Getting Your Windshield REALLY Clean
Last week my friend and I were driving to the movies in the
late fall, late afternoon sun. She squinted through her windshield and
complained that no matter what she tried, she could never get her windshield
REALLY clean and streak free. It always looked that way when they were done
with the weekly wash and vacuum, but when she went to drive into the sun, the
streaks were all over the place.
Hazy streaked windshields can be more than an annoyance when
you're driving into bright lights. It can be really hard to see well, and
that's never a good thing!
Fortunately, the best way I've found, and the one I shared
with her, has nothing to do with shopping for a glass cleaner that makes all
kinds of promises to be the best. All it involves is going into your kitchen.
You will need:
- White vinegar and/or rubbing alcohol
- Newspaper (traditional black and white print)
- A spray bottle
Newsprint will NOT
transfer to your windshield, but it will transfer to your hands, so a pair of cheap
disposable gloves is a smart idea too. Reusable rubber gloves tend to spread
the newsprint around, so disposable is the way to go here.
Method 1: Crumple the newspaper, moisten it with rubbing
alcohol, and swipe from side to side. Keep going in one direction - don't mix
it up - either side to side or up and down. Flip the newspaper so you always
have a fresh print for each swipe.
Method 2: Mix 50/50 water and white vinegar in a spray
bottle. Spray and wipe with the news paper in one direction. Remember to keep switching
parts of the paper so you have a fresh print for each swipe.
It's a good idea to
put down a towel on the dashboard to catch any residual vinegar spray.
It's amazing how cheap, easy and effective this is!
Windshield streak are gone in no time!