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Thread: Cleaning windshields

  1. #1
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    Cleaning windshields

    My father told me about 45 years ago that contractors who replaced windshields used a small amount of Johnsons talcum powder on an old sock to clean the glass and this was the method my father used

    I have used this method and had good results

    My question what do other members think of this approach

  2. #2
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    Another one of the old ways to clean a wet windshield was with a pack of Bull Durham cigarette tobacco. The tobacco juice would dissolve a lot of the grime on the glass.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
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  3. #3
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    Pouring a bottle of Coca-Cola cuts grime also... still do it when traveling occasionally

  4. #4
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    Invisible glass works better.

  5. #5
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    It depends on what is on it, and potentially how long it's been there. Invisible glass doesn't work well on established water spots. I haven't used talc, because I have Barkeeper's Friend, which just adds a mild acid to the mild abrasive.
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

  6. #6
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    I use whitening (finely ground chalk) when restoring my windows. Mainly to remove linseed oil smears from the glass but it also cleans glass generally. Sounds like most any soft ground mineral like talc would work.
    My three favorite things are the Oxford comma, irony and missed opportunities

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  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Ed Aumiller View Post
    Pouring a bottle of Coca-Cola cuts grime also... still do it when traveling occasionally
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  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Deakin View Post
    My father told me about 45 years ago that contractors who replaced windshields used a small amount of Johnsons talcum powder on an old sock to clean the glass and this was the method my father used

    I have used this method and had good results

    My question what do other members think of this approach
    I haven't tried the talcum powder but I do have some genuine (billiards) talc powder and I'll give it a try. (I read that some products sold for human use contain cornstarch)

    Fine steel wool take off almost anything stuck to the surface and will make any glass shine. Won't scratch the glass. I've used it on windshields and window glass in the house. I use Liberon 0000.

    JKJ

  9. #9
    I like the Rain X product. The stuff sheds water so well , just flys off. Unless there is a really hard rain the intermittent
    setting is all you need.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by John K Jordan View Post
    I haven't tried the talcum powder but I do have some genuine (billiards) talc powder and I'll give it a try. (I read that some products sold for human use contain cornstarch)

    Fine steel wool take off almost anything stuck to the surface and will make any glass shine. Won't scratch the glass. I've used it on windshields and window glass in the house. I use Liberon 0000.

    JKJ
    Really? I scratched up an aquarium something terrible using steel wool to clean of the hard water deposits. I was just a dumb kid at the time & didn't know that vinegar would do the trick much easier.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Pratt View Post
    Really? I scratched up an aquarium something terrible using steel wool to clean of the hard water deposits. I was just a dumb kid at the time & didn't know that vinegar would do the trick much easier.
    Yep, really. Been using it for years. Note that I always clean the glass first with glass cleaner and use the steel wool for stubborn places or streaks. Maybe you got some hardened steel or used some type of steel wool pad with an abrasive added. Or more likely, could some hard mineral in the aquarium (sand?) have gotten picked up and scratched the glass. I certainly would not try steel wool on windshield glass that possibly had dirt and grit from the road - that could contain particles of some very hard minerals. I once put a scratch on the inside of a windshield by swiping at some fog with the back of my gloved hand. That glove must have had a single particle of grit in the fabric. Diamond polish to the rescue.

    From this page: https://expandusceramics.com/qa/what...tch-glass.html:

    Does steel wool scratch glass?
    Please be advised: while steel wool and brass wool will not scratch glass, other cleaning abrasives, such as S.O.S. pads, will absolutely scratch it and must never be used to clean it.


    Some wise advice:
    https://info.glass.com/steel-wool-clean-auto-glass/

    JKJ

  12. #12
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    I've cleaned my windshields with Fantastic - spray it on, during the rain (common in this area) fall, and the bacterial coating on the 'shield is gone. It works for cars, but I'd never use it on the motorcycle,
    Young enough to remember doing it;
    Old enough to wish I could do it again.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by John K Jordan View Post
    Yep, really. Been using it for years. Note that I always clean the glass first with glass cleaner and use the steel wool for stubborn places or streaks. Maybe you got some hardened steel or used some type of steel wool pad with an abrasive added. Or more likely, could some hard mineral in the aquarium (sand?) have gotten picked up and scratched the glass. I certainly would not try steel wool on windshield glass that possibly had dirt and grit from the road - that could contain particles of some very hard minerals. I once put a scratch on the inside of a windshield by swiping at some fog with the back of my gloved hand. That glove must have had a single particle of grit in the fabric. Diamond polish to the rescue.

    From this page: https://expandusceramics.com/qa/what...tch-glass.html:

    Does steel wool scratch glass?
    Please be advised: while steel wool and brass wool will not scratch glass, other cleaning abrasives, such as S.O.S. pads, will absolutely scratch it and must never be used to clean it.


    Some wise advice:
    https://info.glass.com/steel-wool-clean-auto-glass/

    JKJ
    I'll bet there was some abrasive in the steel wool. It might have been an SOS pad.

  14. #14
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    The best thing I've used so far is white vinegar. It not only cleans, but also eliminates haze For a few days anyway.
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  15. #15
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    I have been using isopropyl alcohol for a while. With the 'rona my windows aren't looking their best lately.

    When isopropyl is plentiful squirt it right out of the bottle onto a rag and just kind of wipe it around. Alcohols will dissolve or break up, waheter, alcohols will ruin wax in a hurry, so keep it off the paint.

    With a visibly dirty window just use the alcohol to loosen the dirt and kind of wipe up the wet dirt mush without using a lot of pressure to avoid causing scratches. Once it is visibly clean, then scrub with a clean rag and isopropyl.

    I used to buff with wadded newsprint. There used to be a fair bit of obsidian in newspaper ink, but I haven't done that in probably 20 years. I used RainX on my glass for a long long time, have been trialing other products without finding a new clear favorite lately.

    One other tip, for the windshield on the outside I stroke/wipe up and down, for the inside of the windshield, wipe side to side. That way if there is a streak I know what side of the glass to work on.

    For the side windows I go left right on the outside of the vehicle, up and down inside. Basically wipe with the airflow on the outside, and then turn 90 degrees for the inside.

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