My windshield’s getting pretty gross, should I just hit it with my off-brand glass cleaner from under the kitchen sink, or is there a compelling reason to pay for some kind of fancy, rain-repelling, horsepower boosting auto-care windshield magic juice? Mainly I want to know if that Rain-X style stuff is actually worth it, if a particular brand is good or bad, etc., though if there are actually other “advancements” in window cleaning technology, clue me in.
And question two, removing an old parking sticker from the back window, any particular solvents work great? I’d rather not sit there with a razor blade for an hour.
I use regular old Windex on my windshield, inside and out. I don’t use any Rain-repelling stuff, but I know Roger Wong is a major Rain-X devotee. I am pretty sure he also applies it on his receeding hairline before he hops on his bike to head into work.
409 or Rubbing Alcohol works wonders on inspection and registration stickers. It helps to remove them in the hot afternoon when the glue is pretty soft, but then you end up all sweaty as well. Remove the sticker, and then douse some paper towels in 409 and let that work on the left over glue. You can work it in one direction and it will ball up and come off. Clean up with some glass cleaner, and you are all set for the new stickers.
If it takes an hour, you’re using the wrong razor blade. It’d take 2 minutes, tops, with the right setup (horizontal held in place by a nice handle is my recommendation).
Well that’s the kind of information I’d love to hear more about, hence the thread. Where have you heard that? I’d never heard that, but I’m here to be educated.
Windex can get kind of streaky on windshields, but it won’t harm anything. Vinegar and water (50/50 or up to 3 parts vinegar, 1 part water) works really well.
I have a small micro cleaner pad that works like a champ, both inside and out. I use windex when needed and have no issue. If you get streaks, use a squeegee. As for window fog, that seems to have more to do with how dirty my windows are and how humid it is in the car than anything else. Kick on the AC for a bit (even with heat) and it will dehumidify most of that.
Ah, forget it, I’ll just put down $20 on a car wash. Too many Cicada splatters on it anyways. Anyone else having a problem with them? I noticed driving down the highway today, most of the sides were filled with dead Cicadas.
Windex will work fine. If you have a problem with streaking, When you dry it use newspaper. Something about the ink in the paper helps. If it rains significantly where you are than Rain X is nice to have.
I like it because road spray from the vehicles in front bead up immediately, and never obscure or blur your view out the windshield. Also, I think hydrophobic coatings are just plain neat.
Schmidt: Buy and install a bugshield. They work. Or wash your car. That also works.
A bug shield would probably cause my hood to fly off, and washing my car just removes more paint at this point. It’s not a car I plan to be driving much longer, but in the mean time, it’s raining a lot and I do like seeing where I’m going.
