Window streaks aren’t just a matter of appearances – these can actually interfere with visibility! Many car owners also find them to be a challenge to clean and, thus, are likely to wonder how the staff at Splash Car Wash achieve streak-free windshields. Here are a few of the trade’s open secrets.
Get the Steps and Gear Right
The windshield is typically the last part of your car to be cleaned in a full-service detailing job. The reason: There’s no sense in cleaning it twice. Otherwise, the spray from the other cleaning products, such as the tire shine, trim cleaners, and spray wax, will make a clean windshield dirty again.
The staff will also wash their hands and wear gloves prior to cleaning the windshield. These steps will minimize the chances of greasy and sweaty hands contaminating the glass’ pristine condition.
The exterior of the windshield is also cleaned first before the interior side. The windshield should also be cool to the touch before the cleaners are applied. Otherwise, the chemicals in the cleaners will prematurely evaporate and, thus, will not work as well as expected.
Use the Right Tools and Supplies
The staff also uses the appropriate glass cleaners and disposable microfiber towels to clean your car’s windshield. The latter are great for scrubbing bugs and picking up heavy dirt from the glass; these are also used before the special glass towels are used.
With the windshield free of heavy dirt, it can be sprayed with either a glass cleaner or with water, which act as lubricant. It will also be subjected to a generous application of clay bar, the same one used on your car’s paint.
The clay lifts the stubborn contaminants on the glass and, thus, make the wiper glass work better; the less contaminants on the glass, the better the contact between the blade and glass, the less chance for windshield streaks.
After the exterior part of the windshield has been clayed, it will be wiped with a disposable microfiber glass again. This should be wiped thoroughly in a front-to-back motion using a fresh short-haired glass towel.
Note: The interior part of the windshield will be wiped in the opposite direction as the exterior part. The staff can then quickly determine the presence of streaks based on their direction, as seen on the windshield.
Finally, the staff quickly wipes the windshield with a completely dry microfiber towel with slightly more down pressure. This ensures that there’s no moisture left on the glass that otherwise can cause a streak.
These steps will be repeated on the interior part of the windshield although there may be slight differences.