Megs APC stained windscreen.

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phixion

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Hello!

I used Megs APC to clean my car interior and some overspray got on my windscreen and other windows in the car, I've tried a few things and nothing is budging it; AG Glass Polish, Windex, White Vinegar Cleaner, HG Interior Glass Cleaner.

Please can anyone recommend anything to sort this out? I'm really upset about it. I'm trying to avoid using abrasives that may damage the Windscreen as I am no detailing expert. But the longer this goes on the less chance I feel I have of fixing it without drastic measures.

Cheers
 
Do you have photos and what dilution were you using. Is there aftermarket tint on the glass?

Also, when wiping interior, spray into tbr the towel then wipe. Generally onr or water is enough.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk
 
Welcome to AutogeekOnline! :welcome:

I remember approving your pending account this morning. :cheers:



phixion said:
Hello!

I used Megs APC to clean my car interior and some overspray got on my windscreen and other windows in the car,
Click to expand...


Just to be sure, when you say WINDSCREEN - you mean the inside of the windshield? If it's just the windshield, switch over to a dedicated glass cleaner.



Or are you talking about some of the delicate plastic screens in the car like navigation screen or the plastic that covers the gauges?



:)
 
supercharged75 said:
Do you have photos and what dilution were you using. Is there aftermarket tint on the glass?

Also, when wiping interior, spray into tbr the towel then wipe. Generally onr or water is enough.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

It was a premixed solution, bought in a spray bottle. It doesn't need mixing so I'm unsure what dilution is used in it.

Here are some photos: APC - Album on Imgur

Mike Phillips said:
Welcome to AutogeekOnline! :welcome:

I remember approving your pending account this morning. :cheers:


Just to be sure, when you say WINDSCREEN - you mean the inside of the windshield? If it's just the windshield, switch over to a dedicated glass cleaner.



Or are you talking about some of the delicate plastic screens in the car like navigation screen or the plastic that covers the gauges?



:)
Click to expand...

Thank you for approving me :)

Yes, inside of the windshield mostly, although there are a few spots on the windows.

What glass cleaner would you recommend?

I am really gutted as I had no idea APC was bad on glass, I'm just glad I didn't attempt to clean the glass with it...

Just to add, I did contact Meguiar's and they replied with the following:

Thank you for contacting Meguiar’s!

If you have gotten this product on glass it can stain the glass if it’s not removed. You can try using a compound to remove the residual product from your glass. Ultimate Compound or M105 Ultra Cut Compound would be good options.

I have to admit, I am afraid to use compound on it as I don't really know what I'm doing. To add to the frustration, the car is a lease and is due to go back in a few months, I really want to get it looking as it should before that happens.
 
phixion said:
I am really gutted as I had no idea APC was bad on glass, I'm just glad I didn't attempt to clean the glass with it...
Click to expand...

To be honest - I didn't know an APC could physically stain or alter glass. Glass is pretty stout and it's also for the most part impervious to most chemicals. Chemist use GLASS beakers to mix a multitude of chemicals when creating formulas for a reason.



phixion said:
Just to add, I did contact Meguiar's and they replied with the following:

Thank you for contacting Meguiar’s!

If you have gotten this product on glass it can stain the glass if it’s not removed. You can try using a compound to remove the residual product from your glass. Ultimate Compound or M105 Ultra Cut Compound would be good options.
Click to expand...


Great people at Meguiar's and they are correct. A simple clearcoat safe compound should cut through the film of APC on the glass and remove it without causing any other harm to the glass.




phixion said:
I have to admit, I am afraid to use compound on it as I don't really know what I'm doing.

To add to the frustration, the car is a lease and is due to go back in a few months, I really want to get it looking as it should before that happens.
Click to expand...


Here's two recent cars I detailed where I used dedicated glass polishes on the INSIDE of the glass to remove film builds - but - any clearcoat safe compound, from a respected brand should work just fine.

Machine Sanding Glass - Do NOT do this!


From post #2


Topical versus Sub-Surface Glass Polishing

The BLACKFIRE Water Spot Remover is for cleaning and removing TOPICAL stains off the surface of glass. It is NOT for removing scratches IN the glass. For my purpose, it worked perfect. If you have scratches, wiper marks or swirls IN glass you need a glass polish that contains Cerium Oxide. Remember that. So many experts on YouTube and Facebook always telling me, any old polish will work. What they have done is shared with me their "knowledge level".

Mike_Phillips_Machine_Sanding_Glass_30.JPG


Mike_Phillips_Machine_Sanding_Glass_31.JPG




This is real simple folks... use a microfiber applicator pad and then contort yourself to get the job done.

Mike_Phillips_Machine_Sanding_Glass_32.JPG


Mike_Phillips_Machine_Sanding_Glass_33.JPG


Mike_Phillips_Machine_Sanding_Glass_34.JPG


Mike_Phillips_Machine_Sanding_Glass_35.JPG


Mike_Phillips_Machine_Sanding_Glass_36.JPG


Mike_Phillips_Machine_Sanding_Glass_37.JPG


Mike_Phillips_Machine_Sanding_Glass_38.JPG


Mike_Phillips_Machine_Sanding_Glass_39.JPG


Mike_Phillips_Machine_Sanding_Glass_40.JPG


Mike_Phillips_Machine_Sanding_Glass_41.JPG


Mike_Phillips_Machine_Sanding_Glass_42.JPG




BOOM!

Crystal Clear Glass!

Mike_Phillips_Machine_Sanding_Glass_43.JPG




And most important - crystal clear glass for the DRIVER.

Mike_Phillips_Machine_Sanding_Glass_44.JPG



:)
 
I see, thank you for your help.

Will this be okay to use by hand on a microfibre cloth then?

Meguiars Ultimate Compound 450ml | Halfords UK

I've already tried AG Glass Polish and that didn't budge it.

Just want to make sure, so far I've spent a fair amount buying stuff to try and remove these spots and it's getting expensive!
 
phixion said:
What glass cleaner would you recommend?
Click to expand...


Any quality brand glass cleaner should do the trick.

Use multiple towels though. Once a towel has the APC film on it - if you continue to use it you'll simply cross-transfer the APC back onto the glass.

I would get a handful of microfiber towels, or even kitchen towels or wash cloths from the linen closet.

For the initial wipe - spray glass cleaner directly onto the towel - you want it wet with glass cleaner but not like soppy, dripping wet. You want/need enough glass cleaner to dissolve the APC. Use this first towel and wipe the glass trying to re-liquefy the APC and get most of it off.

The repeat with a clean, un-used towel.

In my mind, you should be able to remove the APC off glass using just a glass cleaner.

But if this doesn't work, then try the compound approach.


After removing the APC film with a compound you'll still want and need to clean the glass with some glass cleaner to do the job right.



Fear not - you got this...


:)
 
phixion said:
It was a premixed solution, bought in a spray bottle. It doesn't need mixing so I'm unsure what dilution is used in it.

Here are some photos: APC - Album on Imgur



Thank you for approving me :)

Yes, inside of the windshield mostly, although there are a few spots on the windows.

What glass cleaner would you recommend?

I am really gutted as I had no idea APC was bad on glass, I'm just glad I didn't attempt to clean the glass with it...

Just to add, I did contact Meguiar's and they replied with the following:

Thank you for contacting Meguiar’s!

If you have gotten this product on glass it can stain the glass if it’s not removed. You can try using a compound to remove the residual product from your glass. Ultimate Compound or M105 Ultra Cut Compound would be good options.

I have to admit, I am afraid to use compound on it as I don't really know what I'm doing. To add to the frustration, the car is a lease and is due to go back in a few months, I really want to get it looking as it should before that happens.
Click to expand...
If you are around Chicago I'd be happy to give you a hand. I have tools and a bit of knowledge to assist.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk
 
Does Meguiar's sell a bottle size APC or is this their full strength all purpose cleaner (D101) that someone put into one of their empty spray bottles? If it's full strength, that's strong to be using on an interior.
 
Mike Phillips said:
Any quality brand glass cleaner should do the trick.

Use multiple towels though. Once a towel has the APC film on it - if you continue to use it you'll simply cross-transfer the APC back onto the glass.

I would get a handful of microfiber towels, or even kitchen towels or wash cloths from the linen closet.

For the initial wipe - spray glass cleaner directly onto the towel - you want it wet with glass cleaner but not like soppy, dripping wet. You want/need enough glass cleaner to dissolve the APC. Use this first towel and wipe the glass trying to re-liquefy the APC and get most of it off.

The repeat with a clean, un-used towel.

In my mind, you should be able to remove the APC off glass using just a glass cleaner.

But if this doesn't work, then try the compound approach.


After removing the APC film with a compound you'll still want and need to clean the glass with some glass cleaner to do the job right.



Fear not - you got this...


:)
Click to expand...

Great, thank you for the tips. You certainly know what you're doing by the looks of it!

Yes, I am astonished that this stuff is so stuck on, I've tried all sorts of glass polish/glass cleaner and nothing moves it, the spots vanish as I wipe and then it reappears as soon as the cleaner has dried or been removed. I would never have thought an APC could do so much damage to a window. I've been scouring the internet and found lots of posts about it.

I have one other option that I've read about online, White Vinegar... I've ordered some in the hope that it will just penetrate the stain and fetch it off. Wishful thinking I suspect, but some fella online did say he tried everything and the only thing that removed it was white vinegar. I will try 1:1 5% acidity white vinegar with water first, if that doesn't work is it safe to move on to pure 5% acidity white vinegar or could that do more damage?

supercharged75 said:
If you are around Chicago I'd be happy to give you a hand. I have tools and a bit of knowledge to assist.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for the kind offer, sadly I am nowhere near Chicago... I'm in England! I think we share similar weather :D
 
It's called Autoglym Car Glass Polish.

I've highlighted some of the marks, It's hard to see in the photos, it's easier to see in person, especially when the sun is hitting the screen.

View attachment 73943
 
phixion said:
It's called Autoglym Car Glass Polish.

I've highlighted some of the marks, It's hard to see in the photos, it's easier to see in person, especially when the sun is hitting the screen.

View attachment 73943
Click to expand...


I've never used the Autoglym glass polish no experience.


The Meguiar's M105 uses SMAT or Super Micro Abrasive Technology. It won't scratch the glass - so you're safe here. That doesn't mean it will undo the damage. Are you a member of DetailingWorld.co.uk?

If so - create a thread over there and see if there's anyone near you. Lots of nice chaps on the forum.




It's hard to believe an consumer bottled APC would "chemically" etch the glass. I want to believe the issue is simply topical - that is a stain ON the surface. As such, it's just a matter of rubbing with the right product to chew off the film of APC.

If you were down the road from Autogeek I would say stop on by... but alas... you'll need a boat for that...

Keep us updated.


:dblthumb2:
 
It doesn't look like it from the pictures, but the car doesn't have a heads-up display does it? Cars with that feature often have a coating on the inside of the glass to allow the HUD to work. Even then I wouldn't think an APC would damage that coating, but you never know.
 
Mike Phillips said:
I've never used the Autoglym glass polish no experience.


The Meguiar's M105 uses SMAT or Super Micro Abrasive Technology. It won't scratch the glass - so you're safe here. That doesn't mean it will undo the damage. Are you a member of DetailingWorld.co.uk?

If so - create a thread over there and see if there's anyone near you. Lots of nice chaps on the forum.




It's hard to believe an consumer bottled APC would "chemically" etch the glass. I want to believe the issue is simply topical - that is a stain ON the surface. As such, it's just a matter of rubbing with the right product to chew off the film of APC.

If you were down the road from Autogeek I would say stop on by... but alas... you'll need a boat for that...

Keep us updated.


:dblthumb2:
Click to expand...

Thank you for all the help and the offers of in-person help. I wish I did know someone reputable nearby, as I really don't want to make the situation worse come handover day. I've signed up at DetailingWorld and will try there.

Desertnate said:
It doesn't look like it from the pictures, but the car doesn't have a heads-up display does it? Cars with that feature often have a coating on the inside of the glass to allow the HUD to work. Even then I wouldn't think an APC would damage that coating, but you never know.
Click to expand...

No HUD. It's basically just white spots across the bottom of the screen, it's from the overspray from the dashboard hitting the screen. Annoyingly, the bottle does not mention to be careful of glass either. I'm a complete novice when it comes to these things.

Next time I think I'll stick to regular soapy water, haha.
 
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