Cleaning Glass AKA When should I change my winshield?

Over the couple of years I've tried just about every streak free or invisible window cleaner on the market, with limited success. There are fines lines on the windshield, along with a haze from grease/road grime and whatever else that never seems to leave after a cleaning.

So where does it stop, I could live with the fine lines, I figure since my car is a '94 I should expect the acid rain, wiper movement and small stones to make any windshield with my car's age a little beat up.

The grease and haze i cannot live with and have tried every product to get rid of it, some leave more of a haze or a sheen that turns sun glare unbearable.

So my question is where do I draw the line? Should I get a newer windshield, or is there a product out there that dries to a sheenless/haze free finish?

Andrew

The old school way of cleaning glass was to use Bon Ami cleaning powder: http://www.bonami.com/index.php/products/powder_cleanser/ It won't do anything about the little freckles you get from rock and sand; you may be able to polish some of that out with a glass polishing kit from Eastwood company: http://search.eastwood.com/search?asug=glass&w=glass+polishing+kit&p=Q&ts=custom If the damage to the windshield is severe enough, it may be worth replacing it. Check your insurance policy; in some states glass replacement is a zero deductible on your comprehensive coverage.

Kick out the glass and get a pair of these:

I considered the polishing of the glass, but I would imagine that could be a short term solution as well. I'll look into it further though.

Most truckers I know change their windshields every 100K due to sandblasting. The ones in my work vans usually go about 70K before I replace them, usually due to cracks, but the sandblasting gets pretty bad by then. Replace it and you will be amazed.

Polishing those little sand pits is a PITA. I have a bud who started a glass polishing bidness, it wound up being cheaper for people to replace windshields than to pay him to polish them out because it took damn near all day. He moved to polishing headlights, then that got screwed by all those DIY headlight kits (which suck, BTW).

I'd look into another windshield. Come to think of it the Trooper's about due for one, driving into the sun is a bitch.

/ It won't do anything about the little freckles you get from rock and sand; you may be able to polish some of that out with a glass polishing kit from Eastwood company: http://search.eastwood.com/search?asug=glass&w=glass+polishing+kit&p=Q&ts=custom
I tried the Eastwood product several years ago,you're right about it's not doing anything for the freckles, it helped some for scratches.

I've used the Eastwood kit and spent hours and hours. Never again! I just buy new windshields. Seems like a lot till you look out through the clear glass while driving at night.

I don't mind driving old beaters, as long as the windshield's new. There's a guy here who'll come to your place and install it for $200 cash. I just can't frigging see at night through scratches and stars and E36 M3.

I just got a new windshield 2 days ago in my beater Mk2 Jetta. The old one was scratched, cracked, and sandblasted. It feels like I'm driving a whole new car! Pretty cheap too for most older cars.

I draw the line when inspection becomes an issue. Like this in my old '95 Saab 900S (thank you, air bag!):

Lesley wrote: I don't mind driving old beaters, as long as the windshield's new. There's a guy here who'll come to your place and install it for $200 cash. I just can't frigging see at night through scratches and stars and E36 M3.

Windshields are too cheap to not replace.

Bonus-if you have glass coverage and a chip/crack it might be free!

Now if I could get a windshield in a dual pane version, so I'd never have to deal with a foggy windshield again.

carb cleaner on a rag is pretty good at removing haze from a windshield. follow up with some Windex (the actual stuff, not the generic blue glass cleaner) and it will be as clean as it's going to get.

I seem to recall that polishing a DOT windshield enough to remove pitting may not be kosher.

I've been dealing with a sand pitted windshield in my Nissan truck for years, hoping someone would break it. No such luck. I have a neighbor that couldn't keep a windshield in his Ford van.

Oh and Coke (the cola) does wonders for cleaning a windshield.

I'll try both the coke and brake cleaner.

not at the same time, though that might make it really really clean

A piece of high quality laminated dupont polymer film also known as tearoff product

I did the Coke thing an old Dodge Shadow windshield - made it notably worst - a bit foggy all over. Maybe I did it wrong ...

I suggest Brakleen with a clean rag to get the grease off, and then:

SOLUTION TO YOUR PROBLEM: 0000 (very fine) steel wool!!!!

Get it from a hardware or painting store. It is the only thing in the known universe that can remove that last bit of windshield haze without causing it to streak even worse. Trust me. I've tried EVERYTHING. It's a bit of a pet peeve of mine. Don't argue, just go find some.

Use light, circular polishing motions to remove the haze. One thing to note is that if you polish one area for too long, you can start to scrape the glass, but it's hard to do with really fine steel wool. If you use medium or coarse steel wool, you'll definitely ruin the glass.

Twin_Cam wrote: I suggest Brakleen with a clean rag to get the grease off, and then: SOLUTION TO YOUR PROBLEM: 0000 (very fine) steel wool!!!! Get it from a hardware or painting store. It is the only thing in the known universe that can remove that last bit of windshield haze without causing it to streak even worse. Trust me. I've tried EVERYTHING. It's a bit of a pet peeve of mine. Don't argue, just go find some. Use light, circular polishing motions to remove the haze. One thing to note is that if you polish one area for too long, you can start to scrape the glass, but it's hard to do with really fine steel wool. If you use medium or coarse steel wool, you'll definitely ruin the glass.

I will try it, as its cheaper then replacing the windshield. Though its only $186 installed, but I'd rather spend that money elsewhere.

I'm telling you, the steel wool thing works. Haze really bugs me, especially when it is humid, but not hot enough to warrant turning on the A/C to clear it up. Once you clean it completely, it won't even fog over in humid weather.