What is the best solution and type of wiping material to use on the windshield after washing the car?(Inside and out) Whatever I use tends to leave streaks and smears.
I get a lot of the streaks off by using a dry towel. I used to like ammonia. In the hot sun, I would use parsons sudsing ammonia. In cooler weather you might want to use a squeegie.
No matter what liquid solution you use, the hands down, best window cleaning comes from using newspaper. Crumple up a sheet and try it. You’ll be amazed at how well it works.
"best window cleaning comes from using newspaper"
This is really better than one of the thick type paper towels? I’ll have to try it; just a little while ago I was thinking of how when I clean my windows I’ll have to try harder to get the streaks and smears off.
This is almost unrelated, but when I was a kid another kid said that the best way to get rust pitting off bicycle handlebars was to rub the area down with aluminum foil, and I think he said the foil should be wet. Has anyone ever heard of this procedeure? I wonder if the crumpled aluminum acts as an abrasive, and if so, would this be better than steel wool? Or, maybe a coating of aluminum gets rubbed on the pitting, looking like chrome?.
Agree with TwinTurbo. Another vote here for newspaper - been using it for 40+ years.
Years ago I heard that the pages needed to be “black and white” only with no color pictures. Not sure if that’s still true.
Yes, still true. I was doing car detailing for a summer job a few years back. Color printed sheets do not do as good a job. Also, ammonia products react with the pigments in a lot of window tint film. It will turn them purple. We used our own mix of white vinegar and water. I forget the ratio, but it was like a cup or half a cup per gallon.
Add another vote for newspaper with vinegar and water. You don’t need much vinegar.
Use whatever you like to CLEAN the windshield, then use the newspaper to wipe it off.
Years ago there was a write-up in one of the car magazines about using newspaper to clean windows. Supposedly the black ink “polishes” the glass. Regardless of why it works, newspaper does usually result in clean, streak-free and lint-free glass.
You newspaper fans – does this method also work as well on home windows and patio doors?
Newspaper (black&white) works on any glass.
And I was using windex! I will try the newspaper.
Uhhhh, you seem to be missing the point.
You use a glass cleaner, such as Windex, or even water to clean the glass, then use the newspaper to wipe/buff/polish the Windex off the glass.
The result is very clean, streak and lint free windows.
Use a shot glass of vinegar to 1/2 bottle of tap water in a cheapo spray bottle. Black & white newspaper for wiping it off. You won’t believe how well it works. The Nuns at St. Josephs Elementary School showed me how to clean anything (during my repeated detentions). Wanna know how to remove wax from a floor? Starch shirts? Clean a chalkboard without streaking it? Refurbish textbooks? Rocketman
You must have had a LOT of detention!!!
Yes the newspaper idea works. First you clean the windows and then you use the newspapers. The newsprint does not have lint, but mostly it leaves a little film, sort of like Rain-X but a little different. It also cheaper. Don’t use the color pages and you may find some newsprint works better than others because of the different inks used.
I’ve never used newspaper, but I have found that many budget glass cleaners leave streaks. I’ve personally never had a problem with Windex and paper towels.