According to auto experts, knowing how to clean your car windows properly is a life skill. It is because they guarantee both your safety and that of your passengers while you drive. The inability to clean your car windows properly could also decrease their durability and cost you lots of money in replacement in the long run.
It is a common notion that cleaning car windows stop using water and a clean cloth, but it goes beyond that. It encapsulates knowing the right agents and materials to use, their alternatives, how frequently you need to clean the windows, and being adequately informed on how to clean the windows without damaging components of your car. Thankfully, today is your lucky day because this guide has painstakingly covered all of these areas. You just keep reading while we are your guide on how to clean your windows from the inside and outside properly.
How to Clean Car Windows Inside
Cleaning your car windows inside is just as important as cleaning the outside. However, it is a more delicate process and requires you to be a hundred percent careful to avoid damaging other components of your car. Apart from this, it is important that you look out for streaks when cleaning your car from the inside for the sake of visibility and, ultimately, your safety.
Streaks are multiple hazy lines that form on your car windows, usually from washing your car under the sun or using the wrong car cleaning agent. They reduce visibility when driving, sometimes cause eye strains, and are responsible for many car crashes. Unfortunately, one of the commonest mistakes car owners make is ignoring streaks and the danger they pose when cleaning their car windows.
However, because your safety is a priority, we would not only be teaching you how to clean your car windows from inside but also how to clean inside car windows without streaks. With proper adherence to our guidelines, you’ll be on your way to cleaning your windows most efficiently, leaving your windows sparkling and crystal clear. Here are the steps:
Put Together Your Supplies
First, you need to assemble the necessary instruments for cleaning your windows. Having all the necessary equipment in one place helps ensure that you’re organized with your cleaning. Surely, running around for a piece of equipment while you’re cleaning your windows is the last thing you’ll want to do.
The cleaning tools you’ll need are simple, basic tools that you can easily get in a local store close to you or on an online store like Amazon. These tools are inexpensive; therefore, with a little change, you’ll have the best tools to clean your windows. Here are the tools you’ll need:
Microfiber Cloth
Why do we recommend microfiber cloth? Microfiber is a soft, smooth material that is not only hand-friendly but also possesses outstanding properties to remove any dirt or debris on your windows. This cloth easily absorbs the glass cleaner, making it a more efficient material for cleaning.
Furthermore, it is better than many other alternatives like newspapers and paper towels. The newspaper will not only make your cleaning difficult but will leave ink residue lying all over your car windows and your hands. Paper towels, on the other hand, shred easily, meaning you’ll have to use a lot of them to get the best out of your cleaning.
Water
Of course, you’ll need water. However, you must ensure you add the right quantity of water. Too much water will render your cleaning ineffective, and too little will litter your windows with streaks. In the next step, where we talk about preparing the best cleaning solution, you’ll get to know the right quantity of water to use.
Glass Cleaner
When looking for a good, clean windshield tool, you should be very careful. There are many cleaners out there you should avoid. Most especially, steer clear from ammonia-based cleaners as they would prove very damaging to your tint, leather, and vinyl.
If you would use a glass cleaner, you should go for the best car windshield cleaning tool. Also, it matters how you apply the cleaner and the quantity you apply. A little negligence in properly measuring the quantity of cleaner you use could widely deter your chances of having a clean window without streaks.
Vinegar
Cleaning inside car windows using vinegar is one of the most efficient ways of cleaning your windows. Vinegar possesses powerful chemicals that make a difference on your windows. However, it would be best if you were careful of the quantity of vinegar you use; too much could damage your windows.
Rubbing Alcohol
One more piece of equipment you should get is alcohol. A window cleansed with a bit of alcohol appears clearer than one cleaned without alcohol.
Prepare The Cleaning Solution
The next step is to mix your supplies. It would be best if you did this before getting into your car to avoid spillage on your seats and plastic rears. When you’re ready to mix your cleaning solution, you should use either of the two methods.
First, you use only alcohol, water, and vinegar. When preparing your solution using this method, you should be conscious of the quantity of each piece of equipment you use. Your mixture should contain 50% water, 50% alcohol, and a capful of vinegar.
Second, you use only water, alcohol, and glass cleaner. This method requires that you have a higher concentration of water compared to the other method. Your solution should contain 70% water, 15% alcohol, and 15% glass cleaner.
Either of the methods you choose to use, ensure your mixtures are prepared in a clean bowl, bucket, or spray bottle. Also, you could choose to use only your glass cleaner if you’re opting for a less thorough cleaning. However, you should do a thorough cleaning from time to time.
Hop Into A Comfortable Space in Your Car
This step may seem less important, but it may prove to be the difference between a good cleaning and an excellent one. When getting into your car, you should sit in a space where it will be easier for you to clean all the windows. Cleaning will be difficult if you sit in the driver’s seat, so you should utilize the back seat or passenger’s seat (for the windshield.)
Wipe The Glass Clean
First, use a clean, dry microfiber cloth to wipe the glass completely clean. This will help remove little dust that could soil your cleaning solution.
Degrease the Windows and Windshield
Next, pick up a different cloth, add a tiny bit of alcohol, and rub off your glass. This will help rid any grease on your glass. You can also use vinegar for this step – it will have the same effect.
Clean Thoroughly
Next, please pick up a different cloth and soak it in your solution. If you have your mixture in a spray bottle, spray it on the cloth, not on the windows or windshield. Spraying your cleaner directly on your glass is not advisable by an expert because you may, in the process, spray the cleaner on your seats and plastic rears which could damage them.
After your cloth is soaked with the cleaner, clean your glass in an up-down and side-to-side motion. Using this technique, rather than cleaning in a circular motion, will help you clean interior windshield haze and keep your windows without streaks. It is a simple hack to clean inside the windshield, and you should utilize it.
If you want to take it to a better level, you could use a cleaner tailor-made for cleaning inside windshields. It’s what many experts call the best windshield cleaner for inside cars, and you can find it here.
Other Alternatives
You can also go on the route of cleaning car windows with Windex. While some experts will suggest you do not use Windex on tinted windows, there’s no proof that cleaning inside the windshield with Windex is harmful. However, if you had your windows tinted by someone else, you may want to skip using Windex. You can watch this for more information.
How To Clean Car Windows Outside
Cleaning Car Windows outside has its separate challenges from cleaning inside windows. Here, your car is exposed to several elements, including bugs stains,s, and smudges from driving in off-roading areas. As a result, your windows would have absorbed more dirt. Also, there’ll be more water spots on your outside, making it much more difficult to clean compared to inside windows.
Basically, outside windows will affect fog buildup over direct exposure to the weather conditions. Notably, in the winter, when snow falls, window cleaning is very important to prevent extreme cases of poor visibility due to fog or streaks buildup on the car windshield and rear window. Also, during the rainy season in tropical climes and in some countries, all-time snowing, it is pertinent to know how to clean the resulting fog buildup on the car windows.
However, getting yourself acquainted with the best techniques and approaches to clean car windows outside will help you find it easier. For this reason, we’ve provided you with steps that’ll help you understand the process better.
Assemble Your Supplies
As it is under cleaning your inside windows, the first step on how to clean outside windows is to put together the tools you’ll need. Here, your job is very simple. You are to get your hands on the best and most efficient cleaning tools for your windows. What you’ll need are listed below:
Microfiber Cloth
Some car owners claim to prefer using sponges for their outside windows, but that is necessarily not the best choice. If you want to know how to clean car windows without streaks, microfiber cloth is your best choice. In similarity to your inside windows, microfiber cloth helps remove dirt and spots on your outside windows easily, leaving you with a sparkling and streak-free finish.
However, there’s a precaution you must take. The cloth you use in cleaning the inside windows must be different from the one you use for outside. This is because the dirt on the outside windows is more than the dirt inside, and using a used cloth will only lead to an ineffective wash.
Vinegar
Many car owners don’t know how to clean car windows with vinegar. Many also aren’t aware that vinegar can be very helpful in cleaning their windows. In truth, the proper quantity of vinegar mixed with other equipment on this list would form the best homemade car window cleaner. Your windows, both inside and outside, will be sparkling clean.
Alcohol
Cleaning car windows with alcohol is efficient for your outside windows. Alcohol sharply removes water spots that may prove difficult using only sponge and water.
Water
Also, you’ll need distilled water to clean your outside windows.
Glass Cleaner
Lastly, your glass cleaner. Here, you can use the same glass cleaner you used for your inside windows. The only difference when washing your outside windows is that you can spray the cleaner on your windows and then use your microfiber cloth to clean it off.
Wash Your Car Thoroughly
For car owners who want to learn how to clean car glass at home, it is important to keep this in mind – wash your car first. Washing your car thoroughly first will ensure that all the germs and dirt stuck to other parts of the vehicle are gone. As a result, you’ll have a clean environment to work with when cleaning your windows.
Also, when you wash your car first, your job of cleaning windows is half done. All the bugs and debris that could easily soil your cleaning cloth will be washed away.
Prepare Your Cleaning Solution
You can use the same cleaning solution as for your inside windows. However, it is preferable you find a spray bottle for the solution because it’ll make your cleaning work easier. When you have your solution ready, spray it on the windows. You should use more quantity than you did when cleaning your inside windows to get a better result.
Clean Thoroughly With Microfiber Cloth
Next, pick up a clean microfiber cloth and use it to rub your car windows in an up-down and side-to-side motion. Ensure you clean it thoroughly so as not to have streaks lying around.
Of note, if you are cleaning both windshields and all the windows, it is important you do it in sections. If you do it all at once, the solution could dry up on the surface before you get to clean it.
Roll Down Side Windows
When cleaning the side windows, you should roll them down to see if the top, which wraps into the space between the rubber seals, is dirty. For you to clean car windows well, you must not miss this part. Clean it thoroughly till you’re satisfied.
Clean the Wiper Blades
This is the last step in figuring out the best way to clean car windows outside. Many car owners skip this step but that’s because they’re ignorant of the negative effects dirty wiper blades could have on the quality of windshields. You should clean the wiper blades thoroughly, ensuring there is no dirt left.
Other Alternatives
Can you clean car windows with Windex? Of course. However, when cleaning your outside windows, you have to be aware that Windex can remove window tint and disrupt the clean windshield.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
What is the best thing to clean car windows with?
Your best choice to clean your car windows with is a good glass cleaner. You can add vinegar, alcohol, and water to it for a thorough cleansing, but if you don’t have a good cleaner, your job could prove to be very difficult. As mentioned above, avoid ammonia-based cleaners, especially for your inside windows.
Look for a cleaner specific for car windows and not just any cleaner. When you have a good cleaner, add modified quantities of vinegar, alcohol, and water to get the best results. However, if you just want to do a quick clean, you could use only vinegar and water to brighten up your windows.
What is the best way to clean car windows without streaks?
Using microfiber cloth will guarantee you streak-free windows because the towel is smooth, soft, and tight-weaved. You’ll not only have clean windows without streaks, but you’ll also find it comfortable cleaning your windows with a microfiber cloth.
One more thing you should put in mind on cleaning windows without streaks is the measurement of the equipment you use. If you clean your windows with a solution too thick, you may end up having streaks all over your windows. To avoid this, stick to the measurement guidelines.
Can you use Windex on car windows?
Of course, you can use Windex on your car windows. Though we don’t really advocate for ammonia-based cleaners, Windex is one of the few exceptions. You can get a similarly great result from using Windex as you’d do with using a glass cleaner.
However, if you have a tinted window, there are suggestions that Windex could possibly remove the window tint; so, you may want to skip it. Though there is no proof yet, for your safety, you might want to avoid it.
What household products can you use to clean car windows?
Sometimes, it may be quite difficult to get a glass cleaner or you may be trying to save some cash. In such an instance, you can still give your car windows a great clean by using some homemade products such as baking soda, vinegar, and dish soap.
However, given that these are not natural products for your car windows, you may want to be reserved in the quantities you use. After your first cleaning, you can observe to see the effects on your windows. If you are not satisfied with the results, you should hop into a local store near you and ask for a good car window cleaner.
Can you use vinegar to clean car windows?
In fact, vinegar is one of the best products you can use on your car windows. It is much better than many other cleaning products on the market. You can effectively use the mixture of vinegar and water to clean your windows by following these steps:
- Get a bowl of water and mix with vinegar.
- Apply the mixture on your windshield or other windows without letting it spill onto other parts of your car. Vinegar is a powerful cleansing agent that could be corrosive to other materials.
- Ensure you spread the mixture well over the surface to cover all the dirty areas of your window.
- Clean carefully with a microfiber cloth.
How do I make my car windows crystal clear?
The first step to achieve a clear glass is to make an effective car window cleaning solution. You can combine a good cleaner with the right quantities of alcohol, vinegar, and water to form the perfect cleaning solution. When you have a good cleaning solution, you should get microfiber towels to apply to your windows and clean thoroughly.
The presence of alcohol and vinegar in your cleaning solution will make your car windows crystal clear, giving you a clear sight of the road when you’re in your car. If you can’t get vinegar and alcohol together in one solution, you can use either of them. The only difference is that you’ll use more water (70%) when you have only alcohol.
Can you use Mr. Clean Magic Eraser on car windows?
Clean Magic Eraser can be used on car windows, especially the interior. It can be very effective in removing difficult haze and dirt on your windows. However, you should not scrub with a lot of pressure when using a Clean Magic Eraser. It is very sharp and a small quantity is enough to clean your windows. If you apply too much, you could run the risk of removing your window tint while cleaning.
How do I fix cloudy car windows?
You can use a mixture of water and vinegar to fix cloudy car windows. Just apply it to the surface and clean it with a microfiber cloth. You can also rub little alcohol on the surface and clean using a microfiber towel.
If you don’t have alcohol or vinegar, you can make use of an ammonia-free glass cleaner. Spray it on the surface and rub it clean with a microfiber cloth. Also, the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser will help clean car windows in winter and rid your glass of any fog.
Final Words
With the above guidelines, you’ll be able to successfully clean your car windows without streaks. We’ve provided you with all the necessary steps on how to clean car windows inside and outside with vinegar, alcohol, and Windex. You’ll also be able to use the best homemade car window cleaners to properly clean your windows.
However, what you should be more concerned about after getting your windows clean is how to protect them from accumulating much dust shortly. A very simple way to do this is by keeping your car in a cool state regularly. You have to ensure that, whenever possible, your car is in a spacious area, under shade.
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