Hi, How do you guys get streak-free glass? I've tried multiple towels, multiple cloths, and a few different methods. I can get my glass pretty clear but if I put a bright flashlight (Brinkman, bright LED, etc.) or direct sunlight hits it, I see some streaking and smearing. Anybody have a solution? Thanks, Emile
Well theres many different techniques, but this is mine. I typically clay the glass and then clean it again while washing the car. I then seal the glass, you can use whatever product you would like, and then give it the final clean. I find the sealant on there drastically redues the chances of smearing.
Stop using window cleaner. Use a wet mit, wipe window then get a terry cloth towel(no fabric softner) and wipe untill its 100% dry :duh:
One of the most often asked questions from both professional and enthusiast detailer’s is “How do I clean glass properly without leaving streaks”? (Second is leather cleaning and care) Glass cleaning products contain a combination of ingredients including alcohol, ammonia, and detergents that will clean, but may also cause steaks. Depending on how fast or slow these ingredients evaporate, and their concentration, streaking problems may occur. The residue from these ingredients sometimes dries and evaporates on the glass before they are removed .As with all chemicals they need a certain amount of time to work, so allow area to soak for a few minutes, dry the glass with a clean, dry towel. For each area of glass use the clean side of a folded towel Use dedicated Lint-Free 100% Cotton Surgical Towels, that have a tight cotton herringbone weave and a thread count of 170 per square inch, which is ideal for hard surfaces like glass Towels by Dr Joe. Fold the towel in half and then half again Mist the glass surface with 1:1 ratio of distilled white vinegar and water solution in a spray bottle or Stoners Invisible Glass™ Trigger Spray Bottle. Use one towel for product application and one for removal / buffing. Once glass surfaces are clean and dry protect it with a sealant or wax. Drying Pattern Use a different drying pattern for interior / exterior glass surfaces (i.e. horizontal for interior and vertical for exterior) utilizing this technique you can easily determine the location of any streaking. Alternative Product: a) Ultra-51 Glass Towel- It has no nap, making it very similar to a huck towel but with the added benefit of micro fibre technology – Towels by Dr Joe b) Norwex Glass Cleaning micro fibre towel - this 18” x 18” glass cleaning cloth has a super tight knit, lint free, cross-weave construction traps and collects water and is so effective (use damp) at cleaning glass that often a glass cleaning chemical (Stoner’s Invisible Glass) isn't even necessary. It features a very low-pile cut in a zigzag pattern, which literally attracts and removes off gassing, residue, smudges and oily fingerprints. Its efficient cleaning action is truly a time saver – Norwex Cleaning Supplies c) MiraFiber™ – a micro fibre glass cleaning Piqué weave cloth; that cleans almost anything, leaving a streak-free, spot-free, dust-free and lint-free finish. This weave has excellent absorption properties to reduce streaking yet scrubs away oily films and vinyl haze with ease. The key is to use friction to break the surface tension of the dirty film. The cloth scrubs the surface and conditions it for dirt removal. The follow-up wipe removes the residue and renders the glass clean. This cloth will not scratch, however trapped grit or debris will cause scratches. This distinctive cloth cleans with plain water; it removes film, dirt, oil, grease, finger prints, dog nose prints, and etc all without the use of chemicals. For severe out gassing or the removal of stubborn grime; spray the glass surface (otherwise you are diluting the product strength) with 1:10 solution distilled water /Isopropyl alcohol and wipe with a clean cloth and the result is a crystal clear finish. Washing/ Care - Rinse cloth thoroughly or wash prior to first use, always use cloth damp. Simply wet it with water & wring it out well. If you're getting water spots that stay on your surface; you have too much moisture in your cloth. Wash with liquid soap, but do not use fabric softeners, hand or machine wash cloths alone or with lint-free clothing. Bleaching is great for disinfecting the cloth. Fabric softeners coat the cloth which can cause streaking and can also keep the patented fibres from being able to pull the dirt from your surfaces. Allow to air dry, without any dryer sheets Paper towels and most newspaper are currently recycled, and most are formulated with adhesives, which class cleaners will break down leaving a tacky reside and paper ‘lint’ on the glass surface. The inks used and some chemicals can allow ink transfer to the glass. Newspaper inks are now water-based (unlike the older oil-based they will not polish glass) But they will stain your hand black (they dissolve with body heat) so be careful what surfaces you touch after handling newspaper (fabric, leather, plastic, etc) as they may stain. Caution - Do not use products that contain ammonia, as it is very harmful to vinyl, plastic and rubber. It will cause plastic to ‘yellow’ and become clouded and it will also turn Mylar (plastic) window tint purple and may have a negative effect on the adhesive. Some people prefer to use plain water to clean their windows. While this is a very safe method, but water is sometimes not enough of a solvent to cut the protein base of stubborn grease / grime spots (use a 1:10 solution distilled water /Isopropyl alcohol) Technique I usually advocate spraying car care products on to a towel and not directly onto the surface being detailed. The exception to this is when cleaning glass, rather than letting the cleaner soak into the towel, which results in insufficient product as a large majority is absorbed by the towel, better results will be achieved by soaking the dirt / grease residue on the glass surface. External Glass Use detailer’s clay to remove road debris, brake dust, tar, etc. I would not advocate the use of synthetic steel or brass wool on glass surfaces; the reasons being are that no matter how fine of a grit (even #00000) you use you are actually micro scratching the surface of the glass allowing more spaces for dirt to build and settle where normal washing will not remove it, even though the glass looks super smooth to the naked eye. Grades of steel wool are similar to grit in finishing papers; the finest steel wool is grade #0000 steel wool or 1000 grit A better way to clean glass would be to use a Hi-Tech Body Sponge™ this innovative rubber polymer product safely and easily removes water spots, tree sap, rail dust, bugs and other bonded surface contaminants from the surface of automotive glass, mouldings and, may be used with any kind of lubricant and being an abrasive it will also produce a shine Once external glass surfaces have been cleaned apply a rain repellent or a polymer sealant (Klasse All-In-One) to help keep glass clear and cleaner for longer Cleaning Interior Glass Wipe glass with a damp waffle weave towel; apply Stoners Invisible Glass ™, then use a micro fibre glass cleaning (very low nap) towel and rub glass surface with a light to medium pressure (it will dry streak-free / lint-free) Be sure to roll down your windows about half way so you can clean the top edges of the glass. Alternative – The Glass Master Pro is a 14 inch wand with a triangular cleaning head, which allows you to clean near and far without uncomfortable stretching or straining. The wedge-shaped head fits perfectly into the corners of the windshield or back window so you reach every speck of dust, the perfect tool for a sloping back window. The tool includes 2 triangular sponge faced paddles, that snap on and off with ease. These paddles make wet and dry cleaning possible during the same session without requiring any extra preparation. The durable, elastic trimmed bonnets come in three varieties: micro-fibre, nylon meshes and cotton terry. All of the bonnets are reusable, reversible and washable. Apply Stoners Invisible Glass ™ to the micro fibre glass cleaning (very low nap) towel and rub glass surface with a light to medium pressure (it will dry streak-free / lint-free) Be sure to roll down your windows about half way so you can clean the top edges of the glass. An extract from one of a series of unbiased Detailing Technical Papers, a library of educational materials that has become the #1 reference for car care on the Internet. © TOGWT ™ Ltd Copyright 2002-2010, all rights reserved. Chances are you'll learn something and advance your knowledge of detailing if you read any of these.
Emile - I too find that I sometimes struggle with this. What I'm doing now is using Adam's glass cleaner. To start, I spray it directly onto the glass, then clean with a no-pile microfiber glass towel. After that, I go back over with an old drying towel that I no longer use on paint; I've cut it into smaller pieces. The second buffing step really does seem to help, as does the Adam's glass cleaner. I like that stuff more and more each time I use it. Smells good too.
Emile..I use Zep glass cleaner. It is GREAT stuff and luckily is cheap as Hell. I use a very short nap mf to spread the cleaner and then buff it dry with one of those blue huck mf's. My glass has never looked better than using this system.
Thanks for the responses guys. I am going to have to try out the different methods mentioned. What works best for me so far is to use a really nice QD such as Megs UQD or Menz HGAS, apply it to the glass with a regular MF towel and then buff off with a quality MF Window towel, working in small sections at a time. I will then repeat the process using distilled water once the QD/spray sealant has cured, which is usually 8 hours or so. I will have to try the Surf City Glass Cleaner as well as the Zep Glass Cleaner...I only read amazing things from both products. I have read/seen that it is virtually impossible to get streak-free glass without using a squeegee because on a microscopic level, glass is an extremely rough and jagged surface. Towel-drying with a cleaner causes small amounts of cleaning solution to "settle" into the cracks and crevices of glass that towels just cannot remove; this is the streaking and smears that we often see. Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to use a squeegee to clean automotive windows because of limited access and the shape of auto glass.
I just stick with shop towels now...I used the whole glass MF deal and well it worked great but up keeping them was just a PITA...so went back to good paper towels and have not had issues anymore. I use Adams new glass cleaner as well as 1z glass cleaner. Also polish the glass with 1z glas polish and LC glass polishing pad every season.
agpatel, I hope you're right because I can pickup a bottle of the Adam's quite easily from Phil. I believe Misha told me that he loved Adam's Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner and I bought 16oz based on his recommendation (16oz bottle) and it was absolute crapola so I don't have much faith in Adam's products right now.
Karl and I love the new stuff, it really does clean very well. I also now like 1z but you cant get it but 6L or something, I was lucky enough to find a 500mL bottle. If you dont like it, I'll buy it from ya. Plus it smells like skittles!
Would you mind elaborating on exactly what you didn't like about our carpet and upholstery cleaner? Honestly this is the first experience with that particular product I've ever heard where it was complete dissatisfaction. Most people love it, and those that don't at least like it... Did it not clean like you thought it would? What was the specific issue? Also, if you'd like we'd absolutely honor our 110% refund policy if you still have the unused product... we'd rather refund you purchase price + 10% than leave you with a product you don't like and your wallet a little lighter. Feel free to PM me or shoot me and e-mail so we don't clutter up this guys thread: Dylan@Adamspolishes.com
and this and this (Poorboy's World 16"x16" VELVET SMOOTH GLASS TOWEL) are all you need for super clear streak-free windows IMO.
Dylan, sorry if I was harsh, I totally forgot that Adam's is a sponsor here, I should have been more gentle. I can PM you and tell you my problem. Mr. Shark, I like Invisible Glass but my outside windows are sealed and IG strips waxes and sealants so I currently only use it on my glass ashtrays. I also have that long-reach glass wipe thingy which I only use for hard-to-reach windows such as the inside rear window of my father's vehicle. I have an order from Amazon coming for cotton glass towels, and I plan on picking up some Adam's Glass Cleaner and a couple of Phil's DD window towels. I may go and pickup a few of the Velvet Glass Towels from Poorboy's World since they are within 25-30 minutes of me.
Adams glass cleaner is very nice. I go back in forth between that and Showroom FX glass cleaner. I am trying to decide which one to settle on. I have been trying a lot of products over the last year so I can decide what to buy in gallons. Adams glass smells great and cleans very well. No issues with spotting/streaks when I use it. Don't give up on Adams yet
Well heres a new one: My mom uses this on mirrors and glass in the home. (ill see how she does it next time) But here it goes: She uses a chamois leather and a bowl with water and some vinegar I think 3:1 (Water to vinegar) and she wets the chamois in it, wrings it out and wipes! Its unreal how good this works! I mean I tried to clean the mirror with windex, sprayaway, invisible glass and just about anything else and it left streaks, but this method worked wonders. Please let me know if anyone heard of this before
I like Sprayway and low nap polishing towels for removal. I may use a terry cloth applicator to scrub first (to help loosen up whatever is on glass) before wiping dry. I continue wiping after it appears clean since I think the evaporating alcohol gives a false sense of dry. I have used Adam's (old formula), SC Clearly Better, and Stoners. I tend to use SC on the interior.
I bought some Stoners Invisible Glass spray the other day, any tips for using it? I usually just use a damp cloth to clean my windows, and then wipe it until it is 100% dry with another dry cloth. It works well, but the windows of our cars are always clean...I doubt that any of the cars I'll be detailing will be so clean.
