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Cleaning Inside of Windshield

Started by vdeane, September 19, 2013, 10:27:05 PM

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vdeane

I get this haze on the inside of my windshield that becomes visible every time it's sunny or moisture in the car (in other words, whenever it's not cloudy with extremely low humidity).  I used the windex glass wipes to try to get it off, but that just made everything 10 times worse!  Now I have this foggy smear all over the windshield that stands out really badly.  Is there any way to get rid of the haze other than buying a new windshield?
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.


Alps


wxfree

I often have the same problem, especially during summer.  The best solution I've found is to wash the windshield with dishwashing liquid and warm water with a wash cloth, dry it with a paper towel, and then use glass cleaner.  If it's really tough (or if I just didn't do it very well) a second go-round takes care of it.  Glass cleaner by itself smears the stuff around, but after the windshield's been washed, glass cleaner gets rid of the streaks.
I'd like to buy a vowel, Alex.  What is E?

Scott5114

Go to the Automotive section of Walmart and get Stoner Invisible Glass glass cleaner. Works way better than Windex, especially if you use those blue shop towels.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

Alex

This is a routine occurence for me. When cleaning the window, try to do it where the car is shaded and when temps are not near the dewpoint. FWIW this has helped for me.

Scott5114

Another thing that might help is a microfiber cloth towel.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

FightingIrish

I've heard that using white vinegar will help to prevent fogging and icing. I'm going to try that this weekend.

vdeane

Apparently a paper towel with no cleaner can fix it too.  At least it did this morning.  I still have some really foggy areas, mainly on the right side where my arm didn't reach while in my company's parking lot.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

Brandon

That's the biggest problem I've seen with modern car windshields as well.  You just cannot get your arm and hand into the far reaches of it.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

jeffandnicole

And then the paper towel rips to shreads when I rub it over the EZ Pass velcro stickers.

Since I only clean my windshield about every 6 months, it's not a problem I have too often.

Brian556

I have one of those devices specifically designed to clean the inside of the windshield. It has a flat panel with a cloth cover for cleaning, and a handle. it works great. I just spray water on the cloth from a tiny spray bottle, and use it.

SteveG1988

I use the spray on glass cleaner with shop towels, one thing that can annoy me is when i go to a car wash and they wipe down the inside glass with cloth and spray on glass cleaner, they never seem to wipe it clean enough, and when you work at night it gets annoying to have the streaks whenever headlights hit the glass
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webfil

1 part vinegar (5% acetic acid "white vinegar") and 3 parts hot water should do it. No need to rinse, just dry with a microfiber cloth.

Ammonia (well... 1 part ammonia for 10-15 parts hot water) is also a very powerful glass cleaner, but you need to rinse it and wipe it thoroughly. I don't know how easy it is to find in the states, though; here, most supermarket chains sell it under their own private brand and I use it as my only house cleaner, with different bottles for different solutions.

agentsteel53

Quote from: Scott5114 on September 19, 2013, 11:06:39 PM
Stoner Invisible Glass

if anyone complains "goddamn invisible glass!" methinks they're a bit too much of a stoner.
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

formulanone

Stoner makes a lot of high-quality car detail products.

Usually, the microfiber cloth works well; I confess to carrying one in my backpack, because I hate the way my rental windshields are cleaned (smeared would be more accurate).

For my own cars, if it's too humid outside, a soft and gentle waxing of the inside of the windshield eliminates streaks.

briantroutman

I've had the best success by actually using a squeegee on the inside of the windshield. I suppose the shape of some windshields might make that impossible, but I've had good luck doing this with several different cars. You'll need a squeegee with a fairly wide and flexible rubber strip (as opposed to the razor-thin, rock-hard rubber on many squeegees). With a good glass cleaner, the squeegee cleans down to bare glass instead of pushing the mess around. Working always from the driver's side to the passenger's, you'll end up with a narrow gutter on the right side that can't be squeegeed–just use more glass cleaner and some paper towels to clean it off. Make sure to have lots of towels on hand as the excess from the squeegee will drip onto the top of your dashboard and could damage some plastics if left on the surface for a while.

1995hoo

I have something called a "No Fog Mitt" that works pretty well for cleaning the inside if you apply some decent pressure. I find I get the best results if the sun is shining through the windshield when I do this simply because I can then see a bit better where I've missed a spot and the like. I bought my original "No Fog Mitt" when I drove a 1982 Honda Accord and found it had horrible windshield-fogging problems (quite common with Hondas of that era); the No Fog Mitt took the fog right off and usually kept it from coming back for a while. I eventually wore it out and got a replacement at Trak Auto or somewhere; a Google search reveals the product is still on the market. If I do it when the sun is shining in, I can usually see which part of the windshield is getting that film of gunk and I can see how much clearer it is after I wipe it with the No Fog Mitt.

I have one of those window-cleaning things with the triangular plate over which you snap a synthetic bonnet. I tend to find it doesn't really work all that well for me on the inside of my windshield just because I find it requires a fair amount of pressure and when I'm stretching to reach it into the corners I can't exert enough pressure for it to to the job adequately. I find that thing is far more useful for cleaning the enormous window over our house's front door (I attach it to a pole and then stand on a ladder). Still hard to apply enough pressure, but it's the only way I can reach that window.

Pro tip for cleaning windows: Go in a different direction on the inside and outside. If you go side-to-side on the outside, go up-down on the inside. That way if you see streaking, you'll know which side of the window it's on based on which way the streak runs and you won't waste time cleaning the wrong side. My mother suggested this tip to me years ago for washing the house windows and it caused me kind of a facepalm moment because it seemed so logical and obvious when she said it, yet it had never occurred to me!
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commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
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