Glass cleaner?

[Oldguy48]

What do you use for glass cleaner? I've tried many different products, but have yet to find one that leaves my windows clean and streak-free. Alcohol-based, ammonia-based, etc. all seem to leave streaks that may not be noticeable at first, but when the light strikes the glass at the right angle, the streaks are apparent. Hopefully, someone has discovered a product/technique that produces clean windows. Help!

[NatesSedan]

I make my own. Try a 50-50 mixture of denatured alcohol and distilled water.

Cheap and very effective. It will not leave a residue. If there is any residue it was on your towel or on the window before.

[NatesSedan]

As a side note I wash windows for a living. For flat glass use a sqeegee. When its curved glass use two towels...one to get the initial fluid up and the other to do a buff. Keep buffing even after it looks dry. I usually do smaller sections at a time as well. Dont try to do the whole window (especially in warm weather) as the fluid will dry faster than you can buff it out. Try the mixture on your bathroom mirrors which are very unforgiving for streaks. Buff buff buff. A chamois works great for the final buffing but a towel will do in a pinch. I rinse all my glass towels twice as the washing machine will leave some residue in the towel which will affect the buffing.

[greg g]

Regardless of what cleaner you use the key is to use a wet cloth dry cloth method. Also if you want to try something else, buy oe of those shower squeegees they sell in dollar stores, about 4 inches wide. Some have a nylon mesh deal on one side.

Wet down the glass with your solution, use the nylon scrubber to work the solution, re wet and then use the squegee to remove the solution.

Then use a dry lint free cloth to remove the rest of the solution and polish the glass.

If you cant find the squeegee, then wet the glass, work the glass with a cloth, then wipe dry and polish with the clean cloth. Find a place in you area that supplies cars dealers and detailers with supplies. If they have them buy a half dozen blue detaileres towels. these work well as cleaners and when dry also work to polish. You can also use a dry micro fiber clothe to do the dry and polish. On the inside where on new cars where the vinyl goo deposits itself, you may have to do three or 4 times to get all the stuff.

[Young Ed]

I've been using this for a couple summers and love it. Costs about $5 a can. Well worth it!

[1947PLEVY]

I dunno, I'd have to ask my wife she does the windows....

John

[Normspeed]

I've been using aerosol Invisible Glass, from Kragen/Auto Zone.

[CNP934DC]

I use Automotive Glass Cleaner by Turtle Wax. Found it locally at a discount store for $1.99, 24oz I believe. Works best in the shade but I've even used it on hot glass in the sun. Don't use any cloth or paper towel with color or patterns. The cleaner actually takes the pigments from the cloth or paper and smears them to your glass. Do windshields in two sections. You may need to apply twice to remove gunk from prior cleanings that were left behind.. And I never tell the wife that I'm cleaning car windows. That's just asking for household chores.

[BobT-47P15]

Some people say to use newspaper to wipe the cleaner off with.

Something about the print helps. Found this on a web site.

Newspapers are good at cleaning glass because the paper leaves very

little lint. Compared to paper towels, news print is much more

rigid and hence the fibers will not individually separate like they

will from a paper towel. This is the source of the lint. The ink

does not come off for two reasons, one you are wiping a mirror or

glass, which is a highly polished surface, so there is nothing for

the dried ink to stick to. Second, upon wetting the news print with

liquid, the ink becomes infused in the fibers of the

newsprint. Think of ink as nothing more than a stain. It is hard to

stain windows with ink, yet easy to stain paper. Glass does not

absorb ink, while paper will. And so all of the dirt on the window

or mirror will be absorbed into the news print.

To think of this more on a molecular level, the paper is nothing

more than long interlinked strands of atoms with a flexible

backbone. Glass however, is a highly crystalline solid that is

hydrophobic (repels water). The molecular properties of each give

the unique properties in absorbing stains.

Matt

[Norm's Coupe]

I use everyday Windex to clean my windows. Wipe it off with a paper towel. If you use good paper towels you don't get any lint. It takes about 3 or 4 towels to do all the windows inside and out when I do the coupe.

[Don Coatney]

Newspaper is the best way to go. But in this puter age I rarely read news papers anymore.

[Plymouthy Adams]

hospital grade acetone, start in the center work your way out..this is what is used in assembly of lenses in an optical shop..of course Windex is not so bad either...if however cleaning after doing a lot of work in your car..or in the modern car of today where curing plastics leave a film and smokers are spewing out waste..good ole naptha (lighter fluid) is quick to pre-clean and then follow up with windex..

[JerseyHarold]

Stoner's Invisible Glass with a lint free towel works for me..

[Plymouthy Adams]

hey I remember invisible glass...was on Hee Haw and Grandpa Jones was always polishing it...

I also remember the glass wax from old..my grandma used that product all the time..

[steveplym]

  Don Coatney said:

Newspaper is the best way to go. But in this puter age I rarely read news papers anymore.

Use vinegar mixed with water. Wipe it on with a sponge and wipe off with a newspaper. Works wonderful and leaves it streak free. Vinegar kind of stinks, but it works.

[BobT-47P15]

It's been my observation that the "Windex" brand of cleaner works

better than generic copycat brands.

Also, some automotive glass shops sell a window cleaner in a spray can

under their own name. Have found some of these to be good.

[Oldguy48]

Thanks to all who replied. I'll start trying some of these suggestions, and hopefully get rid of those blasted streaks.