My Glass Cleaning Method

A

Anthony O.

New member
Of all the chores within auto detailing glass cleaning, as in getting it streak free and void of all smudges and smears, is perhaps the most frustrating. Just when you think it's perfect you catch a streak or you pull it outside and your paint shines like the sun but your glass is one big ugly smear from one side to the other.



Glass cleaners, which claim to remedy this, only seem to add to the frustration. So for a good number of years now I have only been cleaning glass with water. I haven't purchased glass cleaner in a very long time, especially after finding out that many glass cleaners are mainly water with a small percentage being any actual surfactant.



So here is how I tackle glass. My tools are:



2 microfiber towels - 1 is damp and the other is dry.

1 silicone squeegee





glsclntools.jpg








The first step is to wet your towel. I like to wring out just enough water so that a trail of water is left on the glass but not so much that it starts to run down the glass. This takes a bit of practice to get it right. I then wipe the glass down with the wet towel making sure to cover all outside areas of the glass first, at least twice, then move into the center. So I box the outside first then bring the towel in to finish the center area, again doing each area at least twice.









wetglass.jpg










Now I take the silicone bladed squeegee and starting at one end or corner of the glass I make a swipe across the glass (sometimes a full swipe from end to end, other times a few short swipes, depending of the size of glass) and either shake off the excess water or remove it using my wet mf towel. I do this until almost all water is removed. I then take my dry (usually a waffle weave) mf towel and buff that area of glass completely dry.







Sgeegls.jpg








Now you can also get smaller blades than the one I have here for smaller windows but I have found that the silicone type squeegee works better than the black rubber type. You may need to wet your towel every so often and then wring it out remembering not to have it too damp nor to dry.



Well those are my glass cleaning tips and so far they have produced for me great results.



Anthony
 
I know Scottwax has mentioned using 32 ounces ONR at QD strength to one (or was it two?) ounces of ISO has solved the streaking issues has has had. Hopefully Scott will put in his two cents.



PS. Glad to have you back Anthony!
 
Hello and thank you for the welcome back :)



I actually stole that squeegee from my wife as she used it on the shower tile so I had to get her a new one which she bought at Bed, Bath and Beyond.....if I'm not mistaken.



I have the large one and also a smaller one.



This can be done also when doing a ONR wash, on interior as well as exterior glass. ONR the windshield and instead of using a towel to dry use the squeegee. If I am doing a ONR I will hit the interior first with a towel dampened in the ONR and then also throw in my window towel into the mixture. I'll wipe the glass down, squeegee it and then buff dry.



ONR makes a great glass cleaner.



Anthony
 
Very good I will have to try out that method. Always experimenting with something new. Nothing has given me better results then Stoners Invisible Glass with a plush microfiber towel.



Also tried newspaper with Stoners and that worked really well too.
 
Evenflow - I also used to use Stoners a great deal and it's one of the better cleaners out there. I don't know if newspaper though has the same cleaning ability as it once did since they changed the inks to water based......also one time the papers ink transferred to a clients seats!!



howareb - It's great to be back. Thanks for the welcome :)



Anthony
 
Surprisingly the best cleaner I've used is actually windshield washing fluid. Doesn't leave as much residue as other types. I spray it then wipe it with a microfiber, end of trouble, streak free.
 
Glad to see you back Anthony.



I've been using plain water for many years, the aggravation of the wet cloth cleans the glass. And you can adjust the amount of water for the time of year, more in summer and less in winter.



Works very well except on dog slobber and some candy residue.



I made a similar post a couple years a go (without the blade) and the mods removed it. ?
 
If ONR cannot remove durable waxes, then I wonder how it could rate as a good general purpose class cleaner when that is what you want to remove as well as grease, etc. I have used it and works fine for general dirt but I find it weak on grease and wax. I think the polymer film that ONR leaves behind gives the impression of clean glass (way water to bead off) but I think this is a red herring.



I do agree the key is two microfiber towels. I think glass cleaners with fast evaporating carriers give the impression that the glass cleaner has been removed when it often has not. I always go back over supposedly dry glass with a dry towel with pressure to be sure it all has been removed. If the glass has not been well maintained, it may take more than one cycle and again they may need a little pressure to loosen it.
 
I need a squegee! I like Stoners IG alot for glass cleaner....I will def try the ONR on glass, never used it there.....Good to see you back Anthony
 
I'm also pleased to see you back, Anthony!:wavey



I'm curious, though: why do you need to use MF towels on glass? I use them on paint , but I always use cotton terry on glass, both because they are more absorbant (or at least absorb water quicker) and due to their stiffer pile, clean residue on the glass easier.
 
Bunky said:
If ONR cannot remove durable waxes, then I wonder how it could rate as a good general purpose class cleaner when that is what you want to remove as well as grease, etc. I have used it and works fine for general dirt but I find it weak on grease and wax. I think the polymer film that ONR leaves behind gives the impression of clean glass (way water to bead off) but I think this is a red herring.



I do agree the key is two microfiber towels. I think glass cleaners with fast evaporating carriers give the impression that the glass cleaner has been removed when it often has not. I always go back over supposedly dry glass with a dry towel with pressure to be sure it all has been removed. If the glass has not been well maintained, it may take more than one cycle and again they may need a little pressure to loosen it.
Click to expand...





Hey Bunky,



You're correct in that ONR will not remove waxes from paint yet it will clean off oils and such. I gave a demo of ONR the other day and the panel I did had some type of grease/light tar on the lower panels. It removed the lighter patches with a few passes and normal pressure while the heavier areas needed a bit more pressure.



Now it is possible that ONR may be leaving something attached to the glass that does give the impression of clean glass only to film up later. I have not noticed anything such as that but then again most cars I use it on I care for on a weekly basis. Perhaps I will do my trucks glass with it and see what happens 2 or 3 weeks down the road.





bwalker25 said:
I need a squegee! I like Stoners IG alot for glass cleaner....I will def try the ONR on glass, never used it there.....Good to see you back Anthony
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Thanks, very nice to be back and posting.



I have not tried my squeegee method with a foaming cleaner yet so perhaps you can try it and give us your feedback.



Thanks again to all for your input and "return welcomes" :)

Anthony
 
percynjpn said:
I'm also pleased to see you back, Anthony!:wavey



I'm curious, though: why do you need to use MF towels on glass? I use them on paint , but I always use cotton terry on glass, both because they are more absorbant (or at least absorb water quicker) and due to their stiffer pile, clean residue on the glass easier.
Click to expand...





Hey thanks percy!



You're right, mf is not a MUST on glass but my personal experience is that mf (not all types of mf though) cleans the best.



I used to use cotton terry a lot but also found myself irritated with the lint it sometimes left behind but that's just a personal peeve.



If I have a glass that is really oiled up from VOC's I'll use water mixed with some vinegar and a Mr. Clean eraser pad (I wouldn't recommend on after-market tint) to knockout most of the VOC film then use my regular method to polish the glass out.



The green toiwel you see in my first picture is not a piled type mf but rather more like a tight woven flour sack type mf towel. It was made for glass cleaning and not paint. I have found that many mf's which are plush make horrible glass towels as they just seem to push around oils and many leave lint trails behind.



Take care,

Anthony
 
Good post Anthony. Commercial glass cleaning, a squeegee is required along with surgical towels. If you have your squeegee skills dow pat, the towel shouldn't touch the glass, except for the base where the runoff accumulates. In an auto the challenges are cleaning the spaces where a squegee may not fit.



If the glass is particularly grimey you can agitate with solution and wool, then follow with a squeegee.



Good to see you back here.
 
Welcome back Anthony! (not quite sure what happened to ya)



I haven't had any issues with IG and a glass towel but I'll definitely give your method a shot, especially since you're only using water which will save some money. As far as the squeegee goes, I think the California Water Blade is of the silicone type and I believe they a few different sizes.



Thanks for your tip!
 
evenflow said:
Very good I will have to try out that method. Always experimenting with something new. Nothing has given me better results then Stoners Invisible Glass with a plush microfiber towel.



Also tried newspaper with Stoners and that worked really well too.
Click to expand...



+1 on the Stoner's IG. but i use it with newspaper. i'll have to try it with a m/f towel.



nice 987, btw, Anthony. i love the leather-covered doors and stitching. i have a '97 986.



/chris
 
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