I have found the solution to perfectly clear windows

[JonW]

Hazy windows, especially the windshield, drive me out of my mind. I recently bought a pristine 1973 GTO from the original owner. Beautiful car, but the glass was hazy. It seemed the more I tried to clean it with glass cleaner, the worse and more smeary it got. Yes, vinegar in water probably works, but I was saving that as a very last resort. I washed my microfiber towels by themselves with microfiber towel cleaner, didn't make any difference. Tried numerous brands of window cleaner, but to no avail. The haze and streaking would never go away. This was really driving my nuts. So, last night at midnight I went out to the garage determined to find a solution. And I did. The name brands may or may not make a difference in the end result, but I was working with what I had on hand. Here's my formula for success:

 

1) Clean the windows inside and out with Sprayway glass cleaner to remove any dirt.,

2) Wax the outside of the windows with Meguiar's Cleaner Wax.

3) Clean and buff the inside of the windows with Adam's Polishes waterless car wash spray.

 

That's it, absolutely perfect windows.

 

[Porsche 68]

Always had great results with 000 steel wool 

[JayG]

0000 steel wool cleans dirty and cloudy glass.  After using a cleaner like Windex follow up with a newspaper wipe down.  It removes the streaks and film leftover. 

[Tonz]

I just go inside and clean my spectacles🥴

[chistech]

Glass stove top cleaner does a fantastic job on all glass. Most house windows have streaks of acid rain on them that absolutely won’t come off with window cleaner. Clean them with glass stove top cleaner and the streaks come right off. 

[plymouthcranbrook]

On 10/4/2022 at 7:24 AM, Tonz said:

I just go inside and clean my spectacles🥴

That worked until I had my cataract surgery...

[Glen Andrews]

On 10/3/2022 at 2:22 PM, JonW said:

Hazy windows, especially the windshield, drive me out of my mind. I recently bought a pristine 1973 GTO from the original owner. Beautiful car, but the glass was hazy. It seemed the more I tried to clean it with glass cleaner, the worse and more smeary it got. Yes, vinegar in water probably works, but I was saving that as a very last resort. I washed my microfiber towels by themselves with microfiber towel cleaner, didn't make any difference. Tried numerous brands of window cleaner, but to no avail. The haze and streaking would never go away. This was really driving my nuts. So, last night at midnight I went out to the garage determined to find a solution. And I did. The name brands may or may not make a difference in the end result, but I was working with what I had on hand. Here's my formula for success:

 

1) Clean the windows inside and out with Sprayway glass cleaner to remove any dirt.,

2) Wax the outside of the windows with Meguiar's Cleaner Wax.

3) Clean and buff the inside of the windows with Adam's Polishes waterless car wash spray.

 

That's it, absolutely perfect windows.

 

Jon, this is a topic that most if not all of us have dealt with. About 7 or 8 years ago I was cleaning cars for a small classic car place, I tried various window cleaners on the glass, most of the time I got the glass nearly perfectly clean. I did the final detailing inside the building and the glass was the second to last thing I'd do.  I feel like the main thing is the glass has to be cool, much like when you went out at midnight to your garage. A couple of years ago I tried the Sprayway cleaner and it does a great job especially when the glass is cool. So today I did the glass on my garage queen '99 Corvette and after using Sprayway cleaner I waxed the windshield with Meguiar's Cleaner Wax. When I clean the outside of the glass I use vertical strokes, and go horizontal when doing the inside so when the sun hits the glass you can tell if the outside or inside needs more work. I did not have time to try a detailer spray on the inside, however the results were pretty good with some more work needed on the inside. I thought about cleaning the inside again and using the cleaner wax on the inside. There have been times I tried lacquer thinner, brake clean, vinegar & water, on my daily driver vehicle, but the Sprayway Cleaner seems to give the best results, and I use clean microfiber cloths and a waffle cloth for windows that I got from the detail supply shop in town. A problem with more modern era cars on the inside comes from the oils and chemicals coming out of the dashboard and other plastic interior parts as they are slowly deteriorating, and combined with moisture and so on from the human body as we ride in the car. (I like what someone mentioned about the glass stovetop cleaner, as I have some house windows that may get that treatment.) Anyway I feel your pain when it comes to getting glass absolutely clean.

[JACK M]

Its the 60 year old hard water spots that I cant seem to get rid of.

Possibly some fine steel wool, but my arm got tired on the small test area.

[Leif in Calif]

On 10/8/2022 at 9:05 PM, chistech said:

Glass stove top cleaner does a fantastic job on all glass. Most house windows have streaks of acid rain on them that absolutely won’t come off with window cleaner. Clean them with glass stove top cleaner and the streaks come right off. 

I had 40 years in the glass business, including 10 with the company formerly known as LOF, actually melting sand. Spray away is sort of the industry standard, but I could definitely see glass stove top cleaner being effective.  As someone earlier posted, make sure the glass is relatively cool (Never in direct sun) and do one last careful wipe when it appears like you've already got all the glass cleaner off. 

[Larry Schramm]

My solution to cleaning windshields is two fold.

 

On the outside of the glass/windshield use BonAmi cleaner.  It will not scratch.  At one time it actually had a General Motors part number.   It will clean about everything that will come off the windshield.

 

For the inside of the windows, the best method is to use any good glass cleaner with newspaper.  Spray the glass then wad up a piece of newspaper and wipe the window clean.  No cloth material needed.  Just the newspaper.  Works great to get the "fog" off the glass.

 

Don't laugh, try it.

Edited October 15, 2022 by Larry Schramm (see edit history)

[Glen Andrews]

Larry, back in the early 80's I worked in a body shop for a while and we did use a foam cleaner, maybe Sprayway, and used newspaper to wipe down the glass, and it worked great. It's difficult now to find newspaper so that's a reason for using microfiber towels and the "waffle" towel (for glass) available from the Auto Detail Supplier. Years ago most of us probably used an old t-shirt to clean windows and to buff the wax off the car, try finding a t-shirt made of 100% cotton, now they are mostly polyester and may have "flex" fabric in them, so microfiber towels are a good tool for cleaning and buffing.

[EmTee]

3 hours ago, Glen Andrews said:

It's difficult now to find newspaper...

Not if you do a fair amount of online shopping.  I'd guess about half of the packages arriving at my house contain plain newsprint as 'filler' inside the outer box.  I save the paper whenever I receive a package containing it.  I now have a small box full of clean newsprint that I use with spray glass cleaner on my window glass.  Someone gave me a new can of 'Safelite' glass cleaner (maybe they had a windshield replaced) and it really does a good job - no streaking.

[Larry Schramm]

4 hours ago, Glen Andrews said:

Larry, back in the early 80's I worked in a body shop for a while and we did use a foam cleaner, maybe Sprayway, and used newspaper to wipe down the glass, and it worked great. It's difficult now to find newspaper so that's a reason for using microfiber towels and the "waffle" towel (for glass) available from the Auto Detail Supplier. Years ago most of us probably used an old t-shirt to clean windows and to buff the wax off the car, try finding a t-shirt made of 100% cotton, now they are mostly polyester and may have "flex" fabric in them, so microfiber towels are a good tool for cleaning and buffing.

 

Do you not get flyers in the mail?  Many are made of newsprint.  If not go to the local grocery store and grab their weekly flyer and use it.  The Kroger near us uses news print.

[Layden B]

The real trouble with newspaper is that it has changed from the "Old Days". Today it has clay in it. When you use Windex or other cleaner it breaks down the paper and leaves a smear of white clay residue on the glass. The suggestion is to use simple white paper towels. While they are made of recycled newspapers the clay is lost in the process and the absence makes the paper towels much more absorbent.  

Do you remember when you could wad up newspapers to start a fire and they burned up almost completely? Not today. People used to roll newspapers into a log to burn, cannot do that now.

I just tried the stove top cleaner today and I want to thank everyone who suggested it! It worked great! Got rid of the "fog" that had vexed me for some time.

[Glen Andrews]

Well guys I don't do a lot of online shopping, I rarely go to the grocery store-someone else in the house does that ( I carry it into the house), do get some flyers in the mail but by the time I get them out of the box (it's a new neighborhood with a centralized box station) and my box is low so by the time I get the flyers out coupons are falling out and once I pick up the crap that hit the ground I can't wait to wad it all up and stuff it into the trash, man I have it tough! not really. I have plenty of things saved in my garage just don't need anymore. I do have a 12" wide log of white painters paper, maybe I could try that just to see if it works; but I'm used to using the microfiber towels now. Several years ago I had a Safelite windshield replaced and the guy left me a can of their cleaner, and as EmTee noted it does an excellent cleaning job on glass.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Packing paper used in moving is the same as newsprint. 

 

  Ben

[john compono]

thanks guys I'll try the above answers and products you guys suggested. one of the products have to work on my car windows. 

[Frank DuVal]

I get newsprint delivered to my house everyday. How else to support local journalism instead of whatever someone posts online? Of course online editions of local papers just don't clean like the good stuff. The Ipad scratches the glass.😁

[Glen Andrews]

On 10/3/2022 at 2:22 PM, JonW said:

Hazy windows, especially the windshield, drive me out of my mind. I recently bought a pristine 1973 GTO from the original owner. Beautiful car, but the glass was hazy. It seemed the more I tried to clean it with glass cleaner, the worse and more smeary it got. Yes, vinegar in water probably works, but I was saving that as a very last resort. I washed my microfiber towels by themselves with microfiber towel cleaner, didn't make any difference. Tried numerous brands of window cleaner, but to no avail. The haze and streaking would never go away. This was really driving my nuts. So, last night at midnight I went out to the garage determined to find a solution. And I did. The name brands may or may not make a difference in the end result, but I was working with what I had on hand. Here's my formula for success:

 

1) Clean the windows inside and out with Sprayway glass cleaner to remove any dirt.,

2) Wax the outside of the windows with Meguiar's Cleaner Wax.

3) Clean and buff the inside of the windows with Adam's Polishes waterless car wash spray.

 

That's it, absolutely perfect windows.

 

Jon: Back in October I used your above glass cleaning formula on my '99 Corvette, the Meguiars Cleaner Wax worked out really nice, then in early November I drove about an hour to a car show, well that morning here in NC it was a little cool, moist, and some fog around, well all my windows fogged up with condensation on them (outside) and I had to hit the wipers so i could see, the wax kind of smeared a bit so when I got back home I cleaned the remaining wax off the windshield. So now I use a cleaner first, and then use the Sprayway foam soap, and very painstakingly dry the glass with new clean 100% cotton cloths and microfiber towels, and of course when the glass is cool and in the garage.

[drhach]

Vinegar and wadded up newspaper has been the best thing I've ever used. I think that will even remove some hard water spots. 

[Bryan G]

I used to use this local glass company all the time back at the shop; as a gimmick, he would finish up the job by cleaning the glass with a fresh can of  cleaner with his own private label, and then leave it with us. My stepmother loved that stuff so I called and asked if I could buy her some. He said it was just Sprayway with his own label!

[Dandy Dave]

I don't have that problem with the old White. Good advice from all. Thanks.

[Dandy Dave]

The problem with newspaper is that it is nearly obsolete. Use to be everywhere. 

[drhach]

1 hour ago, Dandy Dave said:

The problem with newspaper is that it is nearly obsolete. Use to be everywhere. 

I guess we get all of our bad news and gossip from the internet now :).

[JFranklin]

4 hours ago, Dandy Dave said:

The problem with newspaper is that it is nearly obsolete. Use to be everywhere. 

Now I get no news anymore, and as a measure of insult I have to purchase commercial fire starter.

[Dandy Dave]

16 hours ago, JFranklin said:

Now I get no news anymore, and as a measure of insult I have to purchase commercial fire starter.

If it wern't for junk mail that still comes, and 100 acers of woods here on the farm, we would not have anything to start the wood stoves we have here or fuel to keep them going. Back to cleaning windows. 

[Dandy Dave]

19 hours ago, drhach said:

I guess we get all of our bad news and gossip from the internet now :).

All the news that's fit to print. And some that aint. And then there's that fake news mixed in. 

[Nailbitten]

On 10/3/2022 at 1:22 PM, JonW said:

Hazy windows, especially the windshield, drive me out of my mind. I recently bought a pristine 1973 GTO from the original owner. Beautiful car, but the glass was hazy. It seemed the more I tried to clean it with glass cleaner, the worse and more smeary it got. Yes, vinegar in water probably works, but I was saving that as a very last resort. I washed my microfiber towels by themselves with microfiber towel cleaner, didn't make any difference. Tried numerous brands of window cleaner, but to no avail. The haze and streaking would never go away. This was really driving my nuts. So, last night at midnight I went out to the garage determined to find a solution. And I did. The name brands may or may not make a difference in the end result, but I was working with what I had on hand. Here's my formula for success:

 

1) Clean the windows inside and out with Sprayway glass cleaner to remove any dirt.,

2) Wax the outside of the windows with Meguiar's Cleaner Wax.

3) Clean and buff the inside of the windows with Adam's Polishes waterless car wash spray.

 

That's it, absolutely perfect windows.

 

One of the coolest tricks i ever used was back when we rode motorcylces,camped and traveled all over the united states,all of us,believe it or not,washed our windshields with...LEMON PLEDGE!!! YEP, You try it.It takes a lot of rubbing until it gets super shiny and crystal clear but i tell you what...You will not have fog,the rain slides off,and it will last for a long time.If you dig deep on some of the MC forums you will find out lots of them use it.I bought a new Dodge Challenger and that thing fogged worse than a 63 Volkswagon in the winter.I worked at it and rubbed the Lemon Pledge in and it has been fog free since over a year ago.We used micro fiber but like i say,you keep rubbing until it turns clear and you will see it is shiny.It is one of the best weird tricks i ever used.

[Marty Roth]

On 1/16/2023 at 5:48 PM, Frank DuVal said:

I get newsprint delivered to my house everyday. How else to support local journalism instead of whatever someone posts online? Of course online editions of local papers just don't clean like the good stuff. The Ipad scratches the glass.😁

Same here !

My fresh brewed morning cuppa New Aww-linz Coffee & Chickory served in bed to my bride, and a mug for myself (I am an adopted New Orleanian)-

Read the editorials, comics, briefly scan the obituaries - then if my name isn't there, I get out of bed again.

 

We get the local paper delivered to our front door every morning.

I save it in stacks to place under the oil drain pan,

as packing material when shipping fragile items,

rolled up to swat a bug who gets too close to the beef ribs I'm Bar-B-Q-ing,

on the carpet of a car I'm working on if my shoes are not clean.

I also sometimes use the vinegar and newspaper like my grandmother did when I helped her back in the mid-1940s-

It worked then, and still does-

But Also have a spray can from Safe-Lite.

 

Our ipad hasn't scratched the glass, but only because I usually don't recall where I left it while SHE was using it last.

[EmTee]

I save and use the blank newsprint that arrives inside many of the boxes that land on my porch 3 or 4 times a week.  Best part is, in addition to being lint-free, my fingers aren't black when I'm finished. 

[rocketraider]

Lately all I use is a dampened microfiber towel folded square. Wipe the glass, rinse the towel and wring out, then make another pass 90° out from the first. Finish with a clean dry microfiber. I can get in awkward corners using this method. 

 

You'd be amazed how dirty the rinse water gets, even in a vehicle that isn't smoked in.

 

Used to swear by Gold Seal Glass Wax but I don't think it's made anymore. I haven't tried any of the newer "glass wax" products.

 

I've read that newsprint ink formulations have changed too and the newer soy inks are prone to leave streaks on glass.