Corsa9000

After washing the car and cleaning the glass with conventional glass cleaner, my windshield was never clean, lots of marks and dots seemed embedded into the glass, looked horrible with direct sunlight coming through the windshield.

I used a medium paint polish with my orbital buffer and polished the glass three times, then used a clay bar on the windshield to remove the rest of the contaminants. Then proceeded to wash the car and now water flows down on the glass like God intended it to do.

What a difference, I guess sometimes glass can be treated like paint.

easyrider

For those who want to try this, after cleaning the glass I would clay before polishing.

omgitsjoe

I'm pretty picky when it comes to have clean windshields and had always read good things about Stoners Invisible Glass i was at Target and saw that they were on sale for less than $5 a can so decided to finally take the plunge and test it out !!

Well i grabbed the aerosol can and sprayed a nice mist of foam on the windshield and wiped in one direction and did the same on the inside of the windshield but in a different direction and i was amazed at the ease of use and how clean the glass were

Simple and easy with great results !! I'd suggest to anyone trying a can because it has been the best glass product i've used thus far !!

http://www.invisibleglass.com/

sidwynder

Since glass is a lot harder than paint you can use methods on glass that would be risky on paint.
This includes pot scrubbers and chemical cleaners.
I never heard of claying glass but there is always more than one way to do things.
Usually soap and water followed up by windex does it for me.

Corsa9000

Windex is not good for your auto glass because it contains ammonia. Always use a glass cleaner without ammonia, causes long term damage.

AZN Optics

Do NOT use windex, especially if you have tinted windows. As mentioned, Windex contains ammonia which is not tint safe. And you don't want to use pot scrubbers as you can and will scratch and cause swirls in your glass. Treat your glass like paint. If you have rough surface, clay it. Just like paint, it will remove surface contaminants. Pretty simple and common practice among detailers. If you have fine scratches and swirls in your glass, you can machine polish it with a glass polish. For normal cleaning, Invisible Glass or Sprayway are two excellent OTC products. Use a glass microfiber (very short nap) or glass waffle weave towel to prevent scratches and particles. During rainy seasons, I like to treat the glass with Aquapel after full cleaning.

sidwynder

Ammonia is not going to hurt glass.
Unless you have a aftermarket tint ammonia is not going to hurt your tint either.
After market tints are applied to the inside of the glass and virtually never to the windshield.
In addition a aftermarket tint is not glass but plastic.

The OP spoke only about his windshield and he did not mention anything about a tint factory or after market or any other windows. My response was to the original remark the OP made.
Most people know enough not to put ammonia on their paint or after market tint as both are basically plastic.

A plastic pot scrubber cannot put permanent swirl marks in glass, you would need an process and or substance that was abrasive to do that.

Is your process the professional way to clean your glass? It could be, It sounds elaborate enough.
Will my process damage the glass? No, Glass is not damaged by soap or ammonia.

Treating glass like paint....? Not every thing designed to work on paint will work as well or as safely on glass.

AZN Optics

I did mention to not use window SPECIFICALLY because it isn't tint safe. But I guess I didn't explain why else you shouldn't use windex on exterior even if you don't have tints.... Windex is extremely streaky and will cause hazing on the glass that is very noticeable during rain and at night when condensation is higher. It leaves behind a very thin translucent residue that you'll have to wipe a lot to get off. Even then, if you have any form of peppered chips on your windshield, that residue will be stuck there. It was not meant for cleaning automotive windows, that's why Windex specifically came out with their Automotive Windex blend.

And you'd be surprised at how easy it is to swirl up and scratch your windshield. Plastic pot scrubbers probably won't damage it as fast as some other pot scrubbers, but if you're pressing down and vigorously scrubbing glass as you would a pot it will scratch. Also they will drag contaminants across the glass which can most definitely also cause scratches.

And I know all about tints, we have a tint shop. You're right, aftermarket tint is applied on the inside of the glass, but most people when cleaning their car, will clean the outside AND inside at the same time. Also, there are plenty who apply film protectants on the front of their windshield...basically a clear bra specifically for windshields to prevent rock chips and perfectly optically clear.

And when I say treat glass like paint, I meant treat it with the same care and respect as you would paint, not use the same products, which should be obvious...

Corsa9000

Amonia being bad for aftermarket tints, it has other negatives, here they are from AutoGeek.net:

Ammonia can release dangerous fumes that should not be inhaled, especially in enclosed areas like the inside of your vehicle.
Chemically, ammonia acts to dry out plastic, rubber, vinyl, and leather.
Most significantly, in sunnier climates, car owners often customize with additional non-factory tinting. Ammonia based cleaners cannot be used on tinted windows. If your current cleaner does not state “ammonia-free” or “safe for tinted windows” you should find another cleaner.

220S

The point is, there's no point in using Windex with ammonia when there are superior automotive glass cleaning products out there.

Another thing that claying your windshield does is to give the glass the kind of surface that keeps wiper blades from chattering.

Sounds to me that AZN Optics knows the deal....

sidwynder

Some people use a mix of water and vinegar.
It maybe ok on to use on the outside.
I don't know if I would want to take a chance of getting a vinegar oder in my car.
I find the interior glass can be the hardest to clean if a person smokes.
Cooked foods can also leave a film on the glass just as normal breathing will.

With the exception of the windshield, the inside and outside of the windows are realitively easy to clean.
Cleaning the inside of the windshield is usually the last thing I do.
I am not too keen on cleaning the inside of the rear window either.
I don't like the concave curve.
It makes them very awkward to clean.

Mark1605

Been using "Invisible Glass" for years. I first used it on our Corvette and have used nothing else since then. No ammonia and no streaking, even in direct sun light.

dynomite05

I have a question for the expert. I have a scratch on my rear passenger tint. Is there anything that could be done or will the entire window need to be re-tinted? Also I don't remember the exact % of the tint, would a good shop be able to figure it out or will I have to do everything all over again?

tsquare

Used Stoners Invisible Glass (non-aerosol) - Product worked great - best glass cleaner I have ever used