A smeared windshield is a prelude to danger on the road. Why? It could distort your vision when driving at night, especially when facing other oncoming drivers with their lights glaring on. This is why you need to ensure that your windscreen is crystal clear to avert any danger. Many things could lead to the smudging of the windscreen.
Just make sure it is soft bristles so that you do not leave scratches on the windscreen
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For example:
- Dust, which then combines with moisture
- Windscreen washer fluid when used on a dusty windscreen usually leaves smears
- Birds droppings
- Gum from insurance and other stickers that may fail to come off totally
- Not rinsing the windscreen properly may leave smears after it dries up
Now that you know what is most likely to cause those smears, let us look at the process of cleaning the windshield to a sparkle. It is not too hard and it can be a lot of fun, especially when you have the time to spare. In addition, when you clean your car glass yourself, you can watch out for chips, which are usually not visible, if you do not examine the glass closely.
Firstly, do not clean the windscreen when the sun is too hot because that may cause some soap deposits to dry up on the glass. At first, they may not be visible but you will see them once you start driving. Therefore, wash the windscreen in the early hours of morning or in the evening.
Get the cleaning products designated for auto glass
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You need the best windscreen cleaning products. The usual dish soap will not do a good job, and anyway, there is a reason why we have auto glass cleaning products and utensils cleaning products. It is best that you buy such from an auto shop or in the supermarket.
You can use ordinary rags to clean the windscreen as long as they are microfiber so that you do not scratch the glass. Pay special attention especially to the edges as that is where most of the dirt will be accumulated and when it comes into contact with the moisture, the same dirt will cause smears on the windscreen.
You should always use warm water to clean the windscreen. It will not only make soaping easier, but it will also make it easy for you to clean the dirt that has most likely stuck on the windscreen. However, not that if you are cleaning on the inside, you may have to apply more pressure on the areas that have gum from the stick-ons.
Clean the windscreen wipers independently. This, way you can be able to get rid of any grains of sand that may be stuck in the wipers, which could glaze your glass. The wipers are also most likely to harbor dirt and dust and when it rains, you will see it streaking on the windscreen.
Use microfiber rags to dry the windscreen to prevent scratches
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Use some ammonia, actually a small amount, say, about a quarter-full of a glass in your washing water. Use a soft sponge when cleaning with this solution and then use a dry towel or cotton rag to dry it off. This will leave the ammonia sparkling clean without a trace of a smear on it. Be safe.
Lastly, if there are any chips, fill them up with a sealant. However, if there are cracks, you need to replace the windscreen with a new one.
