Everything you Need to Know to Make Your Car Windows Look Better
While many of us tend to make cleaning of the car windows as a simple and straightforward task, it is more than that. Several factors affect how clean your windows can and for how long they will remain good-looking. Clean windows not only provide a classy look to your car, but they also improve visibility when riding. It’s therefore very critical to understand fully the tools, how and when to clean your car windows.
If you happen to drive to work every day, then you have to plan accordingly. Dirty windows don’t reflect well for your car, no matter how busy you are. For most of us who live cleaning car windows ourselves, the proper understanding of the whole process is essential. Some of the dirty particles that stick to the windows might require special tools to remove them. Again, you need to understand how to do away with some ugly streaks that remain in the windows even after a thorough cleaning. Don’t rush, take your time to reach every part of the window.
In this article, we will go through various ways in how you can make your car windows look stunning. I will also guide you on how to utilize household tools to do your cleaning and take you through essential steps to clean both the interiors of your car windows and windshield wipers as well.
What are the Main Issues with Both Inside and Outside of Your Car Windows?
While the car windows consist of two sides; the inside and outside parts, the steps used to clean these windows might often be the same but they do have a different set of problems. Understanding the major challenges each side has when it comes to tracing and removing the dirtiness is very critical towards having clean car windows.
Let’s look at both cases.
Issues With Inside Windows
They include the following:
- The build-up of film that results from the gassing of some parts such as plastics and rubber from the interior. When you expose your car to air, heat, or Ultra Violet lights, gasses from the materials used to manufacture the car are released, which results in the formation of a hazy build-up and keeps on rising as time goes on.
- The second is the window tint film that might be hard to spot and requires thorough cleaning.
Issues With Outside Windows
Some of the challenges with outside are as follows:
- Excessive dirt, water spots, and fall-out
- Elements and particles that build up as a result of exposure to weather
Your strategy to spot the dirt and clean your car windows depends on the size of the glass as they are not equal, the age, make, and how often you do cleaning.
Use a Cleaning Agent to Clean Your Car Windows
There are several factors to consider before you clean windows using a cleaning agent. Most of them may affect how well you will carry out the process and to what extent your car windows will turn out to be clean. You should consider the following:
- Park Your Car Under the Shade
Most of the people believe that cleaning car windows under the sunlight is the best option to make them dry fast. However, if you intend to use a cleaning agent, it is good to consider parking your car under a tree or shades such as a garage or service bay. Cleaning windows in direct sunlight can lead to the evaporation of the water used to clean your car.
- Always Clean the Rest of Your car Before Cleaning the Windows
By cleaning the entire car parts first, you avoid contaminating your windows with grime and smudges. That means you have the windows cleaned as the last parts. It’s worth noting that, unlike other parts of your car, windows require special attention to how you clean them, the tools you use, and the time is taken to do the cleaning.
- Get Ready With the Necessary Cleaning Supplies for Your Car Windows
Not all products in today’s market might be the best for your car’s windows cleaning. It’s good to have the right supplies, and you should purchase the right qualities to avoid damages to your car. For instance, ammonia-based supplies can easily dry out your rubber seals and the tinting of your car.
Get a glass cleaner from your local automotive store and make sure that it is only formulated for automotive purposes. Be keen to read the instructions and make sure that the product is fit for cleaning. For concentrated formula products, ensure that you dilute them with water to have the best results.
To make it a complete package for cleaning, including the following to your list:
- A bucket, if you’re using a concentrated cleaner.
- A cloth and for this case, clean cotton or microfiber is recommended.
- Use distilled water, if you are using a diluted cleaner.
- Automotive glass cleaner
- Now Clean Your Front and Rear Windows
Due to the angle and the size of these windows, sometimes it becomes hard to do the cleaning. To start, it is recommended to mix your cleaner, spray a good amount to the window, and using a sponge, make sure it’s applied to the entire window. Using a clean cloth (not excessively wet), wipe your rear window and the front windshield clean. Ensure that you apply the wiping movements to all the directions; right, left, downwards, and upwards. This reduces the chances of leaving missed spots and fine particles that can’t be seen.
- This is What you should do to Remove bug Stains From the Windows
When you are doing cleaning the windows, you will find that your solution and the cloth are not enough to remove dried particles and some bug guts that remains on the car windows. At this point, it is good to consider some other measures such as the sprinkling of small amounts of baking soda on the window’s surfaces, give it some time and then try to wipe it using the microfiber cloth. This has proven to be working.
- Remember to Roll Down the Side Windows and Clean the top Part
Most of the people forget the topmost part of the very part of the window that usually slides inside a rubber seal. Use your clean cloth to wipe out the dirt that usually sticks on the window by rolling it down a little bit to away with the unseen slight lines on the window. As this part contains more dirt that might have accumulated there for several days or weeks, it’s very important to take enough time and apply more solution to clean it.
- Wipe Your Car Windows From Top to Bottom
During the general cleaning of other windows, some buildup of dirt might have occurred. At this point, use your clean cloth to run it along edges and corners of the windows to eliminate the dirt. After working on the corners and edges of the windows, apply additional solutions to the window by applying opposite strokes of wipes from how you wipe the inside part of the window. This is a great chance to spot some areas, which you might have missed, and will give you a good time to work on them.
Cleaning your car windows from top to bottom will not only improve the cleanliness but will help prevent drips which tend to ruin the already cleaned windows. You do this by applying some amount of cleaning solution onto the surface of the windows and then using a clean cloth, move it back and forth to make sure that the surface is clean. This makes your work easier.
- Finish up by Cleaning Wiper Blades
Dirt that tends to build upon the car’s wiper blades sometimes can be harmful to the windshield and can result in wearing out easily if you don’t notice it in advance. To make sure that windshields are clean, apply a little amount of the cleaning solution to them then using a clean cloth, dry them clean. Additionally, to prevent the blades from wearing out easily, make it a habit to be applying wiper treatments to your car every time you wipe the blades. This will help you save on your maintenance costs.
How to Clean Hard Water Spots From Your Car Windows
While you would want your car windows to look better and improve visibility when riding, some ugly streaks from hard water might still be present on your windows. The way to remove them might be harder sometimes. Make use of the following tips to remove hard water spots from your car windows:
- Start by Identifying Hard Water Buildup From the Windows
While using distilled water to clean your car windows might not have many issues, using hard water can cause spots to appear on the windows. Some places with some minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and lime in the ground have hard water and when used to clean the windows. You may be required to apply other drastic measures to remove the crusty buildup form your car windows. To make sure that this does not result in any damage, it is good to clean these spots as fast as you detect them.
- Assemble Necessary Cleaning Supplies
Some proven solutions to remove these spots are, for instance, is the use of vinegar. Vinegar has been termed as an exceptional cleaner in that it removes hard water stains effectively. To make sure the whole process is successful, make sure you have the following:
- Distilled water
- White Vinegar
- Rubbing alcohol
- Microfiber or clean cotton cloth
- A bucket or a spray bottle
- Mix the Hard Water Cleaner in the Bucket
Add one spoon (tablespoon) of the white vinegar for every cup of warm water and a cup of rubbing alcohol you add to your spray bottle or bucket. It’s worth noting that you are not limited to one tablespoon of vinegar. Depending on the level of the hard water issue, you can add more that fits the purpose and get away with the spots
- Allow Your Car Windows to Dry and Check Again
As it is hard to eliminate hard water spots, you should be keen to countercheck these spots to make sure that your windows are clean. At this point, it is recommended to allow your car windows to first dry up and then observe keenly to detect if there are remaining spots. Make sure that you have parked your car under the sun to make sure that water evaporates faster. If you can still spot any buildup on the car windows, continue spraying the surfaces affected with a cloth until it is removed.
- Apply Some Polish to Improve on the Look
If at the end you feel that your windows still don’t look the way you wanted in that they are less brilliant or cloudy, it is high time you consider applying some polish to the windows to improve on the look. Look for a multi-surface finish restorer that doesn’t contain oils and use them to polish your car windows to achieve your cleanliness goals.
You can Now Drive Clean
You can now enjoy beautiful rides with your family and friends with nice-looking windows. Understand that your car is important and therefore requires care for proper maintenance. With the right information in maintaining your car windows clean, you can now go-ahead to plan on how often you should be cleaning your car windows.