Stupid Question: How to effectively clean interior windows?

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

89Suburban

Bull in the china shop
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2013
Posts
15,342
Reaction score
42,777
Location
SE PA
Vinegar only is smelly while you're actively using it and it is wet. It is the oldest, safest, best cleaner around and has been used by generations. The downside is the smell, that's about it. Reminds me of coloring Easter eggs.


From Wiki:

Cleaning[edit]​

White vinegar is often used as a household cleaning agent.[1] For most uses, dilution with water is recommended for safety and to avoid damaging the surfaces being cleaned. Because it is acidic, it can dissolve mineral deposits from glass, coffee makers, and other smooth surfaces.[46] Vinegar is known as an effective cleaner of stainless steel and glass. Malt vinegar sprinkled onto crumpled newspaper is a traditional, and still-popular, method of cleaning grease-smeared windows and mirrors in the United Kingdom.[47]

Vinegar can be used for polishing copper, brass, bronze or silver. It is an excellent solvent for cleaning epoxy resin as well as the gum on sticker-type price tags. It has been reported as an effective drain cleaner.[48]

The use of vinegar in dishwashers and washing machines can cause damage to their rubber seals and hoses, leading to leaks. According to testing done by Consumer Reports, vinegar is ineffective as a rinse aid and in removing hard-water film while used in a dishwasher. According to Brian Sansoni, chief spokesperson for the American Cleaning Institute, vinegar "isn't very useful with stains that have already set into clothing, including food stains and bloodstains."[49][50] Other household items and surfaces that can be damaged by vinegar include flooring, stone countertops, knives, the screens of electronic devices, clothes iron water tanks, and rubber components of various small appliances. Common metals that can be damaged by vinegar include aluminum, copper, and lower-quality grades of stainless steel often used in small appliances.[49]
 

BlaineBug

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2019
Posts
1,179
Reaction score
668
Location
Clown World
Strange - I've used a combination of baking soda and vinegar as a dishwasher cleaning agent. Seals haven't been damaged from that yet. OF course it's diluted with water from the dishwasher itself.
 

me88

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2021
Posts
101
Reaction score
93
Location
Germany
Have you tried microfiber towels with a waffle weave pattern? They are specially made for glass and I've had good luck with them.
 

BlaineBug

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2019
Posts
1,179
Reaction score
668
Location
Clown World
Last edited:

rcorwin

TYF Newbie
Joined
Nov 12, 2010
Posts
5
Reaction score
15
I have found the best cleaner for any glass, car or home, is a Norwex microfiber cleaning towel and water. The dry with a Norwex Window Cloth. The best cleaner inside and out. Even a buggy windshield! My wife put me on to these. I didn’t believe her until I tried them. Best darn cleaner I have ever found. I keep them in the car when we travel, I don’t use Windex or any other cleaner, just water. Works best when you dry the wet glass with the Norwex Window Cloth. The Norwex cleaning cloth, when wet scrubs the dirt/grime and bugs right off. I have no affiliation with Norwex other than purchasing them.
 

vcode

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2015
Posts
396
Reaction score
269
I have a 6"x4" microfiber towel that is attached too a 16" long handle. Not sure where I got it but it works great to get to the base of the windshield. I just use Windex.

And yes, my windows get dirty on the inside from the dash outgassing. It is not dirt per se, but a thin film you can really see in the sun. Happens on my wife's Malibu which is rarely driven. Just Google offgassing from dash and you will get countless hits.....
 

adriver

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2018
Posts
783
Reaction score
467
Just a microfiber towel. No fluids or anything else. I have a center console that holds my tool kit, an oil rag, a small 8 or 10 oz bottle with gojo, and a microfiber towel. When I see my windshield is dirty, I spend the next two or three red lights wiping it down.
I think the wetness is what causes the streaks.
(As I write this, I wonder if a rag or two straight out of the dryer, being a bit hotter and as dry as it could be, would work better).
 

Forum statistics

Threads
132,803
Posts
1,874,455
Members
97,646
Latest member
wfstewart

Latest posts

Top