The Best Way to Clean Car Windows

Visibility is one of the most important features in a car. If you can’t see clearly, you’re not driving safely, which endangers you and everyone who shares the road with you. Clean windows are important. Streaks are irritating during the day, but they can cause accidents at night or during sunrise and sunsets when glare is at its worst. 

Windows need to be cleaned inside and out. The good thing is, cleaning is fast and easy, requiring only two materials: a microfiber towel and a spray-able window cleaner. These materials are inexpensive and easy to locate at almost any store. Most gas stations even keep these materials in stock. 

The front and rear windshields are the largest windows in your car. You do not want to try and clean the whole thing at once; it is too difficult. Spray half of the windshield with the cleaner. Using the microfiber towel, wipe the glass cleaner off from top to bottom. Do this again on the other side of the windshield. Repeat on all the door windows. Your towel may get dirty, so you’ll want to switch to a clean one when that happens. This is the most common problem people have when cleaning their windows, they try to use the same towel for the whole car! This is how you end up getting streaks and smudges on your windows, so make sure to swap out for clean towels regularly. With a little amount of glass cleaner, wipe the windshield wipers off to remove any dirt or buildup. Window exteriors may have difficult dirty spots from bugs or other buildup. You may have to spray extra cleaner and put some extra elbow grease into those spots. 

Interior windows take a softer touch because of the console and other interior features. The interiors don’t get dirty the way exteriors do, but they can collect fingerprints, smudges, and other dirtiness decreasing visibility and cleanliness. Cleaning the interior and exterior at the same time also allows you to see any spots you may have missed. 

You can use the same materials to clean the interiors as the exteriors. Roll down the windows enough to clean the tops of the windows. Once this is done, roll them back up. Spray the window with the cleaner. You’ll want to spray close to the window to avoid the solution getting onto the upholstery, consoles, or doors. Wipe the window down with the microfiber towel. Wipe in a different direction than you did on the exterior; this process will give you another angle to see if you missed spots. Clean half of the windshields at a time like the process in the exteriors. 

To prevent streaking, there are particular cleaning solutions designed just for that purpose. Using a microfiber towel helps cut down on streaks, as well. Finally, cleaners will dry quickly creating streaks if you clean the windows in direct sunlight so make sure to clean your windows in a garage or on a cloudy day.