Glass Cleaning
09-12-07, 04:35 PM
#1
Moderator
Thread Starter
Glass Cleaning
I've cleaned a lot of glass and have found two OTC products that are superior at cleaning oil and film. The first is Stoners Invisible Glass. The second is Meguiar's NXT Glass Cleaner. When used with short nap micro-fiber towels they provide excellent cleaning with streak free results. There is a third product I'll mention that is extremely good but it is only available from Meguiar's direct. It's their Detailer Line Glass Cleaner concentrate. This gallon of concentrate gets mixed with water at 1:10 ratio. So the gallon turns out 11 gallons of a most remarkable cleaner. For those who detail a lot of cars this is worth getting.
Some Do's and Don'ts.
• Do clean your windows in the shade when the glass is cool.
• Do use a microfiber dampened with the glass cleaner and wipe dry with a separate dry miocrofiber using light strokes until the glass is dry and slippery smooth. If you feel any drag on the dry towel, the glass is not yet clean and you need to redo it until it feels slippery.
• Do use a product on your interior dash and vinyl that doesn't emit a lot of film or oils. I use Meguiar's Quik Interior Detailer. It isn't shiny, provides UV protection and doesn't seem to outgas. 303 also works well if you can get over the smell.
• Don't use a glass cleaner with ammonia in it. This will leave a film and ammonia might just ruin a tint.
• Don't use newspaper. This used to work back when the newsprint was printed on high rag paper with real inks. Today they will usually just leave oily streaks. Microfibers work much better.
• Don't let your microfiber towels get anywhere close to any cotton towels. MF towels draw up cotton fibers like a damp sponge draws up water and you will have a major lint problems with them forever after.
These products and microfibers work well on both the inside and outside. Occasionally you might find that the exterior glass might need more agressive cleanning. When I detail a vehicle, I begin by washing and claying. After claying the paint I clay the exterior glass. Clay will safely remove a lot of really tough road grime on the glass, especially the windshield.
Some Lexus vehicles come with a permanent water repelling coating on the side glass so be sure you know what your are doing before using any abrasives on this glass or you will damage this coating. Using steel wool, for example, will cut right through this coating.
I've also known people who wax their glass but I've found that this usually causes poor visibility at night in the rain.
Glass is hard and doesn't need wax to protect it unlike your paint. Wax clearly degrades over time and especially under harsh environmental pollution and sunlight. Why put something on your glass that will degrade your visibility. It's simply not needed. If you want the water to rush off the glass it's probably better to use a product designed for glass like RainX or Aquapel. I prefer clean glass as any coating you put on the glass may cause wiper chatter or visibility issues.
Some Do's and Don'ts.
• Do clean your windows in the shade when the glass is cool.
• Do use a microfiber dampened with the glass cleaner and wipe dry with a separate dry miocrofiber using light strokes until the glass is dry and slippery smooth. If you feel any drag on the dry towel, the glass is not yet clean and you need to redo it until it feels slippery.
• Do use a product on your interior dash and vinyl that doesn't emit a lot of film or oils. I use Meguiar's Quik Interior Detailer. It isn't shiny, provides UV protection and doesn't seem to outgas. 303 also works well if you can get over the smell.
• Don't use a glass cleaner with ammonia in it. This will leave a film and ammonia might just ruin a tint.
• Don't use newspaper. This used to work back when the newsprint was printed on high rag paper with real inks. Today they will usually just leave oily streaks. Microfibers work much better.
• Don't let your microfiber towels get anywhere close to any cotton towels. MF towels draw up cotton fibers like a damp sponge draws up water and you will have a major lint problems with them forever after.
These products and microfibers work well on both the inside and outside. Occasionally you might find that the exterior glass might need more agressive cleanning. When I detail a vehicle, I begin by washing and claying. After claying the paint I clay the exterior glass. Clay will safely remove a lot of really tough road grime on the glass, especially the windshield.
Some Lexus vehicles come with a permanent water repelling coating on the side glass so be sure you know what your are doing before using any abrasives on this glass or you will damage this coating. Using steel wool, for example, will cut right through this coating.
I've also known people who wax their glass but I've found that this usually causes poor visibility at night in the rain.
Glass is hard and doesn't need wax to protect it unlike your paint. Wax clearly degrades over time and especially under harsh environmental pollution and sunlight. Why put something on your glass that will degrade your visibility. It's simply not needed. If you want the water to rush off the glass it's probably better to use a product designed for glass like RainX or Aquapel. I prefer clean glass as any coating you put on the glass may cause wiper chatter or visibility issues.
09-13-07, 06:28 AM
#3
JB
09-13-07, 12:47 PM
#5
Roger on the wiper chatter. I stopped waxing windshields after a severe bout of wiper chatter on my Honda minivan. For the first few minutes into the rainstorm I thought the wiper motors were kaput because of the incredible noise, severe skipping, and what not. But no, after a couple of minutes everything gradually returned to normal and realized the wax had been the culprit. Since then, nothing on *any* glass. Good write up, and I can only vouch for the Stoner's product.
JB
JB
rain will fly away when you drive....
09-13-07, 10:52 PM
#6
• Don't let your microfiber towels get anywhere close to any cotton towels. MF towels draw up cotton fibers like a damp sponge draws up water and you will have a major lint problems with them forever after.
Great tip. I'll keep that in mind. Many thanks!
Great tip. I'll keep that in mind. Many thanks!
11-14-09, 07:05 AM
#7
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Safely Claying Lexus Glass
I've cleaned a lot of glass and have found two OTC products that are superior at cleaning oil and film. The first is Stoners Invisible Glass. The second is Meguiar's NXT Glass Cleaner. When used with short nap micro-fiber towels they provide excellent cleaning with streak free results. There is a third product I'll mention that is extremely good but it is only available from Meguiar's direct. It's their Detailer Line Glass Cleaner concentrate. This gallon of concentrate gets mixed with water at 1:10 ratio. So the gallon turns out 11 gallons of a most remarkable cleaner. For those who detail a lot of cars this is worth getting.
Some Do's and Don'ts.
• Do clean your windows in the shade when the glass is cool.
• Do use a microfiber dampened with the glass cleaner and wipe dry with a separate dry miocrofiber using light strokes until the glass is dry and slippery smooth. If you feel any drag on the dry towel, the glass is not yet clean and you need to redo it until it feels slippery.
• Do use a product on your interior dash and vinyl that doesn't emit a lot of film or oils. I use Meguiar's Quik Interior Detailer. It isn't shiny, provides UV protection and doesn't seem to outgas. 303 also works well if you can get over the smell.
• Don't use a glass cleaner with ammonia in it. This will leave a film and ammonia might just ruin a tint.
• Don't use newspaper. This used to work back when the newsprint was printed on high rag paper with real inks. Today they will usually just leave oily streaks. Microfibers work much better.
• Don't let your microfiber towels get anywhere close to any cotton towels. MF towels draw up cotton fibers like a damp sponge draws up water and you will have a major lint problems with them forever after.
These products and microfibers work well on both the inside and outside. Occasionally you might find that the exterior glass might need more agressive cleanning. When I detail a vehicle, I begin by washing and claying. After claying the paint I clay the exterior glass. Clay will safely remove a lot of really tough road grime on the glass, especially the windshield.
Some Lexus vehicles come with a permanent water repelling coating on the side glass so be sure you know what your are doing before using any abrasives on this glass or you will damage this coating. Using steel wool, for example, will cut right through this coating.
I've also known people who wax their glass but I've found that this usually causes poor visibility at night in the rain.
Glass is hard and doesn't need wax to protect it unlike your paint. Wax clearly degrades over time and especially under harsh environmental pollution and sunlight. Why put something on your glass that will degrade your visibility. It's simply not needed. If you want the water to rush off the glass it's probably better to use a product designed for glass like RainX or Aquapel. I prefer clean glass as any coating you put on the glass may cause wiper chatter or visibility issues.
Some Do's and Don'ts.
• Do clean your windows in the shade when the glass is cool.
• Do use a microfiber dampened with the glass cleaner and wipe dry with a separate dry miocrofiber using light strokes until the glass is dry and slippery smooth. If you feel any drag on the dry towel, the glass is not yet clean and you need to redo it until it feels slippery.
• Do use a product on your interior dash and vinyl that doesn't emit a lot of film or oils. I use Meguiar's Quik Interior Detailer. It isn't shiny, provides UV protection and doesn't seem to outgas. 303 also works well if you can get over the smell.
• Don't use a glass cleaner with ammonia in it. This will leave a film and ammonia might just ruin a tint.
• Don't use newspaper. This used to work back when the newsprint was printed on high rag paper with real inks. Today they will usually just leave oily streaks. Microfibers work much better.
• Don't let your microfiber towels get anywhere close to any cotton towels. MF towels draw up cotton fibers like a damp sponge draws up water and you will have a major lint problems with them forever after.
These products and microfibers work well on both the inside and outside. Occasionally you might find that the exterior glass might need more agressive cleanning. When I detail a vehicle, I begin by washing and claying. After claying the paint I clay the exterior glass. Clay will safely remove a lot of really tough road grime on the glass, especially the windshield.
Some Lexus vehicles come with a permanent water repelling coating on the side glass so be sure you know what your are doing before using any abrasives on this glass or you will damage this coating. Using steel wool, for example, will cut right through this coating.
I've also known people who wax their glass but I've found that this usually causes poor visibility at night in the rain.
Glass is hard and doesn't need wax to protect it unlike your paint. Wax clearly degrades over time and especially under harsh environmental pollution and sunlight. Why put something on your glass that will degrade your visibility. It's simply not needed. If you want the water to rush off the glass it's probably better to use a product designed for glass like RainX or Aquapel. I prefer clean glass as any coating you put on the glass may cause wiper chatter or visibility issues.
Also, does anyone know if claying the water repellant glass on the front door windows will remove the water repellant coating?
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11-14-09, 11:29 AM
#8
Moderator
Thread Starter
I have a 2008 ES 350. Does anyone know if claying the Lexus name and infomation on the windows and windshields will damage them or take them off. I want to avoid removing them if I can.
Also, does anyone know if claying the water repellant glass on the front door windows will remove the water repellant coating?
Also, does anyone know if claying the water repellant glass on the front door windows will remove the water repellant coating?
11-14-09, 01:17 PM
#9
www.autodetailingsolutions.com
is an excellent site for ALL meguiars products. I am glad to see another Meg's user on this board! It is the best.
I love the Detailer Line Glass Cleaner. The Berry smell is amazing.
is an excellent site for ALL meguiars products. I am glad to see another Meg's user on this board! It is the best.
I love the Detailer Line Glass Cleaner. The Berry smell is amazing.
11-14-09, 09:09 PM
#10
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Join Date: Apr 2009
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In terms of just the usual regular hand washing, when washing the windows, can I use dish soap? what about windex? or just forget about all that and just use the same soap that i wash the rest of the car with? sorry i sound naive im only 17 
11-15-09, 07:12 AM
#11
Moderator
Thread Starter
1. Meguiar's Detailer Line Glass Cleaner Concentrate. This is sold in a 1 gallon size and makes 11 gallons of totally awesome glass cleaner.
2. Stoners Invisible Glass. Sold in many automotive parts stores as well as Walmart and Target.
Just to add a comment on the Meguiar's Detailer line of products. This lineup is really top notch. I find the gallon sizes to be very economical but I do a lot of cars. The downside is that the shipping is usually cost prohibitive. I say usually, as two to three times a year Meguiar's offers a deal with free shipping and this is when I restock. In fact, one of those times is now. Any Meg's order until 12/1/09 will get 10% off and free shipping if you enter the discount code MEGNOV9 at checkout at their meguiarsdirect.com website.
Also if you think 11 gallons of glass cleaner is too much you'd be surprised at just how fast this will go. I use it around the house for all the windows. My wife loves it for the mirrors and kitchen appliances. She also gives some to her friends and relatives. LOL, so I need to reorder frequently. Seriously this is the best glass cleaner I've ever used.
My favorite detailer line products include:
•All Purpose Cleaner $14.49 - dilution ratio of 10:1 or 4:1 makes 11 gallons or 5 gallons
•Super Degreaser $15.99 - dilution ratio of 10:1 or 4:1 makes 11 gallons or 5 gallons
•Glass Cleaner Concentrate $18.49 - dilution ratio of 10:1 makes 11 gallons
I also love their spray bottles and sprayers.
Chemical Resistant Sprayer $2.49
Standard Sprayer $1.49
APC Bottle $1.69 uses Chemical Resistant Sprayer $2.49
Super Degreaser Bottle $1.69 uses Chemical Resistant Sprayer $2.49
Glass Cleaner Bottle $1.69 uses Standard Sprayer $1.49
Besides being clearly marked with the product used and easily identified, these bottles also have the correct dilution markings on the bottles so that you full up to the mark with water and then fil to the second mark with product to make the correct mixture.
OK, I suspect this is more than you wanted to read.
Last edited by jfelbab; 11-15-09 at 07:15 AM.
11-21-09, 12:26 PM
#14
Moderator
Thread Starter
You are certainly welcome but keep in mind that there are a lot of ways to clean glass. These are my opinions, products and techniques, based on my experiences. There are several other equally good opinions here from very talented detailers.
I kind of like the sig of a well known detailer/enthusiast who's opinion I respect greatly.
"Find something you like and use it often"
If you find something you like it means that it works well for you and you will likely use it often.
I kind of like the sig of a well known detailer/enthusiast who's opinion I respect greatly.
"Find something you like and use it often"
If you find something you like it means that it works well for you and you will likely use it often.
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