How to Clean Car Windows

Easy and foolproof ways to get your car windows clean and shiny

Co-authored by Angel Ricardo

Last Updated: December 10, 2022 References

The irregular shape and angle of your car windows can make cleaning difficult. What's more, depending on your windows, some cleaners can do more harm than good.^{[1]
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Research source} But with the right supplies and a few helpful techniques, your car windows will be bright and clear in no time.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Cleaning Your Car Windows with a Cleaning Agent

1
Save your windows for last. When cleaning your car, you should always save your windows to last to prevent yourself from having to do more work. You can prevent contaminating your windows with smudges and grime by cleaning the rest of your car before you clean your windows.
2
Pull your car into the shade. Car bodies absorb heat quickly, and sitting in the sun, your car might feel hot to the touch. If this is the case for your car, you'll need to park it in an area with shade and wait until the outside of your car feels cool.
- If your car is too hot, it can cause cleaner or water that you use to evaporate too quickly for you to clean the window.^{[2]
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3
Gather your window cleaning supplies. Ammonia based window cleaner, like most household window cleaners, can be damaging to tinting and can dry out the rubber seals of your car.^{[3]
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Research source} You should go to your local hardware or automotive store to purchase glass cleaner formulated for automotive purposes. If you buy the concentrated formula, you should dilute it with distilled water for best results. Including your cleaner you'll also need:
- Automotive glass cleaner
- Bucket (if using concentrated cleaner)
- Cloth (microfiber recommended; clean cotton OK)
- Distilled water (if diluting cleaner)
- Sponge (optional)
- Wiper treatment (optional)
4
Clean the front and rear windows. Due to size and angle, these windows can be the hardest on your car to clean well. Mix your cleaner, if necessary, and spray a good amount of it onto your window, or apply it from a bucket with a sponge. Then use your clean cloth to wipe your front windshield and rear window clean.
- Clean in different directions to make it easier to see smudges or missed spots. For example, you might wipe up and down for the exterior of the car, and left to right for the interior.
5
Target stubborn bug splatter on your windows. When your cleaning solution and cloth don't seem to be strong enough to eliminate the dried on protein of bug guts, you might need to take drastic measures. There are specially formulated products for removing difficult bug stains from the windows of your car, but you might be able to loosen the splotch by leaving a rag wet with cleaning product atop the bug blemish. Then simply wipe the splatter away with your microfiber cloth.
- Some auto experts recommend sprinkling a little big of baking soda atop trouble areas that just won't wipe clean. Allow the solution a few moments to set on the stain, and try to buff it out with your microfiber cloth again.^{[4]
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Roll down your side windows. A common area that is missed when cleaning car windows is the very top, where the window usually slides into place inside a rubber seal. To prevent unsightly lines, roll your window down a little bit and use your cloth to wipe the area clean.^{[5]
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- If this portion of the window is especially dirty, you might need to spritz a little more cleaner onto the dirty portion of your window first.
7
Wipe down side windows, from the top to bottom. You may want to take your cloth and run it along the outside edges of the window first, to clean any buildup that has occurred along the seams of the window. After cleaning edges and corners, wet or re-wet the main surface of your side window and wipe it with opposite direction strokes from how you wipe on the inside.
- For example, you might wipe your exterior widows dry with an up and down motion and the interior widows side to side. This will help you spot areas you've missed.
- Cleaning your windows from the top down prevents drips from ruining your fresh-cleaned windows.
- While cleaning your side windows you should also spray and wipe clean your side mirrors.^{[6]
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Clean your wiper blades to finish. Use a little bit of your cleaner to break up buildup on your windshield wipers and then wipe both wipers dry with your cloth. Buildup on your wiper blades can be harmful to your windshield and can cause your blades to wear out quickly if not maintained. To prevent this, you can apply a wiper treatment to your car after you have wiped clean the blades.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Cleaning Hard Water Spots

1
Identify hard water buildup. In some places the minerals in the groundwater, lime, magnesium, and calcium in particular, will cause spots to appear. If you notice crusty buildup on your car windows that is stubborn and won't come off, you probably have hard water.^{[7]
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- You'll need to clean the hard water spots as soon as possible. Hard water spots that can etch the glass of your car if left for too long on its exterior.^{[8]
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Assemble your supplies. Thankfully, your hard water problem can be taken care of with just a few household supplies. Vinegar, specifically, is an exceptionally good cleaner when it comes to removing hard water stains.^{[9]
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Research source} For your hard water cleaner, you'll need:
- Cloth (microfiber recommended; clean cotton OK)
- Distilled water
- Spray bottle or bucket
- Rubbing alcohol
- White vinegar
3
Mix your hard water cleaner in your bucket. For every cup of rubbing alcohol and warm water you add to your bucket or spray bottle, you should also add one tablespoon of white vinegar. Depending on the severity of your hard water problem, you might need to mix up a little or a lot of this homemade hard water buster.^{[10]
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Spot clean where necessary. Your car should be mostly clean at this point, with only a few remaining pesky hard water stains separating your car from perfection. Be sure your car is out of the sun so your cleaner doesn't evaporate too quickly, and then spray trouble spots with your cleaner and buff it dry with your cloth until the hard water buildup is removed.
5
Polish your glass to restore hard water damage. If your windows are still looking cloudy or less brilliant than you'd prefer, you may need to apply some polish to your car windows. You'll want a polish that doesn't contain oils, as these are included to help polish paint, but you should be able to find a multi surface finish restorer that'll work on car windows at your local hardware or auto store.
- When polishing, use a soft cotton cloth or an old, clean, soft fabric t-shirt.^{[11]
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Expert Q&A

Question

What can I use to clean the inside of my windshield?

Angel Ricardo
Auto Technician
Angel Ricardo is the owner of Ricardo's Mobile Auto Detail headquartered in Venice, California. With over 10 years of experience in mobile detailing, Angel continues to attend auto detailing trainings to improve his customer service and auto detailing skills.

Angel Ricardo

Auto Technician

Expert Answer

Clean the interior of the windows with a microfiber cloth. Spray your cleaning solution directly onto the cloth and then go back and forth on the window until it's clean. If the windows are especially dirty, you might need to use more than one towel. Using a microfiber cloth is the best way to clean windows, leaving them streak-free.
Question

What is the best way to clean car windows without streaking?

Community Answer

The best way would be to buy specialized "no streak" glass cleaner and wipe it off with a microfiber towel.

Warnings

If you have any doubts about what kind of cleaner should be used on your car, consult your owner's manual first.

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