Glass cleaner
- Thread starter Hamman77
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I use windex type of glass cleaner. Spray on, wipe with newsprint (it's an old technique to prevent streaking).
Windex has ammonia which is bad for the rubber seal around the window and damages the window tint (after market and manufacturer). Stoner's Invisible Glass and Sprayway Glass Cleaner are the two products that professional auto detailers use the most.
I've been using it for 40 years with no problems.
Must be the newsprint I wipe with.
The newsprint is a good idea. That's all we ever used in the restaurants I worked at. The problem with paper towels is the fact that there is a lot of glue in the paper fibers, which contributes to streaking.
I used Windex for a long time, close to 40 years as well, probably, and I didn't see any problems. Then I got schooled by a detailer, then did some more research. Using Windex, it's not like the windshield will just fall right out (although aftermarket tint will dry out and peel). But ammonia and alcohol isn't good (especially on paint!) because it dries out rubber and plastic. Windex does have an ammonia-free formula now that's supposed to be pretty good.
Still, auto glass companies, and glass replacement companies like Safelite, car dealers, detailers, they all use glass cleaner made mostly by Sprayway, and Stoners. Mopar Genuine Glass Cleaner? It's Sprayway. Go to any car dealer and buy their expensive can of glass cleaner, and it's rebranded Sprayway. Safelite, same thing. So that's what I use.
But if you're happy with Windex, or vinegar water, or whatever, that's what you should use.
Sprayway makes some awesome stuff.
I usually get my Sprayway fix here. Wonderful people, great to deal with. They're a Christ-centered business, but I don't hold that against them.
I delivered there once, which is how I know about them. They're in the boonies, a little ways west of Dodge City, Kansas.
Ditto on the Sprayway, which is getting easier to find now than it used to be. And here's a nifty tip I learned from professional cleaners: when cleaning both sides of glass, use vertical swipes on one side, horizontal on the other. Makes it easy to see which side any pesky streaks are on.
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The Sprayway 50 glass cleaner can be found lots of places these days. Home Depot, Ace Hardware, Do It Best, Carquest, Sam's, Costco, most Target locations.
(If you go looking for Sprayway Glass Cleaner and only see Stoner's Invisible Glass, get that. They're made by different companies, but they're the same exact thing.)
For Sprayway's other stuff for industrial use, you'll have to use online like the Sparkle Auto link above, also Amazon, or some of the stuff can be gotten at places like Fastenal. They have 10 or 15 products that I buy pretty regularly. The Crazy Clean stuff is awesome, as are the Crazy Clean Wipes (it's like those Clorox hand wipes, only a million times better, and they're larger) . Be careful of the Industrial Strength Wipes, which are the same thing, except they'll remove paint, since they're designed to remove paint overspray and graffiti. I didn't much care for the glass cleaner wipes, I prefer the spray can, but they work well enough. The vinyl cleaner, plastic cleaner, instant shine, the quick release adhesive remover (that stuff is OMG awesome), silicone spray, orange power degreaser, I use a lot of them. Even the grill and oven cleaner put all others to shame.
The vast majority of Sprayway's stuff is made primarily for industrial use or use within certain industries, which is why most of it is only sold through industrial supply places. But everything I've tried, I can't recommend it highly enough. I'm a fanboy of the stuff.
The way is started was, I'd been using Windex forever. You need to clean glass, use Windex! Rags knows. It works. Then I had a cracked windshield replaced at their place of business instead of having them come to me, and while they were doing that one of the other guys snapped a wipe out of a little container tub and cleaned the bugs off the front of the hood. One side was smooth and the other wide kind of textured. Without spraying anything he wiped and the bugs dissolved right off in an astonishingly fast time. I couldn't believe it. It was a holy crap moment. The tub was about half empty and he gave it to me. The tub was company-branded Safelite, with just a "manufactured for Safelite" on the label. Then I saw them use some Safelite branded spray adhesive remover to remove a sticker that was on the windshield. Sprayed it on, let it set for 30 seconds, then wiped it clean off. Then they used some Safelite branded glass cleaner, spray on, let it set s bit, wipe clean, no streaks, very little rubbing. Just spray on, wipe off, clean. I talked him into selling me a can of the glass cleaner, but he just gave me that, too. No manufacturer on the can, and they didn't have a clue as to who made it.
Then I started to do some research. Took a while, including some phone calls, and found out who made this stuff. I found out they make a lot of things for a lot of industries, quite a bit of it rebranded. The brake parts cleaners, silicone sprays, parts cleaners and degreasers, metal parts protectant, all found at many car dealers and mechanic shops are Sprayway.
Like I said, I'm a fanboy of the stuff. Because it works so well. At least everything I've tried so far, anyway.
I've been using Sprayway glass cleaner since high school graphic arts class. The formula 40 (orange can) works great for cleaning camera lenses, light tables, copy-boards etc. I still use it to clean my glasses. The general purpose (blue can) is good for windows. Costco sells the general purpose cleaner in 4 packs, but it isn't always available. Single cans can be found at Ace Hardware stores.
I've never tried the 40 glass cleaner. Always wondered what the difference was between that and regular cleaner. That would probably be better for my flatbed scanner.
They have several products like that which are similar, and you''d think they'd be pretty much the same thing. Like the plastic, vinyl and glass cleaners. You'd think they'd be more or less interchangeable. And I suppose they are. But the plastic cleaner works so much better on plastics than does the glass or vinyl cleaner. The glass cleaner will clean the dash OK, but the vinyl and plastic cleaners works so much better on those dash parts.
The Crazy Clean is a great all-purpose cleaner, and the Orange Crazy Clean works just as well for that, but it also works better on heavy grease and oil like you'd find with a truck or van. I order the Orange Crazy Clean and the 40 glass cleaner by the case (it's cheaper). I'll keep a can or two in the truck and leave the rest at home for use around he house. A case usually lasts me at least a year, though I go through more Crazy Clean than glass cleaner, mainly because others use it around the house regularly. But it's great for the walls of the van, which looking around the inside of the van I see that I really need to do that.
They have several products like that which are similar, and you''d think they'd be pretty much the same thing. Like the plastic, vinyl and glass cleaners. You'd think they'd be more or less interchangeable. And I suppose they are. But the plastic cleaner works so much better on plastics than does the glass or vinyl cleaner. The glass cleaner will clean the dash OK, but the vinyl and plastic cleaners works so much better on those dash parts.
The Crazy Clean is a great all-purpose cleaner, and the Orange Crazy Clean works just as well for that, but it also works better on heavy grease and oil like you'd find with a truck or van. I order the Orange Crazy Clean and the 40 glass cleaner by the case (it's cheaper). I'll keep a can or two in the truck and leave the rest at home for use around he house. A case usually lasts me at least a year, though I go through more Crazy Clean than glass cleaner, mainly because others use it around the house regularly. But it's great for the walls of the van, which looking around the inside of the van I see that I really need to do that.
Probably not much difference. I'm guessing that the Formula 40 was one of their original products before branching out into the consumer market. Both products contain the same ingredients, possibly in differing quantities though. I grew up with this stuff. It works great and I like the smell of it.
White distilled and apple cider vinegar are all you need to effectively clean and tidy your home! Vinegar is known as an effective household cleanser that can be used to remove mold, bacteria and germs due to its high level of acidity. Using vinegar is a great way to avoid the use of harmful chemicals, to be more friendly to the environment and is entirely more economical than store-bought cleaning products.
Prevent ice from forming on the windshield overnight
Coat the window with a solution of three parts vinegar to one part water and the ice just won't form!
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for about 3 bucks, you can clean you truck for a year using vinegar in a spray bottle and water, but you wont have all those cute white foamy bubbles.
21 Household Uses of Vinegar | Lifescript.com
Prevent ice from forming on the windshield overnight
Coat the window with a solution of three parts vinegar to one part water and the ice just won't form!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
for about 3 bucks, you can clean you truck for a year using vinegar in a spray bottle and water, but you wont have all those cute white foamy bubbles.
21 Household Uses of Vinegar | Lifescript.com