Cleaning Glass (Damn you Streaks !!!)

CleanCarGuy said:
So for you detailing professionals, what Glass Cleaner are you using that DOES NOT give streaks and any type of special method/towels I should be using?
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Invisible glass and cheap microfiber towels are 100% awesome for me. Tint safe too. Preference of a virgin brand new towel.

You can buy large bags of them at Wally World and lots of places. I always keep a dozen or so on hand for such things. I rank my cheap ones so I can eventually move them out of my inventory and into the trash.

  • New - Glass / Some paint wiping if careful
  • Door Jambs
  • Interior work/cleaning of dash and seats
  • Carpet Cleaning
  • Wheels / exhuast
  • Engine Bay
  • Trash

I probably have 50-60 in circulation in the above ranks and a new bag of 12 sitting here too.
 
Denatured alcohol straight from can. Then glass cleaner. Stuff removes a lot of film and other gunk. Not many streaks either.o the boat I work on We use it on guest cabin mirrors to remove hairspray,sunscreen,etc with no streaking. It is our best glass cleaner. I would not use it on tinted windows,that requires vinegar & water mix.
 
Forget everything anyone has ever told you about streak-free windows and glass. I have tried everything including the "wonder" towels a vendor her sells as a "miracle"...forget them! Newspaper...no! Microfiber...no!

I have tried everything including the "wonder" towels. Nothing works but what I am going to share here. Use the below and forget it. I guarantee you will get perfect, streak free windows, both inside and out.

One very, very, very important key is NOT to wash your towels using fabric softener and Bounce Dryer sheets. These both contain oils which will get on your towels and smear the glass no matter what you do. You cannot have either of these products on your towels when you clean your windows.

Also, DO NOT use any glass cleaning towel when you are cleaning house. Any furniture spray, Pledge, etc., will not completely wash out of the towel leaving smears on your glass when you go to clean them. These tips are both MANDATORY or you will not have streak free windows!

SURGICAL BLUE HUSK TOWELS. These are incredible! You can get them for next to nothing on EBay. Used are fine. The older they get the better they work. I have some that are 20 years old and still work perfectly! Use them ONLY for your glass. If you use them with Armor All, Aerospace 303, etc., to clean your interior, all of the product will not wash out leaving you with smudges and streaks on your glass!

25 Pieces New Blue Glass Cleaning Shop Towels Huck Surgical Detailing Towels | eBay

STONER INVISIBLE GLASS SPRAY. Available at Home Depot, Auto Zone, Checker Auto, Pep Boys, etc. About $6 a can.

Stoner 19 oz. Invisible Glass Aerosol Spray-91164 - The Home Depot

STONER 95161 INVISIBLE GLASS REACH AND CLEAN TOOL. There are other brands out there. Griot's sells one as well. They are available on EBay. ONLY BUY ONE THAT HAS A TRIANGLE HEAD! Other companies make one with a square head. They use a blue microfiber bonnet. Do not use these...period!

Invisible Glass Reach and Clean Tool 95161 New | eBay

This is it folks! The big secret is not to wash any towel in the washing machine with fabric softener. Don't ever use a Bounce Dryer Sheet in the dryer. Both of these contain oil which will smudge your windows! Don't believe me....go rub one of the dryer sheets between your fingers and feel the oil left behind.

Definitely forget buying one of those "miracle" cloths. WASTE!
 
I always found cleaning glass easier when cleaning in the shade, cool, and using the least amount of cleaner with a microfiber towel. If that doesn't work you could always try a paste glass cleaner with a microfiber towel.
 
java said:
I always found cleaning glass easier when cleaning in the shade, cool, and using the least amount of cleaner with a microfiber towel. If that doesn't work you could always try a paste glass cleaner with a microfiber towel.
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1 tip I'll pass on is streak identification. Do your final wipe on the outside window horizontally and wipe the inside vertically. Now when you see streaks, you can tell if it's inside or outside.
Happy cleaning.
 
I just deep cleaned my windows.
1. I wiped them down all glass, inside and out with Megs D120 and a waffle weave.
2. Clayed the windshield to get rid of the visable contaminants that looked like overspray. Went over it 3 times using D114 as claylube.
3. Decided to try my Med. Grade Speedy Prep Towel on the rest of the glass. Wow it probably did a better job than the clay and way faster.
4. Clay towel on the windshield.
5. Finished off with a light spray of Meguiars D156 Spray Wax onto a microfiber towel and wiped exterior glass to a perfect shine.
 
Eldorado2k said:
I just deep cleaned my windows.
1. I wiped them down all glass, inside and out with Megs D120 and a waffle weave.
2. Clayed the windshield to get rid of the visable contaminants that looked like overspray. Went over it 3 times using D114 as claylube.
3. Decided to try my Med. Grade Speedy Prep Towel on the rest of the glass. Wow it probably did a better job than the clay and way faster.
4. Clay towel on the windshield.
5. Finished off with a light spray of Meguiars D156 Spray Wax onto a microfiber towel and wiped exterior glass to a perfect shine.
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D156 as a glass LSP is awesome.
 
I use Stoners Invisible Glass, 3 microfibers and about 4 days to clean my interior glass (windshield). I spray the interior window with the IG, then wipe it around with one MF, then I take a dry MF and buff off the glass. Then a few days later, I rebuff the glass with a third MF which removes any film that has attached itself to the windshield, voila, perfectly clean & clear glass.
 
I had this streak issue for a long time on my Golf, but I finally found a solution. The glass was really greasy from the inside due to lots of time using dressings on my dashboard. So I started using an APC with a normal microfiber. At the end the glass had lots of streaks. But then I followed up with a microfiber towel special for glasses, which has no pile at all. It seems strange at the beginning, but I used this towel with a glass cleaner from CG, and wow! Absolutely NO streaks!
Try it, I'm sure it will work for you!


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I used to have this exact same problem. Tried all the different glass cleaners e.g. Windex, ALL left hazy streaks. Now, after a typical car wash, I apply a very thin layer of Klasse All-in-One to the windows. It leaves a wonderful streak-free finish, as well as provides an awesome water barrier far superior to Rain-x.
 
Love those blue rags for so many uses. I buy them in 25lb boxes. So cheap I don't feel bad throwing them away after one use. Too coarse for wax removal but great for everything else. X2 on no fabric softener as well. Ever try & dry something with a towel with fabric softener used on it,they don't do a very good job,almost seem to repel water.
 
Something i just recently learned that will change the way you clean windows. Setup your detailing light/garage door light/the sun in front of your windshield. Clean your windshield with whatever technique you decide. Go inside the car and look through the windshield toward the light. You'll find any streaks/dirty areas you missed incredibly fast. Once done w/ windshield, reposition the light (or your car) to clean other windows.

Also, this technique has so far been exceptional for me if you want to put in some extra time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4WwOrkgXlc
 
I had similar problems until I broke down and bought glass specific towels.
 
Ive been pretty successfuly with claybarring the exterior glass surface first, wiping it clean with a microfiber and then going over it with my glass cleaner(meguiars glass cleaner) and havent had any streaks at all.
 
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