Windscreen cleaning inside & out

Henry Ford III

I've a new car (6 weeks old) and there's streaks left when I wipe the screen (using a micro fibre cloth).

Any suggestions to get it really spotlessly clean?

One of the wiper blades leaves a fine streak on the return wipe which is a bit annoying, but the rubber seems fine and cleaning the screen doesn't resolve it either.

Curran

Two things to get glass right - a good glass cleaner and the right type of glass cloth. Paper towel is probably better than the wrong microfiber cloth

Strange that the wiper is only leaving a streak on the return motion - sure the blade hasnt the slightest bit of damage?

Mc Love

AG Car Glass Polish is my go to for cleaning the inside of the windscreen. You might need a good Glass Cleaner as Curran mentioned above to clean the windscreen.

MetzgerMeister

For the interior, AutoGlym glass polish. Clean the glass with a liquid glass cleaner, dry it off, apply the polish with an MF cloth (I use Meguiars MF applicators), wait for it to dry (use the car's fan to speed up the process), buff it off while wearing gloves in order to not get smudges on it and always use the fan with A/C on to clear a fogged up screen, NEVER use a cloth or the back of your hand.

For the exterior - Use Gtechniq G4 and one of those magic sponges. It will clean the glass incredibly well. Follow this up with glass cleaner and if streaks still appear it's your wipers (which I suspect it is anyway). The reason it leaves streaks on the down wipe is because that side of the rubber is actually damaged even though you may not see it. New wipers will solve that issue.

AutoGlym glass polish doesn't have the same abrasives as the G4. That's why I suggest G4 for the exerior.

Henry Ford III

New wiper blade and a good wash sorted the exterior.

Would it be terrible to use Windowlene on the interior?

MetzgerMeister

Not terrible but you will nearly always have streaks to some extent if you only use a cleaner. The AG polish removes any streaks and because it dries before you buff it, doesn't leave anything by way of streaks afterwards. It also has anti-fog properties which helps a lot and makes the surface smooth (think of a freshly waxed panel). The main thing is to get the screen as clean as possible therefore condensation won't have anything to stick to and will make it a lot easier to de-fog the screen especially with A/C on full time.

Henry Ford III

Got that stuff and the results are a huge improvement. Delighted.

yannakis

Question.. when you refer to liquid glass cleaner, are you talking about off the shelf household glass cleaning sprays?

Mc Love

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Got that stuff and the results are a huge improvement. Delighted.

It really is my go to cleaner for glass.

MetzgerMeister

yannakis wrote: »

Question.. when you refer to liquid glass cleaner, are you talking about off the shelf household glass cleaning sprays?

When I say liquid glass cleaner I mean the stuff in a spray bottle e.g. Gtechniq G6 and other stuff in a spray bottle. That's how I differntiate it from the likes of AutoGlym glass polish which is more like a cream product.

ianobrien

OP, if you can get your hands on it, IPA (iso-propyl alcohol, propan-2-ol) is a great glass cleaner. Use it on a cold windscreen (not on a windscreen that's in the sun) through a spray bottle. Wipe with a clean MF and wipe again with a second clean MF. Then leave the doors open for any residue to flash off (IPA is used in sterile wipes, so the car may smell for a while).

Edit, IPA is my weapon of choice on a windscreen that has a scum or any residue on item I use it to strip off any anti-fog coatings that I incorrectly applied (hence the warning about warm glass!)

MetzgerMeister

If IPA dries too fast before buffing or even while buffing it will leave streaks.

west cork lad

I too needed something for my windscreen after putting my fate in a branded cleaner last week. Fog free my arse. The window was impossible to see through after 5 min. I had to pull into a petrol station and bought a pack of screenies and used the whole pack just to clear 3/4 of windscreen. On your advice here I bought the AG stuff this morning and am well impressed with the results. Perfect window since. Many thanks for your continued sharing of knowledge.

UsedToWait

west cork lad wrote: »

... On your advice here I bought the AG stuff this morning and am well impressed with the results. Perfect window since. Many thanks for your continued sharing of knowledge.

Where did you pick it up if you don't mind?

I'm getting awful residue from vaping - can't seem to get the screen fully clean using Screenies / generic glass cleaner..

edit: Doh, didn't realise, AG = Auto Glym - think I've some in the garage!

5500

I used the AG glass polish many a times but found it left bits of like white chalk here and there still although was decent enough. Recently got some Gtechniq G6 though and difference is night and day with 0 streaks from it, great stuff.

MetzgerMeister

The polish left that residue because you applied too much. You only need a thin layer and when buffing, use one MF cloth for the first buff and another to give a second buff. The second removes and remaining chalky residue.

Also use nitrile gloves as grease from your hand will counteract the job you've done and never use a cloth or your hand to clear the windscreen.