Cleaning your car windows inside and out with CRC
Cleaning your car is either something you love or something you let the experts at a professional car wash take care of.
For those that love to keep your own car spotless, we have recently written some detailed posts about cleaning the interior and exterior of your car. One question we often get asked is whether you can use regular glass cleaner to clean the windows and windscreen on your car.
The simple answer is no.
Why you shouldn’t use regular glass cleaner on auto windows
Most over-the-counter window cleaners contain ammonia which can cause problems for your auto glass including:
Streaking
One of the most annoying things on windscreen glass is streaking. Not only is it annoying, but it’s also quite dangerous and can seriously affect your visibility. If you are going to put all that effort into cleaning your windows, then make sure you end up with a screen that is clear and improves visibility rather than streaky.
Fogging
Does it seem like no matter how many times you clean your windscreen or windows it keeps on fogging up? It could be down to the cleaner you are using on both your windscreen and your side windows. Fogging is another annoying result of cleaning your auto windows with regular glass cleaner, and it can also lead to glare which is another potential driving hazard.
Tint damage
Window tint should never be cleaned with ammonia-based cleaning products. Ammonia breaks down the tint, and over time, it can cause the tint to peel. This is another frustrating and potentially dangerous drawback of using a regular glass cleaner on auto glass and the reason you should turn to a specialist auto glass cleaner.
How to clean car windows
Having a clean windshield and windows is much more than just the appearance of a clean, well-kept car.
It can help to decrease driver fatigue and improve visibility, meaning safer driving.
Cleaning your car windows sounds like an easy job but often you’re left with a messy, streaky finish that is more distracting and harder to see through than before. If you use the right products and the right technique, you’ll be left with crystal clear windows.
How to clean the inside glass on your car:
- Wipe down the interior windscreen with a dry microfibre cloth. We recommend spraying the specialist auto glass cleaner like CRC Glass Cleaner onto the cloth rather than directly onto the windscreen to cut down on wastage and ensure none of the glass cleaner ends up on other surfaces inside the car.
- Use the clean side of your cloth to wipe the windscreen all around the top edges. This prevents dirt stuck in the area from travelling down the glass after you've cleaned it.
- Switching to a clean cloth, spray the cloth again and wipe around the inside edges of the windscreen. Now wipe the remaining middle section of the glass, spraying your cloth with more glass cleaner as necessary. Give the glass a final wipe over with a clean, dry cloth.
- For the side windows, take a similar approach. However, if you find you have tougher stains to remove, including fingerprints or sunscreen marks, you can also try CRC Glass Doctor which is an intensive glass cleaner and polisher. While it is not suitable for windscreens, it is perfect for cleaning the side windows which are far more likely to have fingerprint marks and more.
- Use a microfibre cloth. Microfibre is soft to the touch but has excellent properties to scrub away any dirt while absorbing the glass cleaner. It is better than newspaper which leaves ink residue all over your hands and car interior, and better than paper towels that shred easily, meaning you use more of them.
- Wipe in every direction. The best way to get your glass cleaner than ever is to wipe the glass in an up-and-down motion, then in a side-to-side motion. This method leaves fewer streaks than wiping in circles.
How to clean the outside glass on your car:
- Wash your car before cleaning the windows. This way, you will remove a lot of the initial dirt, grime, and grease from the windscreen and windows as possible before you start to focus specifically on the glass. Whether you wash your car by hand or take it through a car wash, it will make your job of cleaning windows easier.
- Spray the windows with glass cleaner. Unlike the interior, spraying the window directly will help dissolve stuck-on bugs and dirt to make your wiping job easy. Ensure an even mist over the surface. If you are cleaning the front or back windshield, do it in sections so the glass cleaner doesn’t dry before you get to it. If you have particularly dirty side windows, you can use CRC Glass Doctor to remove tough marks and stains.
- Move your car into the shade when cleaning the glass or clean the glass later in the evening when the temperatures are colder. This will also help to prevent the cleaner from drying too quickly and leaving any streaks.
- Use a microfibre cloth. Microfibre cloths will remove bugs and dirt from the outside of your windows and leave a clean, streak-free finish. Make sure to use a separate microfibre cloth than the one for the inside of your windows.
- Wipe in a vertical, then horizontal pattern. To prevent streaks, wipe first in an up-and-down motion, then a side-to-side motion, just like the inside windows. The difference with the outside windows is you may have to use more pressure to scrub away the bugs and dirt that are stuck to the glass.
Cleaning your car headlights
While CRC Glass Cleaner or CRC Glass Doctor will certainly help to keep your car headlights clean, if you truly want to restore your full or yellowing headlight lenses, CRC Headlight Doctor is the perfect solution.
It quickly and easily cleans, shines, and protects all vehicle lenses, improving driving visibility.
Headlight Doctor restores cloudy and dull headlights, removes surface oxidation, discolouration, stains, light scratches, contamination, and hazing. It provides a water-resistant protective coating, delaying future oxidation and discolouration.
For tips on keeping your car clean on the inside and out, make sure you keep an eye on our blog for all the latest tips and check out our wide range of auto cleaning products.