Why do I need to clean my car's glass?
There’s a crucial reason why you need to clean your car's glass.
Apart from the aesthetics, having a dirty windshield is a safety hazard for any driver regardless of their experience level.
If your windshield is too dirty and you’re driving in poor weather conditions or on uneven roads, it greatly increases the chance that you’ll get into an accident that could seriously damage your car or harm you.
This part of the car detailing process does take time, but the danger of having an unclean windshield is too great to ignore.
So now that you know why you need to clean your car’s glass, let’s talk about the process for how we do so.
You might be surprised to learn that a seemingly simple process such as glass cleaning actually has a proper method for getting it done.
This is because some “professionals” will cut corners with the glass cleaner spray and the towel they use.
For example, most household glass cleaner sprays contain ammonia. While these can help to achieve that streakless shine you desire, it can also cause nearby damage to the surrounding paint, the trim, and the film if your windows are tinted. It’s also worth mentioning that those household ammonia glass cleaners are bad for your health. Not only is it a skin irritant but it also damages your airways, which is especially dangerous if you or a loved one has asthma. This is why we use an eco-friendly auto glass cleaner that's safe to use. We like to use vinegar or plant-based products that are sulfate-free, gentle to use, and pet-friendly!
When it comes to towels a lot of “professionals” will use paper towels which is a rookie mistake in our opinion. This oftens leaves behind particles on the glass which isn’t ideal when you’re going for that spotless finish. Some will go old school and use newspapers to do the job and while better than using paper towels it's not the best. Which is why we personally like to use waffle weave microfiber towels. These towels are special since the grooves on their surface allow it to absorb water more effectively, which lowers the chance of streaking from happening.
Apart from cleaning the windows of your car, there’s something else that we simply can’t ignore- your windshield wipers.
It’s not uncommon for some people to actually skip this step of glass cleaning of an auto detail, even though windshield wipers help you maintain a clear view of what you’re seeing. Over time they’ll accumulate a lot of dirt and left unchecked, they can affect your ability to drive safely since they’ll be much less effective.
Fortunately, the process for cleaning your windshield wipers is actually fairly straightforward. First, we wipe the dirt off using warm water on some paper towels. We repeat this several times to get rid of most of the dirt on the wipers’ surface. Then, we use washer fluid or an all-purpose cleaner and apply that to another microfiber towel where we wipe down your windshield wipers until there aren’t any more dirt marks visible on the towel. Last, we use a rubbing alcohol solution to remove any remaining residue on your windshield wipers to ensure that streak-free finish!