Deep Cleaning Windscreens.

[Formaleins]

As I get older my eyes are not what they used to be and I find any sort of dirt or smears on the windscreen tend to make my eyes focus on the crud rather than what is out on the road. I have tried the usual, glass cleaner, Isopropyl alcohol, vinegar etc. to try and get the screen really clean. The worst is at night or sunset when I get glaring.

 

Does anyone have any good methods of really cleaning the windscreen and then more importantly, how to protect it after it as been cleaned?

 

Is there a good polish you can put on glass here to prevent the grime building up? Would you use "Rain Off"?

 

All of the cleaners I have used seem great in the ambient light, but get out in the setting sun or while driving at night into idiots on high beam and it is blinding. My windscreen is pretty good, no cracks or major scratches, it just seems like it needs a good type of polish and then some protection.

 

I read that some people were using Stainless Steel Wool, #0000 grade to polish glass, but surely this must scratch it even in a fine sort of way?

 

Any good ideas that work to clean it up and protect it?

 

Cheers!

[LoliLoso]

Best thing to do is to go to an optician for a good eyesight check. You may need glasses for night driving as we gets old and Astigmatism will normally be the caused. 

[stubuzz]

Glass cleaner and newspaper.

[piewarmer]

RainX is good but it says wait 6 minutes before buffing, leave it for an hour in the shade then buff, no streaks

[Maybole]

Try a lemon or lime cut in half.

[JAS21]

I ‘did’ the screen in my wife’s old car using a DA polisher and fine compound.

 

If you don’t have access to those a detailed would do it for you.

[stouricks]

10 minutes ago, JAS21 said:

I ‘did’ the screen in my wife’s old car using a DA polisher and fine compound.

 

If you don’t have access to those a detailed would do it for you.

What's a DA polisher please? And a 'detailed' .

Edited October 14, 2020 by stouricks

[JAS21]

DA stands for duel action... you can google...plenty of videos on YouTube.

 

Detailed... was eating breakfast at the time I wrote the reply...should have written ‘detailer’. Please don’t tell me you don’t know what one of those is... again google is your friend.
 

Anyway aren’t you the grammar police guy? ????

[Grapefruit]

4 hours ago, stouricks said:

What's a DA polisher please? And a 'detailed' .

DA stands for 'dual action', not 'duel action.  A 'detailed' car is what you have after a 'detailer' has had his way with it.

[stouricks]

4 hours ago, JAS21 said:

DA stands for duel action... you can google...plenty of videos on YouTube.

 

Detailed... was eating breakfast at the time I wrote the reply...should have written ‘detailer’. Please don’t tell me you don’t know what one of those is... again google is your friend.
 

Anyway aren’t you the grammar police guy? ????

Of course I know what a DETAILER is, it is one who DETAILS. Or it could refer to a Military Officer who sends a number of troops ( a detail ) out on an exercise!

And a DUEL is a fight between two contestants, usually over a woman!

I have been known to pull up some members when their English spelling or grammar is bad.    LOL 555

Edited October 14, 2020 by stouricks

[faraday]

5 minutes ago, stouricks said:

Of course I know what a DETAILER is, it is one who DETAILS.

And a DUEL is a fight between two contestants, usually over a woman!

I have been known to pull up some members when their English spelling or grammar is bad.

Missed a comma in yer last sentence, blud.

 

However, I use vinegar/water 50/50.

[stouricks]

2 minutes ago, faraday said:

Missed a comma in yer last sentence, blud.

 

However, I use vinegar/water 50/50.

Where should a comma have been please?

And do you use white, malt, balsamic or apple cider vinegar please?   LOL

Edited October 14, 2020 by stouricks

[JAS21]

18 minutes ago, stouricks said:

Of course I know what a DETAILER is, it is one who DETAILS. Or it could refer to a Military Officer who sends a number of troops ( a detail ) out on an exercise!

And a DUEL is a fight between two contestants, usually over a woman!

I have been known to pull up some members when their English spelling or grammar is bad.    LOL 555

The 'DUEL' went over your head then ...  like your little 'diskussion' with Crossy a week or so ago ... LOL

[faraday]

12 minutes ago, stouricks said:

Where should a comma have been please?

And do you use white, malt, balsamic or apple cider vinegar please?   LOL

Comma should have been after 'members'.

 

Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale, is what I use, because, I am upper class.

 

Ordinary white vinegar is best.

[stouricks]

1 hour ago, faraday said:

Comma should have been after 'members'.

Nah.

[stouricks]

1 hour ago, JAS21 said:

The 'DUEL' went over your head then ...  like your little 'diskussion' with Crossy a week or so ago ... LOL

It certainly did, and I would be pleased that, if I make a mistake or typo, someone pulls me for it.

[JAS21]

Now that all the off topic bits have been sorted lets back to the topic, but I think the OP has actually had sufficient suggestions.....

[transam]

I have watched many youtube vids on the subject, not tried any yet, cos still putting a dab of washing up liquid in the washer bottle thingy when I top it up..????

[NanLaew]

Replace wiper blades TWICE a year using QUALITY blades.

 

Use one of them blue-colored additives in the washer bottle.

 

At least once a day, use the washers/wipers even in hot and dry season... in fact even more so in hot and dry season.

 

The road grime can bake on after several days and reduces the wiper blade life and effectiveness. You don't notice how much until you hit the washer/wipers at night.

 

Rain-X and the like is for those with too much time on their hands, I can't be arsed these days.

 

If the OP's windshield is simply old and badly pitted, apart from @JAS21's rub-a-dub-dub at the detailers, no amount of huffing and puffing will sort that out.

 

 

[JAS21]

49 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Replace wiper blades TWICE a year using QUALITY blades.

 

Use one of them blue-colored additives in the washer bottle.

 

At least once a day, use the washers/wipers even in hot and dry season... in fact even more so in hot and dry season.

 

The road grime can bake on after several days and reduces the wiper blade life and effectiveness. You don't notice how much until you hit the washer/wipers at night.

 

Rain-X and the like is for those with too much time on their hands, I can't be arsed these days.

 

If the OP's windshield is simply old and badly pitted, apart from @JAS21's rub-a-dub-dub at the detailers, no amount of huffing and puffing will sort that out.

 

 

Welcome back. LOL... I keep a quality microfiber towel, which is quite damp with ONR in a plastic bag in the boot.

 

Every time before we go out I wipe the windscreen with that cloth and also underneath the wiper blades.

 

As the two cars we use have the indicator levers on opposite sides, the wiper blades, now and again get accidentally switched on. 

 

We have an MY15 Ford Everest... still on the original wiper blades at the front. However the rear screen blade which gets neglected is in tatters.
 

Parking in our driveway is such that the front windscreen never catches the sun... 

 

Your last paragraph is so very true....

[NanLaew]

18 hours ago, JAS21 said:

Welcome back. LOL... I keep a quality microfiber towel, which is quite damp with ONR in a plastic bag in the boot.

 

Every time before we go out I wipe the windscreen with that cloth and also underneath the wiper blades.

 

As the two cars we use have the indicator levers on opposite sides, the wiper blades, now and again get accidentally switched on. 

 

We have an MY15 Ford Everest... still on the original wiper blades at the front. However the rear screen blade which gets neglected is in tatters.
 

Parking in our driveway is such that the front windscreen never catches the sun... 

 

Your last paragraph is so very true....

Yes, Fords OEM blades are decent quality and do last with the proper care an attention. However, detecting their wear and tear is hard when they only get used once or twice in a blue moon. It's only after replacing them that one realizes how rubbish a job they've been doing. Ten or twelve years ago, I was doing frequent, six or seven hour drives, mostly at night and that convinced me of the need to have decent, clear vision. My MY2014 Wildtrak is breaking in it's third set of wiper blades this month (I keep the OEM's as spares).

 

Point of note for the infrequent driver: replacing them with the 180 baht generics from Tesco-Lotus just because there's only one rainy season isn't a smart investment.

[VocalNeal]

On 10/15/2020 at 2:16 PM, NanLaew said:

Use one of them blue-colored additives in the washer bottle.

I just bung some FAB into the washer bottle.