7 Easy Steps To Clean Both Sides Of Your Car Window
Is your car’s hazy or dirty windshield hampering your view of the road ahead? Here are the steps of how to clean a car windshield inside and out properly. Are you struggling to get a clear view of the road ahead due to a dirty windshield? Are grease, dirt, dust, and grime obstructing your view? If so, you simply need to clean your car’s windshield inside and out.
Table of Contents
- What’s the easiest way to clean the inside and outside of your car windshield?
- Overview
- Gather the Necessary Cleaning Supplies
- Cleaning the Car Windshield Out
- Cleaning Car Windshield Inside
- Wrapping It Up
What’s the easiest way to clean the inside and outside of your car windshield?
To clean the outside of your car windshield, you will wipe to remove loose dirt, sand, and dust, apply glass cleaner and wipe, remove stubborn stains, buff, and finish. To clean the inside of your car windshield, you will wipe to remove loose dirt, dust, and sand, apply a glass cleaner and wipe, buff, and finish.
In this guide, we will walk you through the steps of how to clean a car windshield inside and out. So, if you are stuck on how to go about the process, the steps and tips we’ve shared here should help you to get the job done.
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Overview
With time, children’s fingerprints, dirt, dust, smoke, smog, mud, and other local contaminants may make your car windshield dirty. And once it becomes dirty or greasy, your visibility on the road will be affected, meaning you may end up causing an accident.
Furthermore, accumulated dirt, dust, and sand particles can scratch your car windshield, leading to permanent stains. And once these stains become permanent, removing them will be tough and costly.
Hence, it’s highly advisable to clean your car’s windshield every couple of weeks. Cleaning it thoroughly and properly will help to improve driving safety while prolonging your car’s life and aesthetics.
But, when it comes to cleaning a car windshield, most people only focus on the outside. However, you need to clean it both out and inside. In this article, we will walk you through how to clean a car windshield inside and out.
Gather the Necessary Cleaning Supplies
Before anything else, you first need to gather the necessary supplies that you will need for cleaning your windshield. So, what supplies will you need for this job? First, you will need a reliable car cleaner.
When purchasing an auto glass cleaner, you should stay away from ammonia-based solutions. Such cleaners may contain harmful chemicals, which may damage other parts of your car like the leather seats or vinyl. Furthermore, ammonia releases toxic and pungent fumes, meaning it’s harmful to your health.
You also have the option of preparing a cleaner at home, using readily available substances. You simply need to mix one part of distilled water with one part of rubbing alcohol in a bottle. You should then add one tablespoon of white vinegar to this mix and shake it thoroughly, to ensure all the materials mix uniformly.
Apart from the auto glass cleaner, you will also need two sets of microfiber towels or microfiber pieces of cloth. Microfiber towels tend to be more absorbent.
Hence, they will make your cleaning easier and more effective. Furthermore, microfiber is lint-free, which means it will not leave streaks and debris. Also, it’s soft, so it won’t cause scratches.
Cleaning the Car Windshield Out
Once you’ve gathered the necessary supplies, you can now proceed to clean your car windshield. And when it comes to cleaning a car windshield, you need to start with one side and then switch over to the next one, to identify anything you may have missed.
In this case, you can begin with the exterior part of the windshield. Here are the steps that you will follow.
Remove Loose Sand, Dust, and Dirt
After you’ve identified a nice spot to work from, you can now start the work. You will begin by removing loose sand, dust, and dirt. And you can do this using a soft-bristled brush or one of the microfiber towels that you have.
Apply Car Glass Cleaner and Wipe
Once you’ve brushed off the loose debris on the glass, you then need to spray an adequate amount of the cleaning solution you gathered earlier. You will spray it all over the windshield.
But, don’t spray too much of the cleaning solution at one, since it will drip down quickly, leaving streaks on the glass. You also need to ensure that you apply it evenly so that you can cover all areas.
It will be advisable to spray and work on one area of the window at once and then proceed to the next one. When you apply the cleaner on the entire windshield at once, it may dry before you’ve wiped it, leaving unsightly marks.
After applying the cleaner, you will then wipe the windshield until it’s spotless. It’s advisable to wipe the windshield using back-and-forth or up-and-down motions as opposed to circular motions, to avoid leaving streaks.
Remove Stubborn Stains
Once you are done wiping the entire windshield, you may notice some stubborn stains that didn’t come off. These may include things like bird droppings, soils or other similar elements.
For stubborn stains, you will have to apply more force when wiping the windshield. You should also consider applying the cleaner directly on the spot, and allow it to sit for a couple of minutes to work the stain. From there, it should come off when you wipe it.
Buff and Finish
At this point, the exterior of your window should be looking clean and spotless. And it’s now ready for some buffing. You will use the second microfiber towel that you have to wipe the entire glass, making sure you remove any left-over cleaning solution, marks, spots or streaks. Continue buffing your windshield until you have obtained maximum shine and clarity.
Cleaning Car Windshield Inside
Once you’ve finished cleaning the exterior of your windshield and you are happy with the results, it’s now time to turn your attention to the exterior. Unlike the exterior, the interior may not need a lot of work. Here are the steps you will follow.
Wipe Down the Glass
Working from the front passenger seat, you will begin by wiping the entire interior of the windshield using a microfiber cloth or towel. Wiping the entire windshield will help to remove any loose dirt, grime, or sand.
Avoid applying too much pressure when wiping down the glass, since you may end up pushing the dirt, dust or sand particles deeper into the glass. Also, applying too much pressure will press these particles onto the glass, causing abrasion or other forms of windshield damage.
Apply the Glass Cleaner
After you’ve wiped down the interior of the windshield and removed any loose dirt or grime on the surface, it’s now time to proceed to the main step. Now, you will need to spray the cleaning solution on the microfiber towel, as opposed to spraying it directly on the glass. Using this approach will prevent the cleaning solution from making its way into the seats or other cushioned areas of your car.
You will then wipe down the interior of your windshield using this cleaning solution. You should also apply some rubbing alcohol to the microfiber towel.
Wiping with the cleaning solution and rubbing alcohol should help to remove any remaining substances from the windshield.
Buff the Windshield
Once you’ve finished wiping the entire interior of your windshield, you should allow it to air-dry for a couple of minutes. From there, you should then buff it with the second microfiber towel, making sure there’s no remaining residue, spots, streaks, or marks on the glass.
Wrapping It Up
Cleaning your car windshield regularly is a key part of car maintenance. And as you can see, it’s not rocket science. As long as you have the right products and follow the proper cleaning process, you will end up with spotless windows.
