Bon-Ami for cleaning windshields

I read somewhere long ago that Bon-Ami scouring powder was good for cleaning automobile glass. The can even says, "Hasn't scratched yet.", with a picture of a little chick on it.

So I read the directions on a can of it today and it says, "Don't use on windows or mirrors."

Anyone have any thoughts about this? Is it good for cleaning a windshield or not?

TIA

Andy

Reply to
andyandlynn
Loading thread data ...

Absolutely not. There's tons of glass cleaners that don't have anything that smacks of an abrasive. Somone's quote: "I checked my can of Bon Ami(R) and there's no warning against using it on glass. So, I went down to my local grocery store and saw that it's been relabled. There's now a warning on the new cans." It's clain uses the word "gentle abrasive". If you let it dislove first it should be better than straight from the can.

Reply to
rudyxhiebert

IT's the best glass cleaner I've found yet.

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

Detroit Diesel service engineers used to throw some into the intake of a 3-53 and 4-53 in cranes that had trouble seating the rings. It was abrasive enough to do that job. Of course they may have changed the formula.

Reply to
Al Bundy

I read in a magazine that around 55-57, when Chevy was having trouble with the rings seating on the new small block, that this was a factory recommended fix... Not sure how true it is.

Reply to
Kruse

I've always used a pourable wax (such as Turtle Wax) to get an ultra-clean windshield/glass. Beware though, if you have 'pits' in the glass, the wax will find its way into those and leave its dry residue behind, so this works best on glass that is pit-less.

Reply to
mst

The reason why you're getting conflicting yes/no answers is that there have been *two* different Bon Ami formulations. I haven't checked in about

18 years, so this information could be well out of date, but at that time, the kind that came in the round can was too abrasive for use on glass; you ran the risk of creating fine but visible scratches. The kind that came in the rectangular can -- which was the old original Bon Ami cake formulation, but in canned-powder form -- was an excellent and safe glass cleaner. Both cans were yellow (the round one was metallic yellow, the rectangular one was plain yellow) with the red-and-white "Bon Ami" logo, the "Hasn't scratched yet" motto and picture of the chick, etc.

I have no idea whether they still make the old cake/rectangular-can formula any more; my *GUESS* is that they've discontinued it. It was harder to find even 18 years ago.

Unfortunately, Glass Wax has been discontinued. It was an amazingly good glass cleaner. Fortunately, another company has put an identically-formulated replacement on the market ("Window Wax" from

formatting link
-- I note with some amusement that for the season, they've changed the product description to emphasize its use with stencils to *decorate* windows!)

Reply to
Daniel J. Stern

the more info link has warning , Safety Warnings Do not use on wood surfaces or automobile windshields. Keep away from heat, sparks, or open flame: combustible. Containd mineral spirits.

Reply to
Rob B

I don't see why you wouldn't want to use it on an automobile windshield though, it's quite possibly the finest product ever made for putting a shine on glass. In fact I wouldn't use anything else after cleaning, save for a crumpled up black and white newspaper (seriously.)

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

Fascinating. Can't imagine why; it works great.

Reply to
Daniel J. Stern
[snip]

formatting link
have to hover your mouse over the 'cleaning cake' to read about it.They also have a class cleaner, just above the cleaning cake.

Reply to
mst

Lookit there, they still have the two different powders, one in the metallic-yellow can and the original cake formula in the plain yellow can (though it's no longer rectangular).

Their glass cleaner is just like everyone else's; it's an ammonia-based Windexlike stuff in a spray can.

Reply to
Daniel J. Stern

It may just be a CYA situation. Companies have done that more and more in the last few years. Even MSD sheets are made to scare people, ala CYA.

I think, but am not certain, that BonAmi was based upon finely divided feldspar, and was of the mildest of abrasives.

I wouldn't hesitate to use it on glass, or even on dulled paint (with caution) even now.

Reply to
<HLS

I've never had any issues with BonAmi either... I can imagine people scrubbing down windshields with their powder and Scotchbright pads, and blaming BonAmi on the scratches. It could/would cost a lot to defend against a bunch of these... I bet their little lawyer types told them to slap on the warning as a CYA measure as the above poster said.

Uh oh... OT Rant Follows...

Don't you hate going to peoples houses and seeing all their glass and plastic ware with the glaze Scotchbrighted off! Then when they get new stuff, they turn around and do it again! Amazing...

I went to a neighbors 'pot luck' affair a few months ago, and took one of my 'world famous' pot roasts. I carried it up there right in my trusty 20 year old crock pot that's never been within 20 feet of a Scotchbright pad. You guessed it, I let my guard down for a couple of minutes, someone took it to the kitchen and scratched hell of both pot and lid. Cheesed my ass off to say the least.

Rant-Off.

Erik

Reply to
Erik

"Lookit there, they still have the two different powders, one in the metallic-yellow can and the original cake formula in the plain yellow can "

But the web page doesn't distinguish between the two. The words do say, "Use to defog windows and mirrors. NASA even used Cleaning Powder to clean the windows on Skylab."

Andy

Reply to
andyandlynn

Our glassware is like this but we have never scrubbed it. (both of us are too lazy) We just stick it in the dishwasher. Today's dishwashing detergents for use in an automatic dishwasher will etch glass after years of use. The only way you can avoid destroying glassware is to hand-wash it.

Ted

Reply to
Ted Mittelstaedt

My '94 Geo Prizm manual said to do just that with that same Bon-Ami powder. Worked great.

Reply to
Bob M.

Bon Ami may be preferred because it doesn't contain chlorine bleach. But several years ago, Consumer Reports found, contrary to the manufacturer's claim, Bon Ami was not the least abrasive cleanser tested, and even ordinary Ajax and Comet scratched less.

Reply to
do_not_spam_me

Given Condemner Retards' recommendations have for the past twenty years been consistently almost exactly opposite my own experiences, and considering those instances over the same timespan they've printed utterly nonsensical drivel about those few specific fields in which I am extremely knowledgeable, their cleanser findings would tend to make me avoid Ajax or Comet and use Bon Ami.

DS

Reply to
Daniel J. Stern

Testing cleansers isn't like testing cars or TVs. All they have to do is scrub different stains and measure how much is left behind, and my personal experience showed they were right about Bon Ami because I couldn't polish acrylic with it, as I could with cleansers they rated as less abrasive.

Reply to
do_not_spam_me

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.