By Gail Marsh
Of all the parts on your truck or motorhome, your windshield is one of the most important to keep clean. Most folks have no problem cleaning the exterior of the windshield. Almost every fuel station has a cleaner, a sponge, and paper towels that will scrub the windshield’s exterior clean. However, the job isn’t done until both sides of the glass sparkle. So here are some tips for cleaning the inside of your windshield.
Why is the inside of a windshield so dirty?
• Outside dust and dirt. Dirt from the outside air may come in through open windows and/or air vents. The dirt and dust will accumulate to form a film on the inside of the glass.
• Grime. Fingerprints, splatters, and bug smears can add to the messy glass.
• Heat and UV rays. Ultraviolet light rays and heat combine to cause some plastics and fabric in the vehicle’s interior to release or off-gas chemicals and particles. These also form a film on the windshield’s interior.
• Smoke. If you or your passengers smoke cigarettes, cigars, pipes, or vape in your vehicle, the resulting smoke will build up as smudge on the glass.
Getting the best clean
• Shade. Move your vehicle into the shade, or plan to clean the windshield’s interior glass inside your garage. (Heat can cause the cleaning solution to dry too quickly, causing streaks.)
• Gather your cleaning materials: Have handy a large bowl or small bucket, dish detergent (I use original Dawn), white vinegar, three microfiber cloths (more about those here).
• Mix up the cleaning solution: Pour warm water into the bowl. Add two or three drops of dish detergent to the water. Also add a capful of white vinegar. Gently mix.
• Soak. Put one microfiber cloth into the cleaning mix so the cloth is completely soaked.
• Dry rub. While one microfiber cloth is soaking, take the second microfiber cloth and rub the windshield’s interior in a circular motion. This will remove any loose dirt and dust. Set this dirty cloth aside.
• Wring and wash. Wring out the cloth soaking in the cleaning solution and wash the inside glass. First, scrub in a circular motion, changing the cloth frequently so you’re always using a clean part of the cloth. Finish washing the glass by wiping up and down over the entire windshield’s interior.
• Dry. Finally, take the third microfiber cloth and thoroughly dry the glass. Again, frequently change the part of the cloth that’s touching the glass.
• Repeat the process, as needed. If your windshield’s interior glass is really grimy, increase the amount of dish detergent and vinegar.
How do you clean the inside of your windshield? Share your tips with us in the comments below, please.
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Was a time when read newspapers, aka old, and simple water spray or windex worked well. Interwebs killed that. If doing tinted windows ensure no ammonia based window cleaner is used.
Some big tip. Just use windex glass cleaner and a towel. There fixed it for ya.
place a towel down over your dash, spray half the windshield with your favorite window cleaner, use a silicone squeegee, wipe off remainder of cleaner with microfiber towel. repeat on other half of windshield, wipe off dashboard.
the key is 2 or 3 drops of dish soap (more is not better) with white vinegar. Any dish soap will work. Do not use Windex or ammonia or any other window cleaner. Professional Window Cleaner
Never ever use the cheap discount store microfiber towels. All they do is spread the film causing streaks. Also, do not use fabric softener when washing the microfiber. I wash my towels in warm water with a little Dawn dishwashing soap. Then thoroughly rinse them.
I’ve found Stoner’s window cleaner to be the best. Clean the window and then wipe again with a dry towel.
I mix a all purpose spray of 50/50 white vinegar and 2-3 drops of dish soap and newspaper to clean my windows.
Just use vinegar and water. No need for any type of detergent or window cleaner.
Thank you, Gail! We use two microfiber towels and glass cleaner. Our process is similar to yours in that one towel is used to clean and one to dry. For the exterior glass I use Wash Wax All (https://a.co/d/4awVVbA) and pairs of towels. Typically the drying towel becomes increasingly damp, resulting in it becoming the cleaning towel and a dry one becoming the drying towel. Have a great day, happy Thanksgiving, and safe travels!