Streak-free interior glass?

D

drewski59

New member
Now this is probably the bane of many detailers, but I'm really struggling with my interior glass. It seems that I've tried almost everything: lots of glass cleaners, mf, newspaper, paper towels.



But I can never get it streak-free, and it drives me completely nuts when the sun hits it! :shocked



My most recent technique is NXT glass cleaner with a new MF towel, but it still doesn't work.



Please, if any of you achieve the elusive streak-free shine, please share with me your products and processes!



Much obliged :bow :bow
 
Autoglym's Glass Polish is great for interior or exterior glass. It is a solvent based polish unlike liquid spray cleaners and it really cuts the vinyl haze build-up. I apply a few dabs on a paper towel and spread it across the windshield. It dries almost instantly and buffs off with a clean mf to the clearest streak-free windows I have ever seen.
 
I usually use to MF towels to clean the windows. One to clean and another one to "buff" all the leftover streak marks. I use Stoners IG to clean windows. I have had no problems with this technique. Hope this helps.
 
I have had great success with Stoner's IG. I used it exactly like the directions state, *cough* initially *cough*. Now I apply it to most of the window and buff with a MF once I have gone over the window several times (I try not to let the IG dry on the window) I flip to a dry side of the MF to get rid of the rest of IG residue from the window. I think that using a dry side of the MF or a new MF to remove the still wet IG might be the key to streak free windows for me. One thing that has also helped me is on the interior windows I wipe from side to side and on exterior widows I wipe up and down. This helps me to identify which side of the glass any streaks are on.
 
Use a squeegee. A pro squeegee. It looks like the ones they sell for drying your shower walls. It gets between the glass and dash and as long as you aren't pulling it "dry" it shouldn't leave any streaks behind. You should cover the dash with a cloth to prevent the resultant drips from marking up your protectant, or falling into the vents.
 
I keep going back to the polypropolene window towels from Griot's. I've tried MFs (including a number of "glass towels"), but I like the polypro's better. Usually use them with Zep 40.
 
Glass cleaners are 99% water, 1% surfacant. Stop wasting your money on water.



I don't use window cleaner of any type on interior glass but my own homemade mixture which is distilled water and alcohol, maybe a drop or two of dish soap (pro window cleaning trick) and for real bad streaked (caused from int. materials gassing of) I'll use a little vinegar or amonia.



One MF to apply the mixture and then a dry MF wash mitt (dedicated for this use only) to "buff" the glass clean. On my weekly cars I only need to use my cleaning mixture about once every 3 weeks. Other than that I only use my dry MF wash mitt.



Anthony
 
I, too, have stuggled a great deal lately with streaking and smearing glass and glass cleaners. I've found a dry, short-nap MF and some distilled water to be my biggest help.
 
I've done it with a 2 step method with relative success. First, if it's really bad I will use a foaming cleaner like Zep Glass Cleaner with a Glass Wizard. I will then follow with IPA:water or NXT Glass cleaner and a low pile MF I use only for glass cleaning ( Norwex works well but so does any MF marked for polishing or glass cleaning that has a low nap). This eliminates most of the haze and marks.



I'll then inspect and whatever spots I still see I "mark" using a piece of blue painter's tape so I don't miss it when I go back inside the car to wipe it away. I do all of this inside a garage. I've tried it in the sun and it can be a disaster! It can be quite tedious. I've been known to spend most of a day tackling smudges and spots on interior glass.:(
 
Anthony Orosco said:
Glass cleaners are 99% water, 1% surfacant. Stop wasting your money on water.



I don't use window cleaner of any type on interior glass but my own homemade mixture which is distilled water and alcohol, maybe a drop or two of dish soap (pro window cleaning trick) and for real bad streaked (caused from int. materials gassing of) I'll use a little vinegar or amonia.



One MF to apply the mixture and then a dry MF wash mitt (dedicated for this use only) to "buff" the glass clean. On my weekly cars I only need to use my cleaning mixture about once every 3 weeks. Other than that I only use my dry MF wash mitt.



Anthony
Click to expand...

The mixture I use is 1 part isopropyl alcohol to 2 parts distilled water and two drops of biodegradable dishwashing detergent per quart of solution. Works wonders especially when used with good microfiber towels. Like you, I get two to three weeks from a cleaning. I don't use vinyl or leather treatments that outgas a lot.



I also get similar results from Stoners IG and Meguiar's Glass Cleaner. The only difference I observe is the cost of product. The mix is just as good and costs a tenth of the packaged cleaners.
 
I'm no pro and I hardly ever clean really dirty interior windows, so maybe my method can't stand up to bad situations but I've been using EO WAUD diluted with 2 parts water and a MF. Just spray on window or MF, wipe down totally, flip MF and buff. I hardly use my Stoner's IG anymore but it is great for tougher jobs.
 
jfelbab said:
The mixture I use is 1 part isopropyl alcohol to 2 parts distilled water and two drops of biodegradable dishwashing detergent per quart of solution. Works wonders especially when used with good microfiber towels. Like you, I get two to three weeks from a cleaning. I don't use vinyl or leather treatments that outgas a lot.



I also get similar results from Stoners IG and Meguiar's Glass Cleaner. The only difference I observe is the cost of product. The mix is just as good and costs a tenth of the packaged cleaners.
Click to expand...



:hifive: I used to love using Eagle One's 20/20, great stuff...but then I was told about the make up of most glass cleaners and I was shocked....then ticked off that for years I must have spent hundreds and hundreds of bucks on glass cleaners alone! :mad:



Adios,

Anthony
 
I've found that using a spray bottle that has more of a "mist" and a clean WW MF towel yields the best results for me.
 
first... i clean as much as possible with glass cleaner and a mf. second... i spray glass cleaner and take a squeegee, and wipe away. whatever is left, i wipe with a mf. this method has worked great for me. :bigups
 
One other thing I thought of was that maybe the type of glass cleaner you are using to get the grime off isn't effective on the remaining film/streaks. (You need a different product to remove grease/oil stains than for protein stains.) Try using your "normal" cleaner for the first pass, then switch to a different one for a second pass. One that's good for dirt, one that's good for "gassing film." That may help.
 
Zep 40! cant beat it performance. Works in all climates and I would make a bet with anybody to find streaks in my glass after they are cleaned. Its not me being careful not to get streaks. Its the product. effortless and powerful.
 
I use Sonus Vision on the windows applied with an Excel MF applicator (designated only for glass cleaning, I have 6 of them, and they are washed after every use). I wipe off the product immediately with a green WCD MF (also designated for glass only, I have several of these too, and they are also washed after every use).



After I've gone over all the glass with the glass cleaner, I go over them again with the same process, but replacing the glass cleaner with warm water. The water and MF applicator will remove any streaks that were left behind by the cleaner. And as long as you dry the water off quickly, you won't get any streaks from the water.



Sometimes, only the water is needed to clean the glass. The above process is just used for dirty windows. If the windows are pretty clean, then I just bring out the water and leave the glass cleaner alone.
 
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