. Rainwater forms into tiny beads and fly off as your driving, so no need to use the wipers as much.

Lex Luthor · 28-02-2007 1:09pm

I use 6%IPA/94%DI wipes I can get from work and then dry the window off with a dry wipe. I spray 100% IPA on the rag first just to bring up the concentration of IPA and it gets the glass gleaming.

HashSlinging · 28-02-2007 1:57pm

Any tips on how to stop windscreen wipers from squeaking, I've a brand new set and they are annoying to say the very least.

Wibbs · 28-02-2007 2:26pm

The best by far that I've used is autoglym glass polish. Goes on like a wax polish and really gets amazing results inside and out. At a pinch vinegar is a better bet than most of the shop bought stuff.

I avoid rainx and the like as it screws the rubber in the blades much faster and I found it made nighttime driving difficult as it increased glare if you weren't very careful with application. It's great for mirrors and other windows though.

The wipers squeeking is usually done to either the wipers are worn or the glass is dirty(road film). The cheapy wipers are more prone to it.

DublinWriter · 28-02-2007 3:08pm

Zascar wrote:

Can anyone advise the best way to keep a perfectly clean and haze/smudge free windscreen?

Tie a roadside squigee-merchant to the roof of your car and keep a plentiful supply of 50c coins handy.

gafarrell · 28-02-2007 5:26pm

What I use is toothpaste. Its fantastic and removes all of the grease and also makes your wipers quiter. Give it a go!!

prospect · 28-02-2007 5:54pm

gafarrell wrote:

What I use is toothpaste. Its fantastic and removes all of the grease and also makes your wipers quiter. Give it a go!!

Seriously?
Or is this a joke, like the time I was about 8 and my uncle told me that rubbing butter on my face would make my beard grow, and of course i tried.

TomMc · 28-02-2007 6:50pm

If you think about it, toothpaste would be ever so slightly abrasive (just like a polish), which would cut through the grease and grime.

It's not an old wives tale.

Even peanut butter is great at taking white stains (polish/wax) out of / off black (porous) plastic mouldings and trim.

gafarrell · 28-02-2007 6:51pm

prospect wrote:

Seriously?
Or is this a joke, like the time I was about 8 and my uncle told me that rubbing butter on my face would make my beard grow, and of course i tried.

Yes Seriousley. I use it all of the time. If it can prevent your teeth from rotting it can take some grime off of your windscreen. If you think I am joking give it a go on a small patch on your screen. It also cleans your wiper blades very well and trust me it beats most of the screenwipes out there!!

vengeance52 · 28-02-2007 8:50pm

what way would you apply toothpaste, just so i know before i run out the house with a tube of colgate.

Hotblack Desiato · 01-03-2007 2:26am

On a related note, what's the best way to keep the inside of the windscreen clean (and less likely to fog up) ?

Tried Holts Screenies before which were great for a few weeks until the packet dried out. Keeping a cloth in the door pocket is ok for about the same length of time until it gets grubby...

Zascar · 01-03-2007 9:44am

RainX also hvae an anti fog product - not sure if its any good though

conor_mc · 01-03-2007 1:40pm

ninja900 wrote:

On a related note, what's the best way to keep the inside of the windscreen clean (and less likely to fog up) ?

Tried Holts Screenies before which were great for a few weeks until the packet dried out. Keeping a cloth in the door pocket is ok for about the same length of time until it gets grubby...

Got a tip here a couple of months ago about rubbing washing-up liquid on the glass, just a small bit of it as if it were a gel.

Worked a treat on my old car, which was unbelievably prone to fogging up.

blastman · 01-03-2007 2:11pm

While we're on the subject of glass, is there anything that will remove or at least lessen scratches on glass? I bought a second-hand passenger window to replace the one that was broken in the last break-in I had, but it's a bit scratched. Just wondering if it as possible to polish it out at all.

TomMc · 01-03-2007 3:02pm

http://www.scratchglass.com/pages/glasspolishkit.htm have kits to polish out scratches so long as your fingernail does not catch in same.

Otherwise Glare polish has glass like properties (Glassplexin) which fill it tiny defects, toning down the appearance of same.

blastman · 01-03-2007 4:17pm

Thanks, Tom.

Shramik · 13-05-2012 11:13am

prospect wrote: »

Seriously?
Or is this a joke, like the time I was about 8 and my uncle told me that rubbing butter on my face would make my beard grow, and of course i tried.

Toothpaste contains very fine abrasive which "polishes" through the oil & grease despoiled on the windscreen by other road users.

You can also try any left over alcohol from your liquor bottles.....vodka & gin works best. I collect them & add about a capful to the washer bottle, so you continuously clean away the oily stuff whenever you use the washers.

TestTransmission · 13-05-2012 11:22am

Shramik wrote: »

Toothpaste contains very fine abrasive which "polishes" through the oil & grease despoiled on the windscreen by other road users.

You can also try any left over alcohol from your liquor bottles.....vodka & gin works best. I collect them & add about a capful to the washer bottle, so you continuously clean away the oily stuff whenever you use the washers.

Please don't drag up old threads

How to get a really clean windscreen?

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