Window cleaning tip

[Oh Haha]

I hate dirty windows with a passion. I clean mine constantly and apply Rain-X often. I very rarely need to use my wipers on any of our cars but....







The inside windows just never come clean no matter what I try.

Found an old phone book in the "use this stuff to start fires with" pile. I remember someone telling me try newspaper years ago but I never did.

Tonight I used Bon Ami on the INSIDE of the 911 windshield and then went over it with window cleaner and used some phone book pages to finish it off.

It looks great with no film at all. I was so excited I did the BMW as well.

If you have a phone book on hand try it. Seing as how we get them here a couple times a year from different sources I have a good supply.

[old man neri]

Ya, newspaper has always worked super well with me. I assume phone book pages are made of the same stuff.

[slodave]

Newspaper is a good trick, but some of the new 'friendly' inks, come off with due to the cleaner. If you do use newspaper or yellow pages, try to use the pages that don't have ads and try not to use paper with colored inks - only black and white.

[dshepp806]

Yeap,..no color ads!!!!

Good old dollar bills work good, too.

Best,

Doyle

[Dees 911]

Bon Ami....that's a product I haven't heard of in eons! Do they still make the stuff? I use a concoction of water, white vinegar, and a little ammonia. Then newspaper to dry and 'polish'. Even without any smokers in the family, the windows get coated with stuff. It must come from the plastics.

[Oh Haha]

I found this thread using the PP search. It started a discussion on Bon Ami.
Glass Cleaning Mystery Solved

[widgeon13]

ammonia and water mix and wipe with newspaper, leaves no film or streaks. cheap and it works.

[austin552]

http://www.autopia.org/forum/guide-detailing/80232-detailing-automotive-glass-plastic.html

[azasadny]

I use Invisible Glass by Stoner to clean the glass, then polish the glass with Rejex. Makes keeping them clean very easy...

[austin552]

Meguiar's NXT Glass Cleaner

http://www.autopia.org/reviews/censura.php?cmd=details&itemid=494

[JavaBrewer]

+1 on white vinegar. In a smallish bowl I add 1/2 cup vinegar and warm water. Dip a wash rag in the mixture and wipe down the inside of the windows. Follow with a clean dry soft towel. No streaks and very clean windows.

[efhughes3]

I think that the newspaper is the trick. I've used it with about any glass cleaner for years with great results. Do the same with a towel or paper towels and the streaks come out to play.

Easier to keep newspapers on hand than phonebooks.

[RWebb]

newspaper, Bon Ami & toothpaste all contain small abrasive particles - that is why they get the glass clean

I would be very careful with the Bon Ami.

Somebody should run the NXT stuff thru a GC and see what they put in it...


The nastiest stuff is deposited on the INSIDE of of the glass and is a plasticizer or a breakdown product of the plasticizers used in vinyl. This is one reason to kill off ol' Bessie and use leather. Some ex-girlfriends have remarkably tough skin and could be made into a fine seat cover also -- but I digress.

Porsche makes a fabulous product that gets this off even better than the P21s (bottled or as a single wipe). However, the Porsche stuff is also uber expensive. Neithr of these was in the autoshinolatopia survey - nor is it clear if that was a test using some particular methodology of comparison or just a random solicitation of comments.

I am gonna try and find of the NXT product tho...

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by RWebb

autoshinolatopia

Shinola! Now there's a word I haven't heard in years! The old expression was "He doesn't know sh_t from shinola" George Carlin did a great skit about that: Can you imagine working for the company? "Hi, I'm from shinola..."

[Crachian]

You're right about the Porsche glass cleaner being the best hands down. But the last time I tried to buy some, I was told they no longer sold it here in the US, maybe at all, because it had some unfriendly to the environment chemicals in it. That's probably what made it work so well.

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by azasadny

I use Invisible Glass by Stoner to clean the glass, then polish the glass with Rejex. Makes keeping them clean very easy...

I'm very happy with this inexpensive product, too.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Shinola! Now there's a word I haven't heard in years! The old expression was "He doesn't know sh_t from shinola" George Carlin did a great skit about that: Can you imagine working for the company? "Hi, I'm from shinola..."

and it included the "shine" too! how about that?

how about a round of applause -- actually, how aobut a round of beer!

[rnln]

How about the convertible plastic rear windshield? Anyone has any trick?

[Hester]

I use steam and a cloth to clean just about everything (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=8823)

I don't have to worry about chemicals or abrasives and the steam loosens just about anything that is clinging to a surface so I can wipe it away. It has a million uses.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by rnln

How about the convertible plastic rear windshield? Anyone has any trick?

Yes. the trick is to use the magic Porsche stuff. You may need some magic to afford it tho.

This saved many a plastic Boxster rear window. I used it on the Boxster I used to have.

Meguairs is also good - they have a 2 part system or a 1 bottle does it all just not as good system.


Hmmm - $120 for that steamer eh.... I might look into that.

Do the big steam cleaners use actual steam? (185 oF is no way going to be real steam)