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Cleaning Windows

Cleaning Windows

Window cleaning is perhaps the most challenging detailing task for professional detailers, as customers tend to quickly notice streaky windows as soon as they sit down in their freshly detailed car.  There are several variables that can contribute to the success or failure of cleaning windows, and usually the cause of streaky windows can be traced back to a shortcut in one of these variables.  In this month’s blog entry, we will go through the variables with suggestions for better results, and also talk about best practices when it comes to window cleaning technique. 

Clean windows are also important from the standpoint of safety.  For example, the clarity of the windshield can be impacted by film or fogginess on the inside, as well as dirt, dust, and water spots on the outside.  Sources of interior film build-up include tobacco and vape smoke, as well as normal gassing off from interior plastic-based materials like vinyl, rubber, carpeting, and sport cloth.

Dirty exterior windows can impact safety as well.  Visibility through a dirty windshield can be dramatically reduced when driving directly into the sun.  The same is true with the back window at night, which becomes a source of glare from the headlights of the vehicles behind.  Finally, sideview mirror visibility is also impacted when these are dirty.  Not to mention the fact that looking out through clean windows is just a much more pleasant experience.

Window Cleaning Variables

The main variables involved in the success or failure of window cleaning are:

  1. The towel being used,
  2. The window cleaning chemical being used, and
  3. The technique being used.

We will discuss each one of these in depth, including what to do to ensure successful streak-free window cleaning.

Variable 1:  The Glass Cleaning Towel

The most common source of problems with window cleaning has to do with the towels.  First, it is important to use the right towel in order to get the best result with the minimum effort.  Second, window towel care is of utmost importance for repeated success using the same towels. 

For window cleaning, it is critical to have a set of dedicated towels that are only used for window cleaning, and that are washed separately from all other towels.  Using the same towels for everything and washing them together leads to contamination of the window towels, which will cause streaking. 

If you are using window towels that have been cross-contaminated, it is best to start with a fresh set of new window towels and follow the towel care suggestions below.

Proje offers two window towel options, each of which is designed specifically for use on glass.  These are the Waffle Weave Microfiber Window Towel and the Diamond Window Towel.  You will find that both work very well to make window cleaning easier and reduce leftover streaking.  Which towel is best for you is mostly a matter of personal preference.  Both towels are completely lint-free and are designed to grab film and contaminants from the glass surface without scratching.  Speaking of scratching, they are also safe on window film.

Proper Window Towel Care.  Speaking of towels, let’s take a short side journey to talk about proper towel care.  Professional detailers are as obsessive-compulsive about their towels as they are about their craft.  This is because proper towel care makes the detailing process easier and more effective.  The simplest way to sum up proper towel care is this:  Dedicate towels to specific purpose (glass towels, interior towels, drying towels, polish/wax removal towels), and wash and store them separately to reduce cross-contamination.

With that in mind, it is extra important for the glass towel to be separated during each step in its usage cycle.  Clean window towels should be stored separately, making sure that there is no contact with any other towel, whether clean or dirty.  Once a window towel has been used, it should be stored in a separate clean bin with all the other used window towels, waiting for a large enough batch to wash.

Window towels should also be washed and dried separately from other towels to eliminate cross-contamination.  Use only laundry detergent that is designed for microfiber towels and never use fabric softener.  Also recommended is a second rinse with a cup of vinegar, which will ensure removal of any leftover contamination that could cause streaks.

Following these suggestions for use of window towels can give you years of streak free window cleaning with the same set of towels.

Another variable is how many towels are used to clean the windows.  It is common practice among professionals to use at least two towels during the window cleaning process.  Towel one is dampened with glass cleaner, like Proje’s Genesis Glass Cleaner.  This towel is used to perform the initial wipe of the glass to loosen the haze and grime that coats the glass.  The second towel is used to clean and dry the glass by wiping away the glass cleaner residue and remaining dirt.  It is important to keep wiping with towel two until the glass is completely dry and streak-free.  Some technicians like to follow with a third “buffing” towel to ensure there are no remaining streaks.

Note that Genesis Glass Cleaner is safe on all types of glass, clear plastic, and tinted windows.  Remember to clean the vanity mirrors (in the sun visors), the rear-view mirror, the display screens, and the acrylic plastic cover over the gauge cluster.

What about the Exterior Glass?

Proje Genesis Glass Cleaner works wonders to get exterior glass crystal clean.  If the glass feels gritty after cleaning, use Proje’s Traditional Clay Bars or Clay Mitt along with Throwback Clay Lube to get rid of this grit before following up with normal glass cleaning.  If the exterior glass has water spots, try Proje’s Water Spot Remover, carefully following the directions on the label; then complete with normal glass cleaning technique.

Summary

Driving happiness is definitely enhanced by clean windows.  More importantly, driving safety is also enhanced.  Proper window cleaning equipment and techniques will make this normally tedious task much easier.

 

By Prentice St. Clair, CD-SV, RIT

Prentice St. Clair, CD-SV, RIT has been providing training and consulting for the professional automotive detailing industry since 1999, as well as providing detailing services to the motoring public many more years than that.  Prentice holds many certifications within the detailing industry, and is a Recognized Industry Trainer through the International Detailing Association.  Considered one of the industry’s leading experts, Prentice has been inducted to the IDA Detailer’s Hall of Fame.