How To Clean Your Windshield and Glass - Detailing
How To Clean Your Windshield and Glass Detailing 101 Series
There are times that no matter how well you clean the windshield and glass with a glass cleaner, that dirt and grime won't budge! A dirty windshield is not only unsafe, it detracts from the look of your freshly detailed car or truck. This article will teach you how to clean your windshield and glass, leaving it so clear it may look as if the glass is invisible!
Be sure to thoroughly wash and dry your car or truck to remove loose dirt prior to starting your glass cleaning and polishing process. Also, you will want to work in a shaded area and on a cool surface to keep your products from evaporating, which will prevent them from working properly.
Step One Remove Bonded Contamination
Many professional detailers will start their glass cleaning process using a detailing clay to remove bonded contamination, which is dirt and grime that is stuck to your glass that won't budge with regular washing or glass cleaning.
Although detail clay works well, it tends to get trapped in the pits of older windshields. Once the clay is trapped, it is difficult or impossible to remove and interferes with the clarity. With the newer technology of the Cobra Clay Mitt, which works great on glass and paint, this is no longer a worry, as the Cobra Clay Mitt has a rubberized surface instead of the traditional clay bar.
Application Instructions
- Start at a top corner of your windshield and work on a small area (2' by 2') at a time.
- Spray the rubberized face of the Clay Mitt and the area to be cleaned with Pinnacle Clay LubricantPinnacle Clay Lubricant. Proper lubrication is essential, never use dry.
- Lightly glide the Cobra Clay Mitt over the area to be cleaned in a back and forth motion. Heavy rubbing (pressure) is not required or recommended.
- After several passes over the area, dry with Microfiber Polishing Towel.
- Inspect by feeling the area for remaining contamination. The surface should feel perfectly smooth. Repeat if necessary.
- Repeat process over the entire windshield and all exterior windows.
IMPORTANT! Never use on tinted interior window glass.
Step Two Polish Away Dirt and Grime
Now that the bonded contamination is gone it is time to get to polishing off that stubborn film of road grime. McKee's 37 High Performance Glass Restorer is a mechanical and chemical cleaner and will require a little elbow grease or a dual action polisher in order to achieve best results.
Application Instructions
- Apply a small amount of Glass Polish to the Microfiber Applicator.
- Start by applying the polish over a small area in back and forth motions until polish is spread evenly.
- With pressure, rub polish in small circular motions until the polish starts to go clear.
- Remove remaining Glass Polish with the Microfiber Polishing Towel.
- Repeat process over the entire windshield and all exterior glass windows.
IMPORTANT! Never use on tinted interior window glass.
Step Three Final Cleaning
The combination of a quality Waffle Weave Glass Microfiber Towel and an ammonia-free glass cleaner is your final step to streak free windshields and glass. The Meguiar's Glass Cleaner Concentrate is safe to use inside and out, even on tinted windows and itoffers consistent results. The concentration level of 10:1 is also very economical, as one gallon of concentrate will make eleven gallons of glass cleaner!
Dilute the Meguiar's Glass Cleaner Concentrate 10:1, do not use concentrate without diluting with water. Also, don't forget your Meguiar's Glass Cleaner Bottle with dilution measurements and sprayer when you order your glass cleaner.
For a ready-to-use glass cleaner, use Wolfgang Perfekt Vision Glass Cleaner or Stoner Invisible Glass.
Application Instructions
- Mist the Meguiar's Glass Cleaner onto windshield or glass.
- Using the Waffle Weave Glass Microfiber Towel, wipe the area clean, in a horizontal back and forth motion. Going in a horizontal motion on the outside and a vertical motion on the inside will help you determine if any final streaks are on the inside or outside of your glass.
- As you are cleaning, turn and fold your microfiber towel often to expose a clean and dry side of towel to prevent streaking.
- Repeat the process over the entire windshield and glass windows.
- If your Microfiber Polishing Towel becomes too dirty or damp, replace with a fresh clean towel. An over-saturated microfiber towel will cause streaks!
Step Four - Protection
The same BLACKFIRE Crystal Seal Paint Sealant that works great on paint, also adds wonderful benefits to glass. This step is optional but it will help protect your work so your glass will stay clean and slick. When your glass is slick the environmental contaminants don't stick as well so your glass stays clean longer, water sheets off and your wipers glide easier providing greater visibility in the rain.
Glass-specific protectants, like Pinnacle GlassCoat, also do a terrific job of protecting glass and keeping it clean.Application Instructions
- Use sparingly and mist a small amount of the BLACKFIRE Crystal Seal Paint Sealant onto the Microfiber Applicator Pad.
- Start by spreading out in circular motions over a 2' by 2' area, then spread in a horizontal back and forth motion until all product has been spread out and is streak free.
- Repeat the process to entire windshield and glass windows and allow to cure.
Don't forget the Pinnacle GlassWork Windshield Washer Booster and 303 Wiper Treatment to help even further in your quest to keep your glass clean and wipers working properly!