Cleaning Windows

[09vGT]

So in my town we have hard water im guessing.. Now there are little spots all over the side windows where water air dried. How can I get it off.. I've tried windex and many bathroom cleaners that are supposed to remove hard water.. and nothing..

[lovemyraffe]

Try a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser with a little bit of vinegar.

[vibenvy]

Stoner's Invisible Glass and crumpled up newspaper.

[Kevzaz]

Quote, originally posted by J_TO_ENVY »Stoner's Invisible Glass and crumpled up newspaper.This, but I use a special microfiber meant for glass.

[keithvibe]

http://www.invisibleglass.com/HowTo.htm

[Raven]

I just tried Stoner's for the first time the other day and it works far better than any other glass cleaner I've ever used. Don't forget to use Rain-X on the exterior glass immediately after cleaning, another amazing product.

[keithvibe]

Quote, originally posted by Raven » Rain-X on the exterior glass immediately after cleaning, another amazing product.rain-x ruins rubber windshield wipers faster. IMO

[vibenvy]

Quote, originally posted by Kevzaz »This, but I use a special microfiber meant for glass.Any micro fiber towel I've ever tried to clean the glass with has left fibers all over the glass that you can only see when light hits the glass a certain way. I prefer newspaper because it's cheaper, readily available and it doesn't leave any sort of fibers or anything behind. Just my $.02 though.Quote, originally posted by keithvibe »http://www.invisibleglass.com/HowTo.htmI couldn't agree more with that how to. Those are exactly the steps I follow, minus wiping the wiper blades with it. I never thought of that, but I am going to try it next time I wash the Vibes.Quote, originally posted by Raven »I just tried Stoner's for the first time the other day and it works far better than any other glass cleaner I've ever used.Don't forget to use Rain-X on the exterior glass immediately after cleaning, another amazing product.I have never used Rain-X. I wash the Vibes with Mother's Car Wash and because it has wax in it, it actually causes the water to bead up on the windshield just like Rain-X would. It's pretty neat.Quote, originally posted by keithvibe »rain-x ruins rubber windshield wipers faster. IMOLike I said, I have never used Rain-X but I definitely don't think I would use it on the wipers. Just my $.02.

[09vGT]

I've tried Invisible glass, rain x glass cleaner, windex... none of which seem to work... Yeah, i thought using the microfiber clothes were gonna do a good job and it just left fibers all over the place.. great.. So now, I have hard water spots on my side windows covered in micro fibers..

[vibenvy]

Well, that sucks.My next suggestion would be to try using a clay bar on the windows and see if that works. I recommend Mother's Clay Bar.

[jammies]

Did you let your car air/drip dry? I've hard water and I always dry my car after I wash it, otherwise I too get hardwater marks that can only be effectively removed by re-washing the car.....I'll third, or fourth Stoner's -- good stuff.There are different types of microfiber. I too have seen the freakishly annoying fibers on the glass. They were a result of using a microfiber I bought at AutoZone and they have a higher pile or nap (?). I have other microfibers with almost no pile I bought from Big Lots of all places. They do a much better job on glass. I found the same at autogeek.com as well. But most of the time I use the cheapest paper towels I can find since they usually contain the least amount of lint or fibers.

[MSAGRO]

If the microfiber cloth is new, it will leave a ton of lint.Wash it in mild detergent first. then air dry. No more lint.

[tribalman]

i have hard water myself. i actually just rinsed my windows off today. for a little fix up i just use water after it's gone though the filter system we have. i wipe it with a microfiber cloth. if it doesn't dry right away i just get a normal beach towel and lightly wipe it off. i have found that if i let it air dry it leaves streaks or spots. that's why i dry it.when i really wash the car i'll usually use the wash on the body and windows, then do the regular water and dry, then i'll apply rain-x. i need to try some other products because i have some stuff that just won't come off. the window looks clean but if you wet it i can see streaks of something. i think it's original window treatment being worn off unevenly.

[Whelan]

Ah water stains, one of my peeves.Here are some tips:1) Get a foaming cleanser, I use the below product Sprayway which is also safe on tints.2) Get some 000 (triple zero) steel wool3) Newspaper (not colored comics, plain black/white) and towel4) Spray glass generously, and in a motion like you are waxing the car (circles, up/down, etc.) rub the steel wool on the glass.5) Once the whole area is done, wipe it off with a towel to remove any excess wool pieces and extra cleaner. Then you have two choices. Use the Sprayway again with just newspaper to clean or get yourself some white vinegar mixed with water in a mist bottle and use that with the newspaper. Silly as it sounds it's a great cleaner.If all else fails, then get some glass polish, they do sell it, typically as a stick or paste instead of a liquid for use with a buffer machine to clean heavily stained glass. Industrial fallout, calcium deposits, road grime, hard water, etc. all contribute to glass markings. I find using the steel wool to be an excellent practice and it really gets the window clean and stain free.

[09vGT]

Is there any possibility of scratching up the windows with the 000 steel wool? Can I do it while there is rain x already applied to it. I just recently tried rain x extreme clean.. what a waist.. Didn't do anything. Then I put rain x on all of the windows. Yesterday after washing it, i figured there wouldn't be any hard water spots because of the rain x being on it.. I WAS WRONG.. This is extremely frustrating.. about to just throw a brick at every window!!

[Whelan]

You would be better using steel wool with the foaming cleanser as the other products may not offer enough to work with the wool. The foaming action keeps a good slick surface. Use triple zero steel wool only. Of course you could scratch the glass if you rub it like sandpaper, you want to apply pressure, but not too much. I've never been a fan of Rain X nor Invisible Glass cleaner. Give my stuff a try and let me know how it comes out. The more extreme would be getting a hard stick/paste glass polish and a buffer wheel (not to be confused with a orbital or average polisher) and go to town.