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This is a general question.

 

I've been using INVISIBLE GLASS by Stoner. It doesn't seem to be cleaning real great anymore. Maybe they changed the formula. There are areas where the windshield is factory tinted that just don't seem to come clean.

 

I tried three auto supply places (Auto Zone, Pep Boys and Advance Auto) to find Meguiars NXT Generation Glass Cleaner but it's nowhere to be found in Philadelphia.

 

Does anyone have a favorite car window cleaner they can suggest ?

 

~Howard

:banana:

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Sprayway glass cleaner. Available at Costco, 4-pack is about $6 or so. Aerosol can, gives you a nice foam and cleans streak free.

 

Thanks for the information but Costco is not near here in Philadelphia. I'd have to drive about 20 miles to get to one.

 

~Howard

:banana:

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No I don't think so. I tried both the spray and pump bottle.

It doesn't seem like the same product.

 

~Howard

:banana:

 

Strange. Tried Windex?

 

It could be one of those situations where something stronger than just glass cleaner needs to be used first. I've had that happen plenty of times with kids finger prints, and dog slobber. Sometimes you even have to scrape it with a razor blade.

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The standard Windex formula includes ammonia.

 

Ammonia + tinted windows = purple tinted windows, and a pissed off person

 

They now make Windex without ammonia, but, I have yet to try it.

 

That sucks that you are having problems with the Stoner Invisible Glass. I found it about 6 years ago now, and have loved it ever since. We used it at a detail shop I worked at, washed windows with it using newspaper, and it has always worked incredibly well for me.

 

I'd stay away from the SprayAway. I've never found it to work very well or NEARLY as quickly as the Invisible Glass. Be prepared to go thrue alot more paper towels, and to have huge forarms. It will get a window clean, it just takes more applications, and more passes over it than the Invisible Glass. Check to see if it is tint safe as well. I've never checked. The only thing SprayAway really has going for it is that it is cheaper, and a good looking aerosol can. :rolleyes: I've always been a fan of the "you get what you pay for motto".

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Strange. Tried Windex?

 

It could be one of those situations where something stronger than just glass cleaner needs to be used first. I've had that happen plenty of times with kids finger prints, and dog slobber. Sometimes you even have to scrape it with a razor blade.

 

I tried using a Dobie pad with the Invisible Glass (a nylon cleaning sponge for the kitchen). It did not remove the gunk around the tinted part of the windshield.

 

Today I purchased the suggested SprayAway. It did seem to remove a good deal of the grime that Invisible Glass but again it did not remove the gunk around the tinted part of the windshield. You can actually see where the wiper blades do their job and where they don't hit that part of the window. I did not have a chance to use SprayAway on the inside part of the windows.

 

I wonder if the factory tinting is wearing away? After all the Forester is almost 10 yrs old; a 2000 model.

 

~Howard

:banana:

Edited by howards11
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The standard Windex formula includes ammonia.

 

Ammonia + tinted windows = purple tinted windows, and a pissed off person

 

They now make Windex without ammonia, but, I have yet to try it.

 

That sucks that you are having problems with the Stoner Invisible Glass. I found it about 6 years ago now, and have loved it ever since. We used it at a detail shop I worked at, washed windows with it using newspaper, and it has always worked incredibly well for me.

 

I'd stay away from the SprayAway. I've never found it to work very well or NEARLY as quickly as the Invisible Glass. Be prepared to go thrue alot more paper towels, and to have huge forarms. It will get a window clean, it just takes more applications, and more passes over it than the Invisible Glass. Check to see if it is tint safe as well. I've never checked. The only thing SprayAway really has going for it is that it is cheaper, and a good looking aerosol can. :rolleyes: I've always been a fan of the "you get what you pay for motto".

 

The SprayAway worked fine. See my other post. I do agree that you get a lot of foam and it did take more towels. I use the blue shop paper towels.

 

I know someone who heads a Toyota dealership prep dept. He told me that he uses Windex. I'm assuming the non-ammonia kind. I did see the non-ammonia Windex in the auto dept at WalMart but I did not buy it.

 

~Howard

:banana:

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I work in a glass shop and we use the Sprayway. Never had a problem with it not removing anything that wasn't HEAVY buildup.

 

As for the tinted portion of your windshield wearing away...no, not gonna happen unless you've somehow worn completely through the glass. That isn't a film up there. The glass is actually colored. It may be that you've got some kind of heavy built-up grime in the areas that the wipers don't cover. If so, you'll want a heavier cleaner.

 

In my shop, if we run across something like that, we use a product called Sparkle Clean from CR Laurence. Its a bit pricey and requires lots of elbow grease, but it will quite literally clean anything off of glass. It has a mild abrasive compound and it WILL eat right through your paint if you aren't careful. I'm not sure what's in it, but it seems like a sort of blend of detergent, abrasive agent and polishing compound. It will not mar your glass at all. We've even seen it take years of soap scum and hard water stains off of a glass shower door without scratching the glass. But it WILL scratch just about anything else. You should see what it does to plexi. If you get it on the paint, don't try to rub it off. Just go after it with water. Lots of water.

 

Let me know if you figure out what's going on.

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This is on the outside?

 

Rubbing compound, follow it up with an application of wax or RainX. They do also make some prety hefty cleaners for removing hard water marks and adic rain spots, but it's usually pretty expensive, and can actually damage the glass if not done right. (I dun it! :D ) Mask over your edge trim to keep it from turning white. Any masking tape should do but the green stuff works best on cars for some reason.

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This is on the outside?

 

Rubbing compound, follow it up with an application of wax or RainX. They do also make some prety hefty cleaners for removing hard water marks and adic rain spots, but it's usually pretty expensive, and can actually damage the glass if not done right. (I dun it! :D ) Mask over your edge trim to keep it from turning white. Any masking tape should do but the green stuff works best on cars for some reason.

 

I'm going to try and clean up these bad areas with some Bon Ami cleanser. This stuff is great. It will not scratch. See link BON AMI.

 

~Howard

:banana:

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Sprayway is at my local Sams and lots of other places.

 

Stop at a glass shop. They usually use Sprayway and actually private label it for glass shops.

 

 

It's what I use. I'ts better than the other glass cleaners that I have tried over the years. It's easily available and cheap enough that I've never looked any further. When I'm at an auction or something and need something I've tried a variety of glass cleaners from Advance, Autozone, Carquest, and local part stores. SPrayway seems to work the best of that I've tried.

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