Cleaning glass to get rid of the swirls

[Speedy]

Now you've given you car a good clean and its sitting nice and shiny. Then you go for a drive into the sun and all you can see is bloody swirls on the inside.

Is there a tried & tested method to get a swirl free windscreen.

I used Autoglym glass cleaner with a new cloth. At least you can see where i've been!.

Steve

[Clan]

paper rolls are a good way of getting any deposit from glass cleaner off the glass . Kitchen roll or even newspaper ..

[mikealder]

Newspaper with a little vinegar, works a treat and costs next to nothing - Mike

[Will M]

used various glass wipes and there all crap, got this from the wife.
fairy liquid, sponge, dry towel.
get the sponge soapy, go over the windscreen, and polish off with the towel.
Don't have the sponge too wet.

[m0bzy]

Originally Posted by Will M

used various glass wipes and there all crap, got this from the wife.
fairy liquid, sponge, dry towel.
get the sponge soapy, go over the windscreen, and polish off with the towel.
Don't have the sponge too wet.

Using any detergent can leave grey smears,after a normal wash I use a damp microfibre and a dry one,always works for me.

[Bill_56]

As a rule I'm one of Autoglym's biggest fans. The garage shelves are full of their range, which for almost everyt hing they make, I cannot praise enough.

The one exception is the glass cleaner. It is worse than useless, and just leaves a swirly mess, exactly as you describe. And with each application, the glass just gets messier.

I personally like good old fashioned pink windowlene, but be careful... it contains white spirit so use sparingly and, whathever you do, do not get it on the paint.

I expect some of the detailers will be along in a minute, in which case ignore my advice and take theirs. But I'll be surprised if they've anything good to say about AG glass cleaner.

[Ninja59]

by swirls do you mean actual swirls as in damage to the glass which then you need something like cerium oxide to remove, or ceriglass.

or smudges where the cleaner has not been removed. Personally NEVER ever try and clean glass in direct sun unless your going to use IPA which IMO is the best as it flashes off downside it will strip any protection the screen has (which sometimes you want other times you most certainly do not).

Deciding factor mainly to types water based and none water based usually a cocktail of IPA and other stuff.

None IPA i use for a gentle clean i use 3D window clean it is cheap and economical but it does not have any real bite to it, personally i will be frank avoid them they can be very messy.

IPA based is my usual current favourites are Megs NXT glass cleaner and 3m Glass Cleaner.

Best methods DO NOT USE IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT. use two of the blue towels that workshops use one for wiping on and around and one for a final removal then pull back in the sun and check if not right re do, at the same time give the wipers some attention again using the two pieces of blue towel method.

for interior IPA based to get rid of any bodily fluids or dirt tbh it flashes to leaving no trace protection wise this is not a problem inside the vehicle.

i would also consider getting a windscreen sealant on there something like Gtechniq G series for windscreens makes life so much easier.

Also i found AG glass cleaner one of the better ones if used correctly, a lot of problems with glass cleaners are caused by people using them in the sun and expecting miracles (i.e. using them incorrectly). I can tell you now i have done it myself with Megs NXT no more than 10-15 mins a part the major difference in the usage one was in direct sunlight it was a pig of product another test using cleaning MF's in the shade worked first time leaving no smears.

Another one i use is actual polishing MF's which have a low pile texture

ANOTHER tip: less is always more.

[Ninja59]

Originally Posted by m0bzy

Using any detergent can leave grey smears,after a normal wash I use a damp microfibre and a dry one,always works for me.

if you have washed a vehicle properly then you really should have little problem this is most likely caused by incorrectly drying the car, does not bother me if i know i am to be cleaning the screen though but just something to be aware of.

also if you open rinse a protected windscreen that has sealant one it should be 90-95% dry following open rinse with hose so sometimes you can get away without even "drying" the screen.

videos sorry for being up side down i was on one.

http://imageshack.us/clip/my-videos/...yxebmqmfk.mp4/

http://imageshack.us/clip/my-videos/...ghaftealn.mp4/

[LJD]

I treat the car to a new screen from time to time .£60-80 max on insurance
driving with a new screen is lovely !

[Speedy]

Sorry folks this smearing/swirling is from cleaning (no damage) and it's all on the inside.

Steve.