I and most of the guys in my morning coffee group complain about a film that is deposited on the inside of our windshields. None of us smoke. It has been suggested that it is from the out gassing from plastics. It is very difficult to remove it with window cleaner. No matter what I try, it still leaves streaks.
Cleaning suggestions would be appreciated.
I’ve always had luck with Windex and a wad of newspaper. It helps to go over it twice.
I use ‘Invisible Glass’ from Stoner. I think it works much better than Windex.
Invisible Glass is indeed much better than Windex. If your local supermarket doesn’t carry it, you should be able to find it at Lowe’s and/or Home Depot.
Here’s another vote for Invisible Glass. I buy mine at my local auto parts store.
Another glass cleaner that is better than Windex is Hope’s Perfect Glass, which I think I bought in the supermarket.
Windex is 98% water, with a small amount of deodorized ammonia, a drop or two of dish detergent, + blue coloring added to it. If you want to use this type of not-so-effective glass cleaner, you can make your own for a few cents, rather than pay the inflated price for the brand-name stuff.
However, Invisible Glass or Hope’s Perfect Glass are both far more effective than Windex-type cleaners, especially when used in conjunction with wadded-up newspaper.
I use a mix of vinegar and water and buff it out with a microfiber cloth.
I recently tried Invisible Glass and I can attest to its superiority over Windex and similar blue glass gleaners.
Do you use protectants like Armor All inside your car, especially on the dashboard? They can do this. I’ve found that 303 protectant doesn’t seem to have this issue.
As for cleaning the windshield, here’s my suggested process that’s not too hard to do. First, use Invisible Glass on paper towels to clean just the part of the windshield you can reach easily. Second, use Invisible Glass on the Invisible Glass Reach & Clean Tool to clean the entire windshield. Third, use a very light mist of isopropyl alcohol on the Reach & Clean Tool (with a new bonnet) to go over the entire windshield. For me, this last step is the key to eliminating streaks.
Dashboards will out gas plasticizers as long as there is any left. All cars will do this.
I’ve had good luck with Toyota’s own windshield cleaner; it comes in a spray bottle and does a better job than Windex, probably because it’s s stronger.
Now invisible glass comes both as a foam pressurized spray and a regular liquid spray and I found the foam superior. Anybody else has similar observation?
I have found that the use of foam pressurized spray and paper towels can CAUSE this slime.
I recommend the use of a clean rag only with those sprays.
I suspect that they are leaching out glue or binders from the paper towels onto the glass.
Part of the problem is that at first, you are just spreading the gunk around on the windshield. You need to clean it several times to get all the gunk of f. It helps to park the car so that the sun highlights the gunk as you clean the window. That way you know when it is clean enough.
Yeah its outgassing. Happens on all the cars. I use Windex but the stuff the glass installer gave me works a lot better. Don’t know what it is or where to get it but I’ll have to check out that invisible glass stuff. One thing, the generic window cleaner is junk for sure.
I feel your pain! The outgassing from the plastics in the car are tough to remove without leaving streaks. I’ve used isopropol alcohol, lacquer thinner (carefully!!) and Bon Ami scouring powder on a damp rag. Bon Ami (or any other NON scratching cleanser) can be dusted on a damp rag outside the car and rubber over the glass in a circular overlapping pattern. Let dry to a haze and use a clean damp towel to remove it. Use Invisible Glass (I like it, too) as a final clean. Bon Ami works great to remove the nasty buildup glass gets on the outside, too.