3 Essential Auto Detailing Glass Cleaning Tips
by Greg Gellas
Clean clear glass is a necessity for finished vehicle services. At Signature Detailing New Jersey we understand how frustrating detailing glass cleaning can be for both professionals and vehicle enthusiasts alike.
This article will share our top 3 essential auto detailing glass cleaning tips to help you to more effectively clean glass. In addition when used together, we hope these tips help your detailing glass cleaning for your vehicle and around the house.
Auto Detailing Glass Cleaning Tip #1: Using Two Towels
Glass quickly soils with multiple layers of contamination. Interior glass is often worse than exterior glass because human breathing deposits skin particles, makeup, and sometimes smoke directly onto the surface.
To effectively clean glass, we require two towels to efficiently remove contamination from the surface. This is because each towel has a defined role in the process.
- Towel #1 Removes up to 90% of all built up contamination and gook from the surface. For the first glass cleaning towel we recommend a non-linting longer nap towel to effectively remove contamination, such as the rag company eagle edgeless towel.
- Towel #2 Removes any left-over contamination. However, towel #2’s real role is to make the class optically clear. For the second glass cleaning towel, we recommend a super short or no nap towel, such as the rag company diamond glass towel.
Auto Detailing Glass Cleaning Tip #2: Wiping Directions
To know which side of the glass requires cleaning or refinement at Signature Detailing New Jersey we have a method.
- For interior glass cleaning, the last wiping passes are always performed in vertical motions.
- For exterior glass cleaning the last wiping passes are always performed in horizontal motions.
With this method, we can quickly determine which side of the glass requires more cleaning and then quickly fix the issue. This method of distinctive wiping directions greatly increased both overall glass cleaning efficiency and lowered the time need for any touch ups during our final quality checks.
Auto Detailing Glass Cleaning Tip #3: A Simple Effective Product
For auto detailing glass cleaning you want a formula that cuts through contamination and is easy to use and is safe for tint. We aren’t looking for extra features here; all we need is quick, effective, and reliable cleaning.
Additionally, we prefer products that are readily available for purchase both online and in person.
Based on these criteria, we recommend the Stoner Invisible Glass. While both aerosol or spray versions work well, we favor the aerosol due to its ease of use.
This formula has withstood the test of time for hundreds of thousands of detailers and home car care enthusiasts. And, when combined with tips #1 and #2 above, Stoner has proven to be a winning combination.
One last tip….go the extra step and lower each window and clean the very top of both sides of the glass that seals the window when all the up.
What are your thoughts on using an IPA for really filthy glass? I’ve found it to work very well, especially for smoker’s vehicles.
A light polish works well for dirty, neglected interior glass. If you haven’t used Nextzeit Glass Cleaner then you are working too hard. Nextzeit GC cuts through bugs and dirt better than any of the dozens of GCs I have tried, and it’s inexpensive too!
Or simply a microfiber rag soaked in a bucket of soapy Dawn liquid and a waffle weave towel to buff dry. Cheap and removes haze and off gassing with no problems. Then, if needed, use Stoner glass cleaner for a final wipedown.
When cleaning glass the key is to remove all contamination and any remaining cleaner behind to avoid streaks. With this method you will certainly remove a good amount of dirt and grime, but dawn has a high chance of leaving behind film on the surface. I would recommend following up with a cleaner of some sort to be sure nothing is left behind as streaks will most likely pop up down the line.
In a professional setting, where you’re doing multiple cars a day, and using your glass cleaning towels constantly. How often do you find they need to be replaced? Especially the drying towel. I wash my glass towels weekly, usually by themselves so as not to contaminate. But I find very light streaks left behind all too often when using a headlight to do my final quality check.
In a professional setting you will want to swap out towels with each vehicle. Even with the same vehicle you will want to swap towels during the cleaning process to help avoid streaks. In general I will use 1-4 towels depending on how dirty the interior glass surfaces are. If you are seeing streaks, try using a good glass cleaner and saturating the towel a bit more before the initial cleaning. You want to cut through the dirt and grime to remove it. From there, it is key to use a few different towels and swap to clean areas often. Swapping to clean areas will help make sure you are not reintroducing any dirt, grime, or cleaner back onto the glass.
What’s your favorite non linting towel(s)?
The Autofiber Diamond, Rag Company Diamond or Autofiber Glass Flip towels are some of my favorites.
What would you recommend for cleaning tinted windows? Something that would not affect its performance, and still come out completely streak free?
You want to find an ammonia-free, tint safe glass cleaner like the Oberk Glass Cleaner, CarPro Clarify, or Gtechniq G6 and utilize multiple clean microfiber towels to remove dirt, grime and film, while leaving the glass streak free.
Hi,
This is my first time emailing U.My problem is WATER SPOTS. HOW and What can I use to remove these water spots. I have a 2015 FORD EXPLORER. Can U help?
Thanks,
Sonny
Send us an email (https://www.detailedimage.com/Contact/) and a rep can help asap!