How Should I Clean & Protect My Windshield?

Learn what to use to clean, decontaminate, polish and protect your windshield in this DIY Decision Guide.

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What Should I Use to Clean My Windshield?

The type of cleaner you use on your windows at home won’t do much for your windshield, especially if it’s heavily contaminated. When you’ve got things like bird droppings and bonded contamination stuck to the glass, you need a solution that’s actually designed to break them down. Here’s a quick guide on what to use, when.

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What To use and When

General Grime

Glass Cleaner

Light contamination from driving can usually be removed with a dedicated glass cleaner, preferably ammonia-free to ensure no damage to window tint.

Bug Splatter

Insect Remover

Insect remains can bake onto the glass and become hard to remove. Insect remover sprays break the residue down so it can be easily wiped away.

Tree Sap/Residue

Adhesive Remover

A dedicated adhesive remover is generally required for sticky residues that cannot be removed through normal washing procedure.

Bonded Contamination

Clay Bar

For all other kinds of bonded contamination like traffic film, use a clay bar to abrade contamination off the glass instead of relying on chemical means.

Zero Streak 2-Towel Method

1

Initial Wipe

+Apply ammonia-free glass cleaner
+Break up film, haze, and grime
+Use firm, overlapping passes
2

Final Wipe

+Follow with a dry towel
+Remove leftover moisture
+Eliminate streaks and smears

How Do I Keep My Windshield From Streaking?

One of the most annoying things about cleaning a windshield is dealing with the streaks. Sometimes it seems like no matter how well you wipe, you’re still left with a smeary mess on the glass. Thankfully there’s a lot you can do to reduce streaking and remove it easily when it does happen.

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When Should You Polish Your Windshield?

Sometimes it seems like no matter what you do, your windshield just won’t get clean. When you’ve got that level of bonded contamination, it may be time to step up from glass cleaner sprays to mechanical decontamination with clay, or even polishing.

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Common Reasons to Clay or Polish

Traffic Film

Traffic film bonded to glass

Contamination kicked up from the road while driving that bonds with the glass and won’t come off with chemical means.

Water Spots

Water spots on glass

Water spots can become acidic and eat into the glass, forming permanent crater etchings that can only be removed by polishing.

Residue Film

Residue film bonded to glass

Sometimes residues from environmental contaminants like pollen or tree sap can bond with the glass beyond what chemicals can remove.

vs.
Spray Repellent
Ceramic Coating
Weak Water Beading
Strong Water Beading
1–2 Week Durability
1+ Years Durability
No Contaminant Resistance
High Contaminant Resistance
No Chemical Resistance
High Chemical Resistance

What Should I Use to Protect My Windshield?

After you’ve done all the hard work to get your windshield perfectly clean, it only makes sense to protect that newly cleaned glass against future contamination. But you shouldn’t just use the rain repellent spray you can find at a gas station. Ceramic coatings formulated for glass will last longer, keep your glass cleaner and improve visibility overall.

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