Best way to clean inside of windscreen and keep it clean?

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wiggydiggy

Legendary Member
For some reason my windscreen on the inside seems to accumulate grime easily, I've tried cleaning it before with glass cleaner but this just made it streaky. Warm soapy water was better but I'm using a towel, warm water and a clean one to dry after.

Just wondered if theres anything I can buy specifically for windscreens you'd recommend I can use to clean it and will keep it relatively clean.

BTW I don't drive a lot, normally alone and don't smoke or vape in the car. Am also not cursed by Nurgle so I'm not sure why I need to keep doing this.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
You need a microfibre cloth. I have microfibre drying cloth's for the car's surface. After drying car, with the cloth just damp (wring out any excess) I just wipe the inside of the windows. No smears and nothing more than water. If you are getting smears, I'd use something like autoglym window cleaner (car specific) and a microfibre cloth.
 

sevenfourate

Devotee of OCD
Angelwax Vision Superior Automotive Glass Cleaner + A "Fishscale" cloth.

Use as normal via kitchen rol etc (VERY strong ammonia smell.....but amazing product. Then finish with a fishscale cloth if required.



I'm a serious and avid Detailer. Through much experience over the years this is about the best money can buy and gives an amazing smear-free finish. Thank me later.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Newish car have plastic that excrete fumes, that new car smell, thet deposit on the inside of the glass. A wipe with a damp microfibre and a polish with a dry one afterwards sorts it.
 

CXRAndy

Guru
Location
Lincs
I just use warm soapy cloth to clean the screen, then a couple of dry clothes to wipe off the soap residue. Find it does as good a job as anything specifically sold to clean. Its road pollution thats the main cause coming through the vents. You could drive with recirculation on and aircon all the time, but watch out for mould smells if you dont dry the condenser inside before parking up
 
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wiggydiggy

wiggydiggy

Legendary Member
Thanks all for suggestions. :okay:

I have 2 microfibre type cloths but I hadn't tried them wet before. I'll try one damp with just water and dry with the other before I buy anything new.

Use this one damp with water:
IMG-20251003-113631198.jpg

Dry with this one
IMG-20251003-113640794.jpg
You need a microfibre cloth. I have microfibre drying cloth's for the car's surface. After drying car, with the cloth just damp (wring out any excess) I just wipe the inside of the windows. No smears and nothing more than water. If you are getting smears, I'd use something like autoglym window cleaner (car specific) and a microfibre cloth.

I'll have a look at the autoglym stuff and the fibre cloths you linked thanks,

Angelwax Vision Superior Automotive Glass Cleaner + A "Fishscale" cloth.

Can that be used on the inside? Thats what I'm trying to keep clean.
I just use warm soapy cloth to clean the screen, then a couple of dry clothes to wipe off the soap residue. Find it does as good a job as anything specifically sold to clean. Its road pollution thats the main cause coming through the vents. You could drive with recirculation on and aircon all the time, but watch out for mould smells if you dont dry the condenser inside before parking up

Road pollution, thats annoying. I find the ventilation in the car (Peugot 308 SW 2019) poor compared to my old Ford Focus Focus 2009 so I do tend to have a window open a lot on drives, that might be the cause perhaps.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Like @Drago has said, it's often the plasticisers in cars that leaves a fine coating on the car windows. Damp microfibre has been my choice for a long time, also doubles up as a duster for the dash.
 

Binky

Über Member
What you need to do is clean the windscreen first of all with isopropyl alcohol then use a glass cleaner. What happens is cars get hot in the sun and any plastic on dashboard etc gives off fumes which causes smearing on the inside glass. This film needs to be removed before using a glass cleaner.
Have a search on YouTube as there are videos there which I've follwed in the past and it works.
 
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wiggydiggy

wiggydiggy

Legendary Member
Newish car have plastic that excrete fumes, that new car smell, thet deposit on the inside of the glass. A wipe with a damp microfibre and a polish with a dry one afterwards sorts it.

Like @Drago has said, it's often the plasticisers in cars that leaves a fine coating on the car windows. Damp microfibre has been my choice for a long time, also doubles up as a duster for the dash.

Oh I missed that sorry. Is 2019 new? That Ford Focus that didn't do this I mentioned would have been around 9 years old when I got it, I got this one at 6 years old.

What you need to do is clean the windscreen first of all with isopropyl alcohol then use a glass cleaner. What happens is cars get hot in the sun and any plastic on dashboard etc gives off fumes which causes smearing on the inside glass. This film needs to be removed before using a glass cleaner.
Have a search on YouTube as there are videos there which I've follwed in the past and it works.

It does park in the sun all day (south facing drive), that might exacerbate the issue. I found this to follow:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPqjLxY9ZCk
 
Location
Loch side.
I don't get this microfibre cloth thing. It seems to me that folk nowadays cant just say "cloth" it is always "microfibre" cloth.

I have frequently compared the performance of a microfibre cloth to a standard old cotton cloth (Drago will tell yo where to source those) on my bathroom mirror and, the latter outperforms the polyester cloth significantly. Cotton is more absorbent, glides better over clean glass and performs better on the final polish.

What am I missing on this microfibre trend?

Oh yes, to stay on topic. I found a gadget somewhere that helps you reach everywhere on the inside of a windscreen, which is an awkward place to work on. It looks like one of those boy scout foldable camping spades of yesteryear but the head is mounted on a hinge. The head is covered with a microfibre cloth sock (now cotton on mine) and you can then wipe around in the corners, around the mirror and even reach the passenger side from the driver's seat.

My go-to poison is methylated spirits dissolved in water.
 
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wiggydiggy

wiggydiggy

Legendary Member
The plasticiser affects all cars if left long enough. Try your existing cloths first before going down the rabbit holes.

I don't get this microfibre cloth thing. It seems to me that folk nowadays cant just say "cloth" it is always "microfibre" cloth.

I have frequently compared the performance of a microfibre cloth to a standard old cotton cloth (Drago will tell yo where to source those) on my bathroom mirror and, the latter outperforms the polyester cloth significantly. Cotton is more absorbent, glides better over clean glass and performs better on the final polish.

What am I missing on this microfibre trend?

Oh yes, to stay on topic. I found a gadget somewhere that helps you reach everywhere on the inside of a windscreen, which is an awkward place to work on. It looks like one of those boy scout foldable camping spades of yesteryear but the head is mounted on a hinge. The head is covered with a microfibre cloth sock (now cotton on mine) and you can then wipe around in the corners, around the mirror and even reach the passenger side from the driver's seat.

My go-to poison is methylated spirits dissolved in water.

Oh yeah I'm definately just trying a damp rub with water first using my existing stuff, then I might get some dedicated cleaner if its on offer.

For what is worth the first time I noticed it I just used kitchen towel and soapy water, another time I used one of those cheap blue washing up cloths (clean) as I was on a trip and noticed it was bad.

No rabit holes or miracle cures yet, just gathering advice!
 
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