#0000 Steel Wool On Windows Tricks and Tips

[blackntan]

The glass on my miata is super soft.. I`ve scratched it with #9 and a white pad/PC..



I have the pitting problem too, and am scared to death to use steel wool on it...



Has anyone tried the glass cleaning rotary kit from CMA? Thoughts on that???

[togwt]

~One man’s opinion / observations ~



a) Removing water spots):

·Use water/distilled white vinegar or an Isopropanol Alcohol solution, 5:1 (adjust ratio as required) or try equal parts distilled white vinegar, Isopropanol Alcohol and distilled water to dissolve the alkaline-based mineral water deposits.

·Use a clean spray bottle and a 100% cotton Microfiber cloth to apply the solution to the glass surfaces

·Wipe off any residue from glass and dry with a damp waffle weave towel

·If any ‘water spots’ remain apply Distilled White Vinegar un-diluted to a 100% cotton micro fibre towel, using a medium/heavy pressure on glass surface.

·If this does not remove the ‘water spots’ use Autoglym Car Glass Polishâ„¢, and #0000 steel wool, use straight line motions only, circular motions cause swirl marks

·Or apply a quarter size amount of Autoglym Car Glass Polish™ to a damp foam pad attached to a Porter-Cable random orbital buffer using speed # 4.

·Apply to half of the windshield, polishing first in an up and down motion then in a left-to-right motion and then repeat on the other side, proceed to other glass surfaces.

·Wipe off any residue from glass and dry with a damp waffle weave towel

·Inspect glass for clarity and smoothness. Repeat if necessary.



For deeply etched ‘water spots’ or pits in the glass surface do not attempt to polish them out, consult an automotive glass vendor as most glass used is thin and polishing could cause glass to crack.





~Hope this helps~



Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/



justadumbarchitect *so I question everything*

[majik1]

megs diamond cut is a chemical cleaner/cutter only....try using #4 heavy cut cleaner.....it uses mechanical action....or heck dacp if u already have it....

[Steve @ Guru]

Is it possible that you have a softer glass in Manilla? I`ve used #0000 steel wool since about 1988 and have never had any problems with it - tried it on everything from Ford Festivas to Mercedes S-Classes, never had an issue.



Either that, or there was some compounding reaction with the polish and the steel wool. I`ve always used it with a regular glass cleaning liquid (i.e. Windex, 20/20, etc). I did hear from one gentleman who had problems when he used #0000 steel wool with a "home brew" window cleaner - it caused the steel wool to break down and embed fibers in the glass. Not sure what the home brew was made of, but when he switched to regular glass cleaner, all was ok.



Not sure what to suggest other than I`d probably stay away from using a polish with the steel wool. I have a feeling that the two together exponentially increased the scouring ability of the #0000 steel wool.

[Nick T.]

Steve - -



Not all glass is created equally. My ‘96 GMC Suburban’s glass is very hard - after playing with it for eight years I’m pretty sure that the windshield could be cleaned with a hammer and chisel without damage. My ‘04 MINI Cooper S has very soft glass - even light pressure on a test area with #0000 steel wool and Stoner’s Invisible Glass caused scratching. My ‘02 BMW Z3 falls somewhere between these two extremes - no problem light to moderate pressure on the steel wool, but heavy pressure causes scratches.

[myall00]

Theveed,



In Malaysia, there is a local company manufacturing detailing products called OSREN. They have a new product (pink watery liquid) that specifically removes tough, ingrained water marks from glass. However, it cannot be used on the windscreen and sidemirrors.



I have witnessed the fantastic results. No rubbing, no scrubbing.

Just apply it on using a sponge (wearing gloves) and rub it off. All watermarks will come off. Of course, it will destroy paint! Users will have to be careful.



If you`re interested, I can get you the contact details of this

company. 90% of all detailing centres in my city use OSREN detailing products.



Rgds.

[imported_Spitshine]

I apply Megs #9 using #0000 steel wool and follow it with AIO using my PC. The results are fantastic. The glass looks brand new and the AIO makes for better visibility in the rain (I don`t use the AIO on the windshield though).

By the way, this is my first post.

[jerry@robs]

majik1: Won`t touch it... But will try again. I find it hard to ponder that DACP is more abrasive than Diamond Cut... Mike, any opinions?



geekysteve: Possibly since most glass here are locally made (locally sold cars), I`ve yet to try it on an import (wait, I can try it on mine hehe) if it scratches, but like what Nick said, I believe glass differs from car to car, local Civics sure scratches faster than Fords. I`ve only used Eagle One Glass Cleaner (Pro-line) and Sprayway.



myall00: Interesting (from a fellow Asian hehe) Please do send me some info about this. I wonder why you can`t use on on the windshield (although I know the windshield is always softer than the rest). I wonder how we can get rid of that product after you use it, some will bound to land on the paint, right? That`s great news.

[myall00]

Theveed...Khamustakah!



Mmmm....I am trying out my limited Tagalog here! Anyway, in response to your questions...



This product from OSREN cannot be used on the windscreen because most windscreens would contain some degree of "pitting" (small little pin holes caused by high speed stones/chips). If the liquid gets into these minute pinholes, it will "spread" and cause a blurry effect. The windscreen will be damaged. That`s why the mftr has warned against it. Very very effective but I think its acid-based.



The paintwork must be covered/protected during application of this product to avoid damage to paintwork.



The boss/owner of OSREN even goes personally to car detailing centres to do demos and that`s why most centres are using OSREN products

[jerry@robs]

myal00: hehe... Very good... (it`s spelled Kumusta Ka BTW, but great try hehe)



Thanks for the info... I`ll try to do a search off the web and try to find someone to communicate with. (do you happen to know him/her?) Thanks so much. Always love to try new stuff.

[imported_Malachi]

Originally posted by majik1

megs diamond cut is a chemical cleaner/cutter only....try using #4 heavy cut cleaner.....it uses mechanical action....or heck dacp if u already have it....

Are you talking about #85? That shows an abrassive level of 10 compared to #83 (DACP) which is a 6.



Edit: This is according to Meg`s Professional Product Guide

[jerry@robs]

That`s what I thought... ^

[majik1]

.....its meant to be used with a wool pad only , should say it on the bottle....diamond cut "chemically" alters the paint allowing the wool cutter to "sweep the top off".....NOT a mechanical abrasive...

the equivalent abrasive would be 84 compund power cleaner, this does use "mechanical"(abrasive particles) for foam pad use a on the same scale as 85....

this can be important as using diamond cut with a foam pad pad can result in a rotary "grabbing, skipping, and jumping"....

i stand by my 1st statement....85 is a chemical cleaner only, for windows use #4 heavy cut cleaner, if you dont have any just dacp.......or an equivalent "mechanical" cleaner...please dont use steel wool....

[jerry@robs]

interesting...

[jerry@robs]

Tried it on:



Toyota: No marring

Honda: No marring

Mitsubishi: Visible marring

Benz: No marring

BMW: No marring

Nissan: Visible marring

Ford: No marring

Isuzu: No marring

Suzuki: No marring



I guess it depends on the glass... hmmm