Windscreen cleaning products

[Artiste]

The issues with windscreen wipers are well documented. They are getting better with software updates but mine still sometimes fail to come on when it’s raining and wipe away like crazy when it’s dry.

The problem with wipers operating when it’s dry is that they just smear gunk all over the screen, and in winter with gritting and what have you there’s a lot of gunk around. I now seem to be totally unable to get the screen completely clean and smear free, which is irritating when I’m driving. Does anyone have any recommendations for cleaning products that could help? Thanks!

 

[Ch0pper]

Autoglym fast glass works for me

 

[Glan gluaisne]

I've used Rain-X a few times, but have mixed views about it. It does work, in that water tends to run off very easily, plus it helps with the wiper smear problem, but it's not really a 100% fix, IMHO. It's also a pain to get off the screen if you decide you don't like it.

Whether the other water repellents are better/worse than Rain-X I don't know; I keep meaning to try them, but have been putting it off in case they are harder to get off than Rain-X if I find I don't like it.


(waiting for this post to get yet another "disagree" down vote, as I seem to be collecting a lot of them today, absolutely no idea why)

 

[pgkevet]

The problem with non fancy cleaning products is whether they might affect Tesla trim or paintwork. The classic old standby for really cleaning windows was meths and an old newpaper scrunched up. For my other cars I've used dilute vinegar (parcularly inside) but ya needs to ventilate the chip shop smell out after. I do fine with Autoglym car shampoo, rinse and dry with a damp chammy on the outside of my S. Inside I use OH's eco window cleaner and the same chammy after a primary rinse of the worst grime. For some really problem crud build up on the conservatory windows i happily used sugar soap at about 3 tablespoons to a bucket of warm - worked brilliantly bu would probably take tesla paint off.

 

[NorfolkMustard]

Top tip for those recently taken delivery, esp in this rain

 

[Kmartyn]

I use invisible glass to take off the first layer, then follow with a damp magic eraser to get the smearing stuff off, then another pass with the invisible glass. It is the magic eraser than does the real work.

IMO it is the rinse agents and wax in car washes that causes the problem.

 

[davidmc]

I used this and put it on around Sept time. It's still working great.

You do have to wash the screen every now and then but it beads the rain really well and mine is still going.

Gtechniq - G1 Glass Sealant Kit

Once you sorted that problem the next bit is the inside! Still trying to keep my screen inside smear free!

Ps. the kit above only covers the front screen with 3 coats and I managed the rear with 1 (when I mean rear screen it's just the bit you see out of the back)

 

[Generator]

I used this and put it on around Sept time. It's still working great.

You do have to wash the screen every now and then but it beads the rain really well and mine is still going.

Gtechniq - G1 Glass Sealant Kit

Once you sorted that problem the next bit is the inside! Still trying to keep my screen inside smear free!

Ps. the kit above only covers the front screen with 3 coats and I managed the rear with 1 (when I mean rear screen it's just the bit you see out of the back)

Used this on two of my cars. You may have to suffer squeaky wipers for a little while after application, but its brilliant. Also very handy for shower enclosures.

 

[Glan gluaisne]

I've used Rain-X a few times, but have mixed views about it. It does work, in that water tends to run off very easily, plus it helps with the wiper smear problem, but it's not really a 100% fix, IMHO. It's also a pain to get off the screen if you decide you don't like it.

Whether the other water repellents are better/worse than Rain-X I don't know; I keep meaning to try them, but have been putting it off in case they are harder to get off than Rain-X if I find I don't like it.


(waiting for this post to get yet another "disagree" down vote, as I seem to be collecting a lot of them today, absolutely no idea why)

Think this may be a record. As I predicted above, it seems that I've attracted 53 "disagree" down votes, all from the same person, in the past half hour. Good luck to them, may be they are going for a record? Seems a lot of effort to go to when it has zero impact, other than a bit of amusement, perhaps.

Back on topic, I have been out this morning and treated the screen with Rain-X, albeit from an old bottle than may be past it's best. A quick drive around seems to show that it works better than I remembered. I'll try and update this after a few weeks to see if it tends to smear a bit after a while.

I cleaned the glass first with some Screwfix own brand glass cleaner, and that did a surprisingly good job. I've used it on the windows in the house before, but not on the car. If used with a couple of clean microfibre cloths it seems to leave no smears at all, and was probably the easiest glass cleaner I've ever used, in terms of not needing much effort to get a smear-free finish.

 

[webbah]

This approach works perfect for me:

1) Invisible Glass to clean
2) Magic Eraser to go deep and clean any remaining grease and off gassing (off gassing is a thing on the interior for new cars)
3) Invisible Glass to clean again
4) Aquapel to create a great hydrophobic layer so water and snow bead off (better than RainX, but outside only obviously)

 

[Adopado]

If used with a couple of clean microfibre cloths it seems to leave no smears at all

I think the cloth is an important point. I've found that with a clean microfibre cloth and some serious elbow grease you can actually get a very good result with little plain water on the inside glass surfaces ... keep rubbing even when it's gone dry and it takes the last of the smears away.

 

[Glan gluaisne]

I think the cloth is an important point. I've found that with a clean microfibre cloth and some serious elbow grease you can actually get a very good result with little plain water on the inside glass surfaces ... keep rubbing even when it's gone dry and it takes the last of the smears away.

I think you're spot on. I bought both the glass cleaner, and a pack of the microfibre cloths, to clean the windows in our old house when we put it up for sale, and I was amazed at how effective these microfibre cloths are. Not expensive, either, around 64p each when bought as a pack of 50 (available from the same place as the glass cleaner mentioned above - I don't want to post a commercial link). As long as they don't get oil or grease on them they seem to wash well, so can be re-used loads of times.

 

[rotor2k]

This approach works perfect for me:

1) Invisible Glass to clean
2) Magic Eraser to go deep and clean any remaining grease and off gassing (off gassing is a thing on the interior for new cars)
3) Invisible Glass to clean again
4) Aquapel to create a great hydrophobic layer so water and snow bead off (better than RainX, but outside only obviously)

Isn’t magic eraser stiff as a board and therefore not well suited to a curved surface?

 

[webbah]

Isn’t magic eraser stiff as a board and therefore not well suited to a curved surface?

Magic eraser is like a sponge. You need to use water with it and make it damp/moist then clean.


Mr Clean® | Magic Eraser Original

 

[MrBadger]

I used a clay mitt on another car, lube and lots of lube elbow grease. Still more to do, you think you got everything off, then change in light and you see another lot.

I was recommended tar remover as on that car its probably carnauba wax dribbles, but didn't work so maybe not wax. It all depends on what the contaminant is, different marks benefit from different methods.