Windscreen Cleaner

Vinegar and newspaper. Not in the same bottle though.

Many thanks for that. Will give it a go.

Eddie

You used to get a cleaning kit with the new screen if you flashed your RAC membership card when they did it. The cleaner in there is very good. I think it might have been made by Autoglen.

Will

A back problem means I have to rely on automatic car washes. These often finish up with a waxing cycle. The wax built up on my windscreen and obstructed vision to the point where it was unsafe to drive after dark when it was raining.

I tried everything I could think of to remove it. I used vinegar, neat ammonia, dry cleaning fluid, solvents, you name it, I tried it. I tried every screen cleaner I could find in Halfrauds all to no avail.

Eventually, in desperation, I tried Cif bath cleaner. (This is the gritty abrasive cream stuff). I tried it on a small area to make certain it would not scratch the glass. Once I was happy I was not going to be looking through frosted glass, I gave the screen a really good clean with it.

Bingo! Problem solved - my car's cataracts have gone! The wipers leave no smear at all.

I would not use this on a regular basis, but I have done it twice in the last two months with no ill-effects. Obviously try it at your own risk!

HTH

Chris

I've often used a kitchen cleaner to remove stubborn much from glass - I figured it it was safe on ceramics it shouldn't scratch glass, but always tried a patch in the corner first.

However, I have *something* on all the glass on my car at the moment, except in the swept areas on the front and rear windscreens. It shows up most when rinsing the car down, or when it is cold and mist condenses, and looks like hand-drawn wiggly lines running down about 1/2" apart. I *think* it's a wax residue but can't shift it with anything I've tried. Autoglym glass cleaner, vinegar, Cif, toothpaste, nothing budges it. Any ideas welcome - especially in misty conditions it can be difficult to see through. I had thought of some aggressive solvent, but of course I'm going to be working close to the the paintwork...

Have a look at ESS II here in Electrical/Electronic cleaners section

As this is industrial cleaning stuff it might be an idea to give them a call for advice and also where retailers are.

I used some ESS Fast on an old monitor that had been used in a very harsh environment which meant that it was covered in a thick layer of oil and grease, it cleaned up beautifully. Pretty worrying warning labels all over the can though as it consists of "a high level of flammible materials"

Why pay a fortune for something you can make yourself? 50-50 meths and water, and a dry clean rag will do the job.

Cheers,

Having mentioned meths&water half-and-half, a thought occurs: how about windowlene (or $OWNBRAND glass cleaner)? It's made for, like, cleaning windows. The pink stuff might require more effort, but the green spray works wonders inside and out.

Cheers,

My advice would be DO NOT use the old-fashioned pink Windolene on any area swept by the wipers. It leaves a film, rather than removes one! I'm not sure about the sprays, but they didn't help with the problem I had.

BTW, neat meths was one of the things I had tried, but it didn't work for me. I also had tried industrial alcohol and Isopropanol!

Chris

I can see that - it's kinda like turtlewax anyway :->

Hmmmm. What have you got on there, tar? Cellulose thinners might be the answer, as they don't rot your paintwork like regular thinners. Mind you, the green spray windowlene has been fine on the Triumph inside and out, and I like it because it leaves no film whatsoever.

Cheers,

The message from Chris Whelan contains these words:

Odd - I've found it works a treat, being slightly abrasive it cuts through all the wax left behind when you mistakenly wash the screen with car shampoo.

Why would you need a brilliant cleaner on a new screen? All it has to remove is a few hand prints - not that nasty traffic film, or wax from carwashes etc.

Washing up liquid and warm water.

I had a new windscreen fitted a couple of weeks ago and it's a complete shit to clean. I'm sure there must be a thick layer of something horrid on it still. I think I'm going to try meths on it tomorrow.

When the window freezes in the cold I can see odd patterns on it and they take an age to unfreeze.

--Nick.

A neighbour borrowed the car and in return washed it. Don't know what he put on but its all smear and I cannot shirt it. Its very waxy and also when its raining its impossible to see and dangerous.

Eddie

Hot (NOT BOILING) water poured evenly across the windscreen will shift any wax completely. For regular cleaning afterwards regular glass cleaner should do it.

I have found AutoGlym Car Glass Polish to be absolutely superb. Much better than any spray cleaners, their own "Fast Glass" included! It got rid of grime and dirt nothing else did.

G.

Thank you all for your help, very much appreciated.

Eddie