Glass cleaner comparison Auto Finesse, Adam`s, Chemical Guys...

[XSSIVE]

I could have added two more glass cleaners to this that I used to use (Stoners Invisible Glass and Sprayway) but I decided to stick with liquids and not aerosol foams since I realized I personally like liquid glass cleaners more than foaming ones.

So over the course of a few days and few cars in a few conditions I`ve been trying out these three glass cleaners. I didn`t take any pics of them in action since clean glass is clean glass, dirty glass is dirty glass and streaked glass is streaked glass...and I didn`t think of doing this comparison `til it was too late anyway haha.


Auto Finesse Crystal, Chemical Guys Glassworkz and Adam`s Glass Cleaner.

I`ve used them in direct sun on hot windows both exterior and interior and on cool windows on cars that have spent the night in a garage exposed to no sun at all.

Auto Finesse Crystal has hands down the best sprayer of the group that puts out a very even fine mist of product with each spray. If you`ve never used Auto Finesse products but have used Dodo Juice the sprayers are the same and just as good. The downfall to this product is it`s smell, which is part of the reason it works so well ironically. It smells like straight up isopropyl alcohol, no fancy fruit scents just the powerful scent of alcohol...so I`d avoid the deep sniff test haha. That high alcohol content however is why I think it outshines its two competitors in my testing. It cut through dirt and grime and bugs on windows no problem and wiped off streak free on hot windows in the sun and of course was streak free on cool windows in the garage. If they could make it smell like anything other than a bottle of rubbing alcohol it would be the perfect glass cleaner for me. The alcohol smell thankfully doesn`t seem to linger too bad when used in an interior and plays no roll when used on exterior glass since it dissipates quickly in both liquid and scent. This one is certainly function over scent for the product sniffers out there (which I`m guilty of haha). If scent plays a large roll in how you choose a product you may not be happy with this. If how well a product works matters more (which it should) then it`s quite an impressive glass cleaner.

Adam`s Glass Cleaner was what I moved on to when I decided I was tired of the foaming aerosol glass cleaners I used before it (Stoners Invisible Glass and Sprayway Glass Cleaner). It`s sprayer is the typical black Adam`s sprayer that puts out a fairly large amount of product in each spray but can be a bit uneven in its spray pattern from left to right at times. Meaning a fine mist to the right and a big splotch to the left. But not all times, it`s dependent on the sprayers mood, how hard or fast you spray it or who knows what else. Super consistent it isn`t, perfectly usable it is. It has a very clean almost refreshing citrus lemonade like scent. It cuts through dirt grim and bugs 99% as well as Auto Finesse Crystal does yet since it doesn`t have a crazy high alcohol content like Crystal does (Adam`s has no alcohol at all) you can work it a bit longer if needed but in turn may need to buff over it one extra time to remove any chance of possible streaks. It performs just as well on hot windows in direct sun as it does on cool windows in a garage or shade. The scent left behind when used on interior glass is pleasant and clean and doesn`t linger for too long.

Chemical Guys Glassworkz is one I had to try based on two silly things, it`s red, who makes glass cleaner red? It`s supposed to be blue or green haha. That along with its scent...pomegranate. I was intrigued and had to buy it to try out. Yeah, let`s get this out of the way right now, it`s the best smelling glass cleaner I`ve ever huffed haha. As you can see by the sprayer I chose to use the grey sprayers that Chemical Guys sells on their site and not the standard clear one that comes with the bottle. The clear standard Chemical Guys sprayers seem to be the same model as the Adam`s standard sprayers and suffer the same uneven spray patterns at times and I`ve had a few of the Chemical Guys sprayers just stop working on me out of the blue so all my Chemical Guys products now use the grey sprayers. The grey sprayers turned out to be my second favorite sprayers I`ve used second to the tied pair of Auto Finesse and Dodo Juice fine mist sprayers and they produce a very nice and even mist. Unfortunately for this amazing smelling glass cleaner it falls on its face a bit when used in direct sunlight on hot glass. I had to fight off some streaks and apply more cleaner and wipe over the area quickly with a dry cloth to get rid of the streaks. Not the end of the world at all but it did require a bit more effort than the other two. On cool glass in a shaded garage it was fine, no problem with streaks. I did notice that it may require an extra spray or two to remove some grime in the corners of a window where it always seems to build up where the higher alcohol content Crystal just cut right through as did Adam`s. Like Adam`s this is also alcohol free. When used on interior windows it leaves the interior smelling quite good thanks to the pomegranate scent.

So if you`re after a 100% workhorse don`t care about scent I`d vote for Auto Finesse Crystal. If you want something that works well and smells good too then Adam`s is the better choice of the three. If you want an amazing smelling glass cleaner that does work well on cool glass in shade or in a garage but may require an extra spray or some fast hands with a dry towel on hot glass in the sun to reduce streaking then Chemical Guys Glassworkz is the choice.

As for me I`m torn three ways to be honest and will keep them all around and rotate as I see fit. The smell of the Glassworkz alone makes me want to tolerate its less than perfect results and I`ll continue to use it on cool windows in the garage and inside my cars. The smell of the Crystal makes me a bit bummed such a great cleaner smells a bit harsh. That`s a nit pick of course and only comes into play on interior windows for a very short window after it`s used. The alcohol smell dissipates fast enough that it`s not really a big deal but it`s there and I figure it should be noted since anyone obsessive enough to be an auto detailer is obsessive enough to notice it. This leaves Adam`s which should be the obvious middle ground do it all well while smelling good choice.

If someone can make a glass cleaner that works like Crystal and smells like Glassworkz they`ll be rich!

I`d like to find a USA source to get Dodo Juice`s Clearly Menthol glass cleaner from. I`m wondering if that`s the best of both worlds. High alcohol content for good grime cutting and quick evaporating streak free ease of use with a better minty scent.

[mjlinane]

Excellent write-up!!

[Bunky]

Thanks for the review.

I may have to try the AF since in addition to soaps I will always try a new glass cleaner.

I never had much luck with CG Glossworkz. I loved the scent (similar to CG Speed Shine) but it just streaked for me and even cut it 1:1 based upon forum feedback. I do like the CG sprayers so the bottle itself is a keeper.

[ihaveacamaro]

As you said you are torn between the three, may I suggest Meguiar`s D120. I found it to have the same effectiveness of Adam`s and Stoner`s Invisible Glass in my testing.

[XSSIVE]

Bunky....I`m a bit of a detail spray junkie that`s the thing I always seem to try new ones of I have 15 different waterless wash and detail sprays I have to figure out how to compare at some point haha.

Glass cleaners are a thing I decided to change up an try new products recently. I had used Invisible Glass in the aerosol can for years `til a fellow detailing friend told me I "had to" try Sprayway in an aerosol can and he was right it works better and resists streaks better than Invisible Glass and even smells better. So I used that for quite a few years. Then as I just recently got back into detailing thanks to my new garage queen I started reading the forums (bad idea perhaps haha) and I kept hearing good stuff about Adam`s so I bought their glass cleaner and loved it thinking I was done with glass cleaners for good. Even bought my grandmother and mother a gallon each and they love it over the Windex (yuk) they used before.

I had no intention of trying more glass cleaners really but after reading mjlinane`s review (well all his reviews really, great work!) on Glassworkz and as I mentioned the silly fact that it`s red and smells like pomegranate had me intrigued enough to buy it.

The Auto Finesse came after me trying and loving their Spritz interior detailer so I ordered a few more of their products to try and have been quite happy with all of them so far as I compare them to things I was using before them.

[Bunky]

I had no intention of trying more glass cleaners really but after reading mjlinane`s review (well all his reviews really, great work!) on Glassworkz and as I mentioned the silly fact that it`s red and smells like pomegranate had me intrigued enough to buy it.

The Auto Finesse came after me trying and loving their Spritz interior detailer so I ordered a few more of their products to try and have been quite happy with all of them so far as I compare them to things I was using before them.

I tried CG based upon Mike`s review. I am the difference is technique so I prefer products that match my technique like Sprayway, Meg`s, and Mothers (a sleeper). Surf City is another oldie I like.

[XSSIVE]

ihaveacamaro....I`ll have to keep that in mind to try out next time I order more products. I say I`m torn but the obvious choice based on performance between the three I compared is Crystal since it worked the best. However me being the nit picking obsessive type I have to over analyze it and chose with my nose also and not only the products effectiveness since I do have to spend time sniffing the stuff when using it and when driving the cars for a bit after each is used. So I guess that makes the real obvious personal winner for me still Adam`s since it sits square between the best working and best smelling of these three in my opinion.

[XSSIVE]

I tried CG based upon Mike`s review. I am the difference is technique so I prefer products that match my technique like Sprayway, Meg`s, and Mothers (a sleeper). Surf City is another oldie I like.

Yeah I blame Mike for some of the products in my detailing cabinet now haha. I mean that as a compliment since he`s so thorough it`s as if I tried it myself and know what I`m getting into. Thus why I tried to be as informative as possible with my reviews yet that does mean I ramble on a bit haha.

Sprayway was my go to for what must have been nearly 10 years never thinking twice about trying other stuff. Now I guess I`m just bored and looking for new stuff to try out.

[Pats300zx]

Great write up. Thanks for comparing !!!

[XSSIVE]

Not a problem!

I should also note, I think Auto Finesse actually says not to use Crystal in direct sunlight or in extreme temps. I actually found this little tidbit out after having done my warm glass in the sun testing with it...whoops haha.

The testing on warm glass in sunlight was really a "just for the heck of it" test for me since I never actually do that since no glass cleaners are really as good in sunlight on warm glass as they are in the shade on cool glass. I always use them on cool glass in the shade of a garage but I figured for this little comparison I`d give them a bit of a torture test.

[XSSIVE]

So I tried to order some Dodo Clearly Menthol from the UK to me in the USA to add to my comparison here but due to the high solvent content of Clearly Menthol (which I guess is similar to Auto Finesse Crystal, a ton of alcohol) it can`t be shipped to the USA. Well that sucks. I still want to try it...somehow.

[Addicted2Bling]

Great review!

I agree with you 100% on the performance of good smelling glass cleaners. I always believed that when something is added to make a product smell good, then it`s also taking away from the product as well. I`d much rather have something that smells unpleasant that works 100% and lives up to it`s full potential than something that doesn`t work at all that smells like roses...

[dc52nv]

Outstanding write up. I really have been enjoying your reviews lately.

[XSSIVE]

Addicted2Bling...It`s the alcohol content that sets the three apart, or lack of it in two of them. The Crystal obviously has it based on the strong smell and the little flammable logo on the bottle. Both the Adam`s and the CG Glassworkz contain no alcohol which is why they don`t flash off as fast from the surface and don`t cut through grime quite as fast since alcohol is good at doing both those things. The Adam`s does remarkably well for a no alcohol glass cleaner though all the time while still remaining pleasant smelling to work with inside a car. I`m tempted to play garage chemist and add some alcohol to the Glassworkz and see how that does in hopes of creating the ultimate working and smelling glass cleaner. Although the fact that I have no idea what I`m doing when it comes to mixing chemicals part of me says I better not do that haha.

dc52nv...Thanks! Glad to share my thoughts. My family members (aside from one cousin who details cars as one of his jobs actually) all think I`m nuts so it`s about time I share my ramblings with other like minded obsessive auto detailers.

I`ve got a huge round up of waterless wash and detail sprays to compare next. Just waiting on one more in the mail then spend some time with it and figure out how to compare all of them fairly.

Turns out I like doing comparisons and reviews. Wish I had more disposable funds to buy more products to test haha.

[Addicted2Bling]

Addicted2Bling...It`s the alcohol content that sets the three apart, or lack of it in two of them. The Crystal obviously has it based on the strong smell and the little flammable logo on the bottle. Both the Adam`s and the CG Glassworkz contain no alcohol which is why they don`t flash off as fast from the surface and don`t cut through grime quite as fast since alcohol is good at doing both those things. The Adam`s does remarkably well for a no alcohol glass cleaner though all the time while still remaining pleasant smelling to work with inside a car. I`m tempted to play garage chemist and add some alcohol to the Glassworkz and see how that does in hopes of creating the ultimate working and smelling glass cleaner. Although the fact that I have no idea what I`m doing when it comes to mixing chemicals part of me says I better not do that haha.

True, but when you add fruity scents or any kind of scent, unless that scent actually helps to clean the glass, then all it is is a setback.