Have you ever gone about your day thinking that your car’s windshield and windows were perfectly clean, only to start driving your car at night and realize that it’s smudged or smeared?
Depending on how bad it is, driving with a streaky, smudged windshield is not only annoying– it can actually be a hazard, putting you and your passengers in danger!
Regularly cleaning your windshield is important to keep you safe, but keeping a perfectly clean windshield might not be quite as easy as it sounds. Using the wrong cleaning supplies or techniques might actually make the problem worse!
Keep an eye on the weather
This important tip for a streak-free windshield is often overlooked. Although you might notice a dirty windshield in the middle of a sunny day, it’s actually better to clean your car’s windshield either at night or on a cloudy day.
This is because direct sunlight on your windshield while you’re in the process of cleaning it can make the cleaner you’re using evaporate too fast, meaning you won’t have time to clean it properly before it evaporates and leaving you with streaky glass!
Choose your cleaner
You probably have a bottle of Windex or a similar glass cleaning product around your house– and doesn’t it seem obvious to use Windex to clean your car’s windows and windshield? After all, “window” is practically right there in the name.
However, many varieties of Windex and other glass cleaners contain ammonia. We recommend avoiding ammonia-based cleaning products specifically when dealing with auto glass.
If that ammonia makes contact with the sealing adhesive that’s securing your auto glass in place, it will break down the adhesive over time.
And since proper adhesion of your windshield is absolutely crucial to your car’s structural integrity (and your safety!), it’s best to avoid ammonia altogether when it comes to your car.
Plus, ammonia can damage the rubber seals that keep your windows waterproof. Trust us, you don’t want any extra moisture getting into your car!
Instead, you can purchase a cleaner specially made for auto glass– or create your own. You can use a vinegar solution to get your windows sparkling clean.
If there are any greasy fingerprints on the inside of your car windows or windshield, using just a little bit of rubbing alcohol can help remove them quickly and easily.
The right tool for the job
When you’re cleaning the windows and mirrors inside your home, you probably just reach for the paper towels. A paper towel and glass cleaner can get a smudgy mirror looking incredible in just a few seconds.
However, paper towels are actually not recommended for use on auto glass. If you use paper towels on your car’s windows or windshield, they might just smudge the glass further– or even pick up debris and scratch the glass, which you definitely want to avoid!
Instead, use a soft microfiber cloth. Microfiber is soft and absorbent, which means that it’ll do a great job getting that glass extra clean without the risk of causing scratches or other damage.
What if my glass is cloudy or damaged?
If you’ve done all the right things to clean your car’s glass, but can still notice smudges, cloudiness, or scratches, it might be time to seek out an auto glass professional.
At Fast Glass, we offer mobile repair services– which means that if your windshield needs to be repaired or replaced, we can come right to you and complete it while you’re at home or work! To schedule a repair or speak with a glass expert, give us a call today at 800-242-5644.
Top Trends in Automotive Window Tinting and Windshield Upgrades for 2023
Over the years, the window tinting industry has increased exponentially. More and more people are seeking out the services of window tinting professionals– for a variety of reasons. Some people enjoy the increased security and privacy that tinted windows can offer,...
How to Effectively Repair Minor Chips and Cracks in Your Car Windshield at Home?
If you have minor chips and cracks on your vehicle's windshield, but they are not significant enough to warrant a complete replacement windshield, then you may be interested to know that these minor damages can often be repaired simply and with minimal expense. Chips...
The Benefits of Car Window Tinting for Privacy and Security
Tinted windshields provide your vehicle with two incredibly valuable services—privacy and security. To many of us who spend long hours on the road, our vehicle becomes a second home. Like you deserve to feel comfortable and secure in your own home, you too deserve to...
How to Keep the Inside of the Windshield Clean
A windshield that’s foggy on the inside is frustrating– especially when it becomes foggy while you’re driving, or right before your morning commute. If your defrost setting doesn’t work quickly to clear up the fog, driving can become hazardous because of your reduced...
How Can Cold Weather Affect Windshield Replacement?
Driving in winter comes with plenty of hazards. Early on a cold winter morning, it feels like there’s nothing worse than getting in your car only to find that your windshield and windows are frosted over; you’ll need to turn the defrost up high and just wait for a...
Different Shades of Window Tinting
Window tinting is more than just a luxury service for your car. While it provides an additional level of privacy and security to your vehicle, it also has plenty of additional benefits. For example, it can keep your car’s interior safe from UV rays, preventing...
Benefits of Car Tinting
When you think about auto glass tinting, you might just imagine a celebrity’s SUV with blacked-out windows to ensure privacy for its passengers. That level of privacy probably isn’t necessary for the average person, so you might assume that tinting your auto glass...
Does Your Windshield Meet the Requirements to Hit the Road?
If you’re a driver in Arkansas, you’re going to want to make sure that your vehicle meets all of the state’s necessary safety and legal requirements before you’re ready to hit the road. The state requires that many different standards are met before a vehicle can be...
Can You be Ticketed for a Cluttered Windshield?
Having a cluttered windshield may not seem like a big deal. But in reality, having an obstructed view of the road is not only dangerous; it may even be a ticketable offense. Windshield obstructions can come in many forms: hanging objects from your rearview mirror,...
Insurance Coverage and Windshield Replacement
If reviewing your auto insurance policy leaves you scratching your head in confusion, don’t worry: you’re not the only one. In fact, insurance can be so convoluted that a large percentage of the population don’t fully understand the extent of their plan’s coverage. ...
Recent Comments