If your car windows are so dirty you’re having trouble seeing out of them, they might be due for a cleaning!
Dirty car windows are an eyesore and need to be cleaned semi-regularly. Cleaning car windows is not exactly like cleaning the windows in your home, so you need to find out how to clean car windows before getting started.
With this step-by-step guide, you’ll be well on your way to sparkling windows in no time.
Dirty car windows are an eyesore and need to be cleaned semi-regularly. Cleaning car windows is not exactly like cleaning the windows in your home, so you need to find out how to clean car windows before getting started.
With this step-by-step guide, you’ll be well on your way to sparkling windows in no time.
1. Step One: Clean the Rest of the Car First
If you clean your windows before cleaning the rest of your car, chances are you’ll have to do them again. Cleaning your car can be a messy process in itself, so you might end up with smudges and watermarks.
Save your windows for last to guarantee they stay clean.
2. Step Two: Clean Your Car in the Shade
When the exterior of your car is too hot, it can make it more difficult to clean. Water and chemical cleaners evaporate quicker and the results might not be as nice as they could be if your car is cool.
How will you know if your car is too hot? See whether it feels hot to the touch. If it does, pull it into a shaded area and let it cool down before getting started.
3. Step Three: Use the Right Window Cleaner
Not all window cleaning supplies are created equal. While you might be tempted to use one of your household window cleaners on your car, most of these cleaners are ammonia-based which means they can damage the rubber seals of your car and the tinting on the windows.
Before you potentially cause damage to your car, you should get a special auto formula from your local hardware or automotive store. Concentrated formulas will need to be diluted with distilled water, so keep this in mind, depending on what you purchase.
Before you potentially cause damage to your car, you should get a special auto formula from your local hardware or automotive store. Concentrated formulas will need to be diluted with distilled water, so keep this in mind, depending on what you purchase.
You’ll also need other cleaning supplies like cloth (microfiber, ideally), distilled water (depending on whether your cleaner is concentrated or not), buckets (for diluting a concentrated formula) and a sponge.
4. Step Four: Start With the Front and Rear Windows
Car windows are trickier to clean because of the size and angles, especially the front and rear windows. Start by mixing your cleaner, if necessary, and spray it generously onto your window. You can also apply the cleaner with a sponge from a bucket if you prefer.
Once the cleaner has been applied, wipe your windshield with a clean cloth until it’s clean and dry. Next, move on to cleaning inside car windows.
Once the cleaner has been applied, wipe your windshield with a clean cloth until it’s clean and dry. Next, move on to cleaning inside car windows.
To make it easier to spot smudges or missed areas, try cleaning in different directional patterns on the inside and outside, i.e. wipe downwards to upwards for the interior and left to right for the exterior.
5. Step Five: Remove Challenging Spots
Some areas of your windows might be more difficult to clean than others, like any spots that have dried on bug guts. In these cases, you’ll likely need something more extreme.
With some elbow grease and time, you might be able to remove the stains from your windows, but if not, you might need a specially formulated product. These high-intensity cleaners are designed to get rid of hard-to-clean spots.
With some elbow grease and time, you might be able to remove the stains from your windows, but if not, you might need a specially formulated product. These high-intensity cleaners are designed to get rid of hard-to-clean spots.
A DIY option that some car owners have used is a little bit of baking soda sprinkled on a trouble spot. Once it’s set, you might be able to remove the dirt with your cloth easier.
6. Step Six: Clean the Tops of Your Side Windows
Many car owners clean their windows and completely forget to clean the tops of them. After all, they typically sit inside the rubber seal when your windows are fully closed, so it’s easy to forget.
To avoid unattractive lines when you roll your windows down, just roll the side windows down slightly and clean the entire area. Make sure thy tops are completely dry before you roll your windows up.
7. Step Seven: Work Your Way Inwards With the Side Windows
Instead of spraying the entirety of your side windows, spray along the outside edges of the windows first. This will allow you to get rid of any dirt build-up in the hard-to-get-at spots before moving on to the easier-to-clean parts of the window.
Once you’ve cleaned the corners and edges, spray the main surface of the window and wipe from the top down until clean and dry.
Once you’ve cleaned the corners and edges, spray the main surface of the window and wipe from the top down until clean and dry.
If you were wondering how to clean inside car windows properly, make sure to vary your wiping pattern so that you can spot missed sections easily.
Also, clean your side mirrors while you’re doing the windows so that all of your surfaces are spotless when you’re finished.
Also, clean your side mirrors while you’re doing the windows so that all of your surfaces are spotless when you’re finished.
8. Step Eight: Clean Your Wiper Blades
For that extra touch, lift your wiper blades so they’re in the upright position and apply some cleaner with a cloth so that the spray doesn’t get on your newly cleaned windows. Then, wipe the cleaner off with another cloth.
This will remove unwanted debris, help to preserve the life of your wiper blades, and also maintain the cleanliness of your window.
Since it requires only a little extra effort, this final step is worth following.
Since it requires only a little extra effort, this final step is worth following.
9. Windows so Clean They Sparkle
This is the best way to clean car windows, and it’s a relatively straightforward process to follow.
Now, you’ll want to learn other finishing touches like how to apply the best tire shine and expertly clean your interior.