I was wondering what is the best stuff you can use that will give you the cleanest glass and keep it from fogging up and such. I have used windex and it’s okay but after about a week my glass needs cleaning again (inside).
You don’t tell us about your car, but the 3 main causes of a windshied that needs frequent cleaning on the inside are:
- Outgassing of the plastic on the interior of the car,especially the
dash. - Smoking
- A leaking heater core.
I have a 2002 Kia sedona, no smoking inside and so not sure what is causing the grime buildup, just wondering what people have found to be the best way to clean and keep clean and fog up free windshield glass
I’ve used both Windex and ‘Invisble Glass’, but the most important thing to me is what you use for paper - old newsprint is great, abrasive enough to get the grime off, just watch out for leaving black ink on adjoining fabric.
I bet you’re having 1, outgassing, that’s common in new cars.
Keeping it clean minimizes fogging.
Use a spray cleaner such as the one pictured…Sprayway. Ity leaves no streaks…Ammonia based like Windex will leave you chasing squeaks all day. Sprayway is awesome.
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“I bet you’re having 1, outgassing, that’s common in new cars.”
Yes, it is common in new cars, but…do you really consider a 9 year old car to be new?
Just for the heck of it, I think that the OP should check the level of the coolant in his/her radiator (when the engine is cold, naturally), in order to see if the level has dropped below normal. On a 9 year old car, I think that a leaking heater core is more likely than outgassing from the vinyl interior.
If it turns out that there is no problem with the heater core, I would suggest using Invisible Glass cleaner, as it is better than any other glass cleaner that I have used.
Ooops, missed the year. At 10 years, stuff may start breaking down. Or they’re just dirty. An antifreeze leak would be pretty obvious, a damp deposit on the windows.
My first guess is that it’s deposits that have been building up over the years, and now it’s tough to get them off. You also might try a rough scrubber, like one of those ‘magic eraser sponges’.
The plasticizers will outgas from your dash board forever. It slows over time, but never stops. Think of it as “rust never sleeps”, only for plastics. You can stop it by putting a barrier on the source, like a towel on the dashboard. You could also use a windshield heat shield with a metallized outer layer. That will slow it down. I like the idea of newspaper abrading off the gook. You could use alcohol, but that mostly smears it around unless you start at one side and wipe consistently to the other with no return strokes.
If you have a leak in your heater core, that puts some coolant mist onto the inside of your windows. It is very nasty stuff to clean and/or remove. This could be the grime you are talking about. Your windows should not get grungy so quickly.
Both my wife and I smoke, and since we live in Texas (= hot = A/C all the time), the windows are normally cracked, but rarely all the way down. We don’t have this problem in either car. Something’s happening that’s making them filthy, so you should probably follow the advice above and figure out what it is. Whatever the problem is, it won’t get better on its own.
I find that scrubbing the inside with a piece of crumpled up newspaper, dry, no sprays or anything, gets that filmy stuff off very well.
As mentioned, crumpled up B&W ink newspaper is the best. You’ll be amazed at how well it works.
While I agree with the newspaper advice, I find it easier for me just to use an old bath towel. I get one end damp and the other dry and get at it. Easy and fast.
Everything suggested in the above responses also work.
I use Windex and crumpled newspaper. It works better if you do it twice, that is, after cleaning the glass, go over it again with a real light windex spray and a fresh wad of newsprint. You may want to check your heater core.
No problem with heater core, kinda like what happens with a car that has heavy smokers in it, which it may have had, but since I bought it over a year ago no smokers inside at all.
It takes a while for those smoking fumes to air out of the car. It gets everywhere. I have an '88 Supra I bought from my Dad. I don’t smoke, and he was a chain-smoker. The residue was thick enough on the windows that it could be scraped off with a razor-scraper. I cleaned dashboards, upholstery, door panels, side panels, even pulled the rear seat and cleaned under that. Still took 6 months to a year for the remaining fumes to gas out. I’ve had it for the last 3 years, and I’m still finding residue in hidden areas.
I had a similar problem with my windshield up to about a year ago. It stays clean now. The only thing that was getting it clean was ‘Invisible Glass’ from Stoner Industries and newspaper. But, I still had to clean it once a week for a while.
I use CASTROL SUPER CLEAN…Nothing and I mean nothing cleans off deposits like that stuff. It is a POWERFUL De-Greaser. I use it on my windshields prior to using Rain-X. Also Old Timer makes a great suggestion…windshield fogging on the inside can very well be indicative of a leaking heater core…and or a clogged vent system drain…the same drain that drips water out of the bottom of the car when you have your AC on.
Do you have any funny smells in the cabin of the vehicle? Any “Sweet” smell? OR does it smell Horrible for a moment when you turn the A/C on? Let us know. We want to know why you are dealing with a foggy windshield so much I guess…
I do not know if it is related, but after years of trying to get a shower door clean, I read a dryer sheet, damp because of the ability to break down hard water or whatever works. I tried it and it worked removing soap and hard water buildup on the shower door. Note it is rough on the hands so wear rubber or similar gloves. My wind shield after all attempts at every suggestion gets 3 months max out of a new wiper then smears for the first 30 seconds, I always thought it was because it was an inferior quality replacement wind shield. I will try a bounce sheet on it tomorrow, inside and out and let you know.
You can use liquid wax on the inside of your windshield and both sides of all your other glass. You can also use spray wax which leaves far less residue on any fabric that you slop it onto. Once you do that, no regular cleaner will work without streaking. I know that vinegar removes wax but you might not want to work with it inside your car. Waxing the windows works great on the window glass in the doors.
Do not use paper towels in combination with one of those sprays. It can make things worse. I use an old towel.