DIY : Car Windshield Cleaning. Low cost method to get the Best Shine

[Aroy]

I find a mild detergent application followed by thorough washing with plain water is the best thing
. It gets rid of all surface dirt
. It gets rid of any oil film
. There is no scattering of on coming light

Any abrasive, no matter how fine it is, will introduce scratches, which are responsible for the scattering of light.

[ZeroThoughts]

Originally Posted by Caddy

Dear Friends,

While on the subject of windscreens, one irritating thing while driving is when the sun is directly in your face and the car dashboard is reflected on the windscreen reducing the visibility. This is all the more dangerous on highways and long journeys and causes driver fatigue.

I have seen many tourist taxi drivers place a towel or cloth covering on the dashboard. I assume this is to avoid this reflection problem. However, I wonder of there is any other solution? Any ideas?

Thanks,
Caddy.

I have similar experience and although I have clear Film on the windscreen it is still does not make any difference.
The thing I have noticed is that the amount of fine, near invisible dust, on the inside of the windscreen is the source of most if not all the problem. We tend to clean the outer surface regularly but hardly ever clean the inner surface. If the inner surface is cleaned, the glare nearly disappears, only a slight one may be visible.
I know cleaning the inner surface is a chore. It is the most challenging task, at least for me. Would love to hear from others who may have come up with some simple solution for this task.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

- abrasive to scrub the tooth

- abrasive cannot be so abrasive that it scratches and wears away enamel.

A quick thought: Most toothpastes contain silica as a constituent, which ranks on Mohs Hardness Scale at 6+. Glass is 5.5+ (similar to enamel).

I wouldn't use toothpaste to polish my windscreen on a regular basis. Likely to end up with starring effect of oncoming headlights at night.

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

A quick thought: Most toothpastes contain silica as a constituent, which ranks on Mohs Hardness Scale at 6+. Glass is 5.5+ (similar to enamel).

I wouldn't use toothpaste to polish my windscreen on a regular basis. Likely to end up with starring effect of oncoming headlights at night.

Yes precisely. Gel based toothpastes contain silica and the normal dental cream based ones contain Ca based salts which is safe and water soluble.

Thus, my statement that gel based toothpastes are more abrasive than regular ones.

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

PS: gel toothpastes are more abrasive than regular pastes.

[saion666]

I use plain water(mixed with a bit of shampoo if screen is extra dirty) and rub it with a soft cotton cloth..and then spray Colin and rub with a microfiber cloth. The glasses look sparkling new every time

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

Yes precisely. Gel based toothpastes contain silica and the normal dental cream based ones contain Ca based salts which is safe and water soluble.

Sodium silicate is another constituent of most toothpastes, even *sensitive* toothpastes. Not a good idea to rub the stuff on glass.

[aka_iitd]

Folks my car windshield has hard water. Some water droplets dripped on it when parked under layer of pipes
I tried removing it with colin/newspaper etc it does not go
Any pointer what to do next

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by aka_iitd

Folks my car windshield has hard water. Some water droplets dripped on it when parked under layer of pipes
I tried removing it with colin/newspaper etc it does not go
Any pointer what to do next

Try cleaning with vinegar - should have it ready in your kitchen!

[aka_iitd]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Try cleaning with vinegar - should have it ready in your kitchen!

Thanks let me try and will report the results here

[naveen.raju]

Originally Posted by aka_iitd

Folks my car windshield has hard water. Some water droplets dripped on it when parked under layer of pipes
I tried removing it with colin/newspaper etc it does not go
Any pointer what to do next

I had a similar problem couple of years back. Had hard time removing the stain. Check out this thread for the product details.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...ield-help.html (Stain on Windshield - Help..!)

[aka_iitd]

Originally Posted by naveen.raju

I had a similar problem couple of years back. Had hard time removing the stain. Check out this thread for the product details.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...ield-help.html (Stain on Windshield - Help..!)

Thanks for the link. Will try to find out comparable product in Bangalore
Luckily it is not on the driver side but irritates me when ever i see those marks

[naveen.raju]

Originally Posted by aka_iitd

Thanks for the link. Will try to find out comparable product in Bangalore
Luckily it is not on the driver side but irritates me when ever i see those marks

Yes, I know how irritating it can be. I had it on the driver side right in front of the drivers view. It was very irritating. Try similar products.

[Raccoon]

Manager at MASS again told me that finer scratches on windshields can be repaired and Windshield expert do undertake such work. Since this was contrary to what some people here on tbhp mentioned, I called up their Poona branch to confirm.

I was told that they do not undertake any scratch removal or even repair work anymore. They only replace glass. He further told me that they used to undertake scratch removal work earlier, but they stopped as they got too many unsatisfied customers. Upon asking the reason for dissatisfaction, he said customers found that the scratches reappear after 1.5 - 2 months. I asked him how thats possible if the glass is ground properly, he said that some substance is used which fills in the scratches, but on use it wears off in less than 2 months. Hence results are neither satisfactory nor cost effective nor practical.

In short, there is no solution to scratches other than replacing the glass. Asked him for a quote and it was lower than what I was given at the MASS. It may be a better idea to get any replacement work done thru MASS vandals.


As for the same MASS using polish/sand paper on my windscreen, the damage is now certain - the glass has heaps of fine scratch marks which are visible only at night. In the daytime you can hardly make anything out.

This is a matter of serious concern. If I had not seen them using the polish paper on my windscreen I may have kept guessing what has suddenly caused all these micro scratches on the windscreen. And they weren't visible on taking delivery in the daytime, so could not be shown to them immediately. Later, I was told that all old cars develop such scratches, so my claims were false.

It would be worthwhile for everyone here to note this incident. Your workshop is capable of ruining all the care and concern that you shower on your windscreen in just a minute or two. The windscreen did not have a single scratch till date. Now its ruined.

[dhanushs]

I would NOT recommend using tooth paste regularly over your windscreen. Anything that contains an abrasive, is actually grinding your surface. When the windshield is really dirty and has not been cleaned for a long time, this works in favor and clears it of minute particles. However, using toothpaste regularly, means damaging the windshield eventually.

Also, if at all you are using it, do NOT rub hard.

Good 'ol rubbing compound should also do the job.

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

Alkaline base: won't affect the car adversely, but may neutralize the acid in bird ****. I'm guessing it's acidic since the damn thing really affects paint if not removed for a long time)

IMO, The alkaline base, is actually beneficial. The chances of rust formation are least.

[Mad Max]

Originally Posted by Houston

To avoid light reflection on the windshield, use POLAROID sunglasses. This would help a lot. I religiously use POLAROID sunglasses and I have never had reflection problem on the windshield, without it I end up with head ache with in seconds.

Definitely this. I am so used to the Polaroids that I feel very difficult to drive without them. But there is still some reflection when the sun hits the windshield at odd angles.

As for cleaning the windshield, I've seen (a long time ago) the KPN bus guys use vibuthi (sacred ash), water and absorbent newspaper. They pour water on the entire windshield to clear out the grime, use a wet cloth to lightly wipe off, throw another bucket of water, let the water roll off completely (no wiping), apply the vibuthi all over the windshield, then wipe it off with the newspaper. I was pretty impressed with the clarity of their windshields.

Not sure about abrasiveness or damage caused.

As for the Spark, I've never tried anything other than Colin and a Jockey "banian" Results are pretty good.