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How To Clean Inside Of Windshield

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Let me in you on a not-so-secretive secret.
NOBODY likes to lay their eyes on a car that has dirty specks all over the windshield—nope, not even for 5 seconds.

What’s more, a hazy and grimy windshield is an open invitation for car accidents, and this issue severely intensifies during the nighttime. So, for the umpteenth time, please get this across your mind that you gotta always keep your windshield as clear as possible to avoid any kind of road troubles.

It’s highly suggested to not just skim over the article but rather actually put all the hacks to practice.

Although there’s no rocket science behind cleaning the windshield from the outside, there are sure a couple of handful tips to clean the inside of your windshield, which when followed properly will lead to sparkling cleanliness.

Pre-requisites for Cleaning the Windshield

Here’s the thumb rule which you just can’t ignore. Before cleaning the inner part, make sure that you have cleaned up the outer part of the windshield—clean up all the grime and streaks. I learned it the hard way when I exhausted myself from rubbing the inside part for hours and yet didn’t see significant results.

So let’s quickly go through the stuff that we require to efficiently clean the windshield:
1. Lint-free microfiber towel: This one should be tightly woven and made with highly absorbent materials. The more absorbent, the better. Rush to your nearest general store and get hold of one, if you don’t have it already.
2. Glass cleaning solution: Before you buy any cleaners from the store, check out the chemical composition or ingredients, if they are mentioned. Because buying ammonia-based solutions are a strict no-no. After all, they do more harm than good by damaging the glass, car seats, and the dashboard.
The closest alternatives I can recommend are rubbing alcohol, white vinegar, or even water if you don’t have anything.

How to Clean Inside of the Windshield

Let’s move ahead and do the job at hand—cleaning the windshield.
Step 1– First things first. Wipe the entire windshield, it’s every corner, with the help of a clean microfiber towel. There shouldn’t be any accumulation whatsoever.
Step 2– Now you gotta use a magic eraser or another microfiber cloth to clean up the grease that is present. The cloth must be dipped in hot water and then be used for cleaning purposes.
Be extra alert of any drop of liquid that falls on the dashboard. As soon as you spot one, rub and clean it as quickly as possible before it dries, causes discoloration, and leaves marks.
You don’t want to make your dashboard dirty because you were cleaning your windshield (and then have the additional burden of cleaning your dashboard as well.)
Step 3– Now that you are done with cleaning the grease, it’s time to clean up with the glass cleaner. Or whichever closest alternative you picked.
You can use any of these DIY cleaning solutions:
a) 1 cup of water + 1 cup of rubbing alcohol + 1 tablespoon of white vinegar
b) 1 part water + 1 part white vinegar
c) 1 part cleaning solution + 5 parts water
Spray the cleaning solution on the microfiber towel (not directly on the windshield) and then rub the glass in circular motions. In the end, it can be cleaned horizontally and vertically until the cleaner gets fully soaked.

Things to be Avoided While Cleaning

They say prevention is better than cure. So, these things are to be avoided.
1. Even if you are in a hurry, do not use a paper towel or any kind of random cloth in place of a microfiber towel. Those cannot get rid of the dirty streaks and oily films.
2. Don’t go for shortcuts and spray glass cleaner directly on the glass. It would cause various kinds of ugly smears.
In fact, it can even leave permanent marks on the windshield. Have I done this earlier? Yes. I now use an embarrassing sticker to cover it up. So, be careful and save yourself from embarrassment.

What Causes the Inside of Windshields to Get Dirty?

Glad you asked. Let’s see from where the bad guys are making their unwanted entries.

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The inner side of the windshield gets dirty and streaked mostly due to the following stuff:

1. Dust particles:

Now this one can also happen when you smoke very often. A fine layer of the film forms on the inside of the windshield due to it. So, if you can keep a check on that, for starters, that would be a good move.

Other than that, it occurs when you drive in dusty or humid circumstances. In a polluted area, foreign substances get a greater chance to occupy the windshield, and needless to say, the chances of this happening grow exponentially when the windows are wide open.

2. Our Beloved Pets:

Your cute little dog or cat does more than just being cute by sitting near your dashboard. Scratches and marks have appeared on my dashboard and windshield too (for the record, I am a cat person) from the tips of their nails or claws.

3. Chemical products:

Particularly when the weather is hot and humid, the inner components of the car which are made of plastic, vinyl, etc. start to break down. Therefore, the chemical components get trapped and end up contributing to the oily layer on the inside part of the windshield.

4. Other Reasons:

During the rainy season and winter, repeated coughing or sneezing for a longer period without sufficient circulation can result in the formation of a film of vapor on the windshield.

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FAQs

How many times should I clean the windshield?

How much? How many? How often?
There is no hard and fast rule for how many times a windshield should be cleaned in a month. If you use the car regularly and visit polluted locations more often than not, then of course you will have to clean the windshield every weekend.

What should I do to avoid scratches and streaks on the windshield?

  • Towels, sponges, and ammonia-based cleaning products have to be avoided. These will leave permanent scratches and streaks.
  • It’s recommended NOT to use an over-the-counter window cleaner for cleaning your windshield. Most of them contain ammonia, so go through the ingredient list before choosing a product.
  • Also, avoid spraying the cleaning solution directly to your windshield, spray it onto a microfiber cloth, and rub the windshield with that cloth.
I penned down all I could from my experience and also by finding out relevant pieces of information from different sources. Yet, if somehow, I missed a point that you believe is worth including, then please do let me know. Till then, keep shining, keep driving!
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