Which product for cleaning interior windshield and windows?

[Bunky]

From the last few posts one would wonder how Meguiar's Glass Cleaner concentrate works. It is diluted 10:1 so if there is zero water in the concentrate (all active ingredients, MSDS reports it is an alcohol) it would be maximum 9% by volume of the final diluted amount. I think what some fail to note is water is solvent (good thing for humans that are mostly composed of water).



Plus I read that someone washing with a rinseless or waterless wash is just washing their car with a damp microfiber.

 

[SON1C]

interesting.. ^ I'd like to hear more

 

[Anthony O.]

Is it so far fetched to believe there are liquid glass cleaners with a high percentage of water? Is not water natures solvent?



A Consumer Report article I had read stated most glass cleaners are "90% water". Some makers websites of glass cleaners (cleaning products in general) list the ingredients of their cleaners with the main ingredient first and that being water then the next ingredient which is usually some part of alcohol (Propoxypropanol) to aide in cleaning and also evaporation. Then if the ingredients list falls into alphabetical order those ingredients are I believe less than 1%.



So if an alcohol is used or added to 90% water and that alcohol itself contains water plus the other ingredients contain water when all is said and done how much water is in a say, 32 ounce bottle of liquid glass cleaner? I base this on my own figures...nothing overly scientific and I am not a scientist or chemist so if I am in error in my reasoning I am open for correction.



Being able to talk to and befriend a good deal of people within the profession I have chosen I know of a glass cleaner that's made up of water, an alcohol and a coloring agent and many detailers on this board buy it and use it. I know 2 professional glass cleaners who do not buy a glass cleaner made commercially because after years in the business they know glass is cleaned with water, if needed an added cleaning agent, agitation and a squeege.



Then we have hot steam......works wonders on cleaning glass. Not a cleaning agent in hot steam to be found. So after years of detailing myself buying case after case of glass cleaners I was told by a chemist just what was in most glass formulations and have not bought a glass cleaner in 10 years now. I have my own glass cleaning method and it's hands down the best I have used to date.



Surely I would not drink a glass cleaner containing an alcohol because it's TOXIC. So you will be waiting a good long while for that video.



Anthony

 

[jmsc]

Well, I'm 5 years behind you Anthony with these glass cleaners.



Slowly coming to the conclusion after many buy it/try it/discard it glass products, that the right lint-free mf that has a little bite and some absorbency, water and a little technique will do it for me.

 

[David Fermani]

2 towel method for me. And I avoid spraying glass directly unless I'm using a foam. Spray onto towel, scrub glass >> buff with 2nd dry towel to perfection.

 

[Accumulator]

2 towel method for me. And I avoid spraying glass directly unless I'm using a foam. Spray onto towel, scrub glass >> buff with 2nd dry towel to perfection.

Good advice :xyxthumbs Get (some/many/?most?) glass cleaners on the wrong surface (e.g., certain leathers) and you'll have a major problem on your hands. My best foaming glass cleaner (Zep40) is stuff you do *NOT* want to get on leather.



OK, gotta admit I just spray away on the interior rear glass of the Tahoe...dog mess + seemingly indestructible materials= why not?...but I don't do it on the other vehicles.



BTW, Zep40 is sure a lot more than something I could mix up at home. Gotta be a bit careful about what you use it on as it can really [mess] with certain surfaces.

I would, personally, never allow steel wool on modern glass. Many of todays glass is of a plastic composite which can be scratched with steel wool and thus over time embed dirt in the microscopic lines. So in our shop steel wool has its place but not on glass.

Glad you posted that, took the words right out of my mouth. I'll add steel razor blades to the :nono: list too. Sure I do it from time to time, but the plastic ones are a better idea and stuff I'll do on my own vehicles isn't always something one oughta do on somebody else's.

I know of a glass cleaner that's made up of water, an alcohol and a coloring agent and many detailers on this board buy it and use it...

Somebody said that about Griot's..."it's just water and IPA"...but I couldn't duplicated its performance when I tried mixing my own :nixweiss

Water, good ol water, is best used (albiet we do not use tap water) on glass, especially after market tint.

My aftermarket tint is on the Crown Vics (dog-haulers), and getting the dried dog-mess off can be a huge PIA. Water alone just doesn't do it for me, neither do some wimpy glass cleaners. I'm leery of steaming, lest I mess the tint up (one car really needs redone as it is).

And how do you remove heavy glue or stuff from windows without a razor or steel wool? Most glue removers or adhesive removers just spread or smear the stuff?

If I'm leery of using a (steel) razor blade, I get most of the stuff off with a plastic razor blade. Even "just regular, but effective" glass cleaners can sometimes work wonders if you find a way to let 'em dwell (hold the wet cloth against the stuff for a few minutes somehow). But if it's not aftermarket tint I just use 3M Adhesive Remover. No, it doesn't just smear stuff round, it really emulsifies it and makes it easy to wipe away. Yeah, still gotta clean up with regular stuff, but the Adhesive Remover gets the "glue stuff" off really well and quite cleanly IME. Getting hard to find the 3M Adhesive Remover though, I just bought a lifetime supply while I could still get it.

 

[Anthony O.]

Accumulator - I have never tried this but it was mentioned to me once from a tint guy that water and lemon juice will work on tinted glass. Again I have never tried it nor do I know the mix rate but it seems like it would be OK....not sure if citric acid would damage the tint. I've also heard rumor of some guys using on their aftermarket tint a furniture polish like Pledge. There again never tried it.

 

[Accumulator]

Accumulator - I have never tried this but it was mentioned to me once from a tint guy that water and lemon juice will work on tinted glass. Again I have never tried it nor do I know the mix rate but it seems like it would be OK....not sure if citric acid would damage the tint. I've also heard rumor of some guys using on their aftermarket tint a furniture polish like Pledge. There again never tried it.

Heh, before I forget to say it...glad to see you spending time here! I know things get busy, and this place can get, uhm...dramatic, but anyhow...





I've tried the "lemon juice" thing over the years on various stuff (including a lemon juice + salt mix on metals), never works out as "cleanly" as I would like. Heh heh, not about to experiment with it on those two cars, lest I hasten the day they need redone! I gotta tread very lightly here :nervous: they're really fragile situations.



Stuff like Pledge doesn't leave things *nearly* as clean as I want my windows. I've gradually switched to using it on household stuff (after years of being too snobbish.."hey, my furniture's too nice for that [crap]"..glad I got over that), but it leaves way too much of a film whenever I get it on glass or other transparent surfaces.



This whole "window cleaner" topic is one of those where I finally just decided I was gonna stick with the stuff that works for me, even if it's pricey, even if I'm being foolish in somebody's estimation. But then Bill D sent me some M120 (gotta get around to trying it!) and I won some 3D 50:1 in a contest (gotta get around to trying that too!) so I guess I'm not *really* finished-and-done with the topic after all. Come to think of it, the Sonus stuff I'm currently using on tint was a gift too, only stuff I've actually paid for since forever is the Griot's and the Zep.

 

[Scottwax]

I would urge some caution with this. In dry environments there is no problem but in a wetter environment, where misting or fogging can be an issue, a product with a hydrophobic additive (in this case wax) will make the problem worse. Best sticking to a product which is not I tended to lea e a residue.

All I know is that it works. I've used retail and pro level glass cleaners and haven't had the results I've had with ONR W&W. I've even noticed it when washing cars I really don't have to re-clean the exterior glass (unless it gets dusty from polishing or compounding) because it is coming out streak free.



If the glass is really bad inside, I'll use a very well dampened with ONR MF towel followed by a clean, dry MF towel to pre-clean the interior glass. Really eats through that film that builds up on the front and rear windows.

 

[Accumulator]

All I know is that [the two ONRs] works...

I just gotta try ONRing glass some time...I have lots of v2.0 just sitting around with not application for the stuff. I somehow knee-jerk away from using it on glass...fears of streaking or other issues keep holding me back despite all your assurances :think: