Glass Cleaning Process

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Glass Cleaning Process

A sound understanding of the proper technique and a good process will produce excellent results even with a mediocre product. A quality product used without the proper surface preparation or application technique will never obtain a satisfactory result. Using the proper methodology (surface preparation, using a quality product, along with the correct application technique) will ensure an excellent result.

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)

Driving towards the sun, haze, streaking and an oily film will cut your visibility to a dangerous level, perfectly clean, haze and streak-free glass surfaces should be a simple thing to accomplish, it makes driving safer allowing you to see the road ahead clearly, it enables the glass to defrost even quicker and removes the contaminants that contribute to the oily film on the glass, driving, especially on a dark and rainy night without being able to see through the windshield is to say the least, impairment.

Exposure to bugs, road oil and tar, and catalytic converter emissions makes automotive glass cleaning a challenge. The film on the inside of your windows is caused by "out gassing" of the plastic and vinyl components of your interior. Ammonia is harmful to many car surfaces including vinyl, rubber, and leather; there is also a potential danger of becoming asphyxiated without adequate ventilation.

A newly detailed vehicles appearance would be ruined with soiled glass surfaces. All it takes to rectify is a little time, the correct method and cleaning products for crystal clear clean glass and plastic. The difference clean glass surfaces make to a detailed vehicle is night and day. Put your hand in a plastic sandwich bag and lightly run your fingertips over the windshield's surface. Chances are, it will have a rough, gritty feel, and glass cleaners will not remove this grit. Window cleaning has always presented a challenge for professional and enthusiast detailers, both demand perfection with streak-free, crystal-clear glass. But without using the correct methodology and quality products required to produce perfectly clear glass surfaces every time

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.

As with all chemicals they must be allowed a certain amount of time to work (dwell) so leave area to soak for a few minutes and then start on the next glass surface, agitate the first area with the towel, dry the glass with the second towel by agitating in the opposite direction than that used in the cleaning, and repeat for second glass surface and etc. For each section of glass use a clean side of the folded towel Use dedicated Lint-Free Surgical Towels, they have a tight cotton herringbone weave that is ideal for hard surfaces like glass (http://towelsbydoctorjoe.com/5.htm:) Fold the towel in half and then half again Mist the glass surface with 1:1 ratio of distilled white vinegar and water in a spray bottle or Stoners Invisible Glass™ Trigger Spray Bottle - www.properautocare.com (US) or http://www.performancemotorcare.com/acatalog/Glass_Cleaners.html (UK)

Alternative Product:

a) Cobra Waffle Weave Glass Towel - http://www.autogeek.net/ww1627.html

b) Lint-Free Surgical Towels http://towelsbydoctorjoe.com/5.htm :

c) Ultra-51 Glass Towel- has no nap, making it very similar to a huck towel but with the added benefit of Microfiber technology - http://www.towelsbydoctorjoe.com/3.htm

d) 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 cleaner 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

e)CorsaCloth – a glass cleaning cloth that cleans almost anything, leaving a streak-free, spot-free, dust-free and lint-free finish. This distinctive cloth cleans with plain water, it removes film, dirt, oil, grease, finger prints, dog nose prints, etc all without the use of chemicals, only water, and the result is a crystal clear finish - [[1]]

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. Some people prefer to use plain water to clean their windows. While this is a very safe method, water is not enough of a solvent to cut the protein base of stubborn grease / grime spots

Drying / buffing glass - once the glass surface has been cleaned use a waffle weave micro fibre towel to final clean and polish the glass, when they are wet they’re very soft and super absorbent, and glide easily over the surface, the ‘pockets’ in the weave ‘hold’ any dirt or surface debris unlike some other super absorbing products that trap dirt between the towel and paint surface with the potential to cause serious scratches (never use it when it’s dry as it can potentially scratch) That goes for whatever you use for drying, including cotton towels. To use ensure that the towel is really wet and then wring it out thoroughly before using.

Towel care - always wash Lint-Free Surgical Towels and any glass cleaning micro fibre towels separately and do not use fabric softeners but add a teaspoon per towel distilled white vinegar in place of a softener, the vinegar doesn't coat the fibres but instead works to eliminate detergent residue and the acid counteracts any alkaline minerals in the water supply. Vinegar (Acetic acid, pH=2) works well in the rinse cycle to make your towels softer. Detergent is an alkaline (pH=12, the opposite of acidic on the pH scale).

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.

External glass - 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 #0000) 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.

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

• Cleaning Interior Glass - wipe glass with a damp waffle weave towel; apply Stoners Invisible Glass ™, then use a micro fibre glass cleaning (CorsaCloth, very low nap) towel and rub glass surface with a light to medium pressure (it will dry streak-free / lint-free)

Plastic (Lexan) or Tinted glass - use Plexus to polish and protect the tint. It will seal the tint material (Mylar) and keep it clean, Plexus is non-static, non-streaking, and it dries crystal clear. 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. Rear window (Glass) - use a Glass Master™, it has two swivel paddle heads that fit on to a handle and comes with three bonnets, terry, and Microfiber and bug scrubber, allowing access to sloped rear window glass. Apply Stoners Invisible Glass™ to the glass and remove with a light to medium pressure to the glass surfaces (it will dry streak-free / lint-free) Glass cleaning tool – Glass Master - http://www.autogeek.net

Information resource

Automotive Detailing Inside & Out, A Knowledge Base for the Perfectionist– by Jon Miller