Better Glass Cleaner?

Assuming you bought the car form a dealer, I've run into this before,
it's something they treat the interior with when detailing, either for
stains, odors, or vinyl appearance, or a combination, but it sure yucks
up windows in the heat...and like you said, keeps sweating back onto the
glass for a long time.

I've beat it with straight ammonia and newspaper, nothing else (windex,
aerosol glass cleaners, soap) seems to work. Frustrating as hell, I
know. Just had to clean up a GM Certified used Trailblazer my neighbor
bought, she couldn't see out of it at night...

PS, she mentioned when she purchased the car, the fabric parts of the
interior were actually damp and had a chemical/cleaner odor, and she'd
opted for a 3M stain treatment, so I have my suspicions it has
something to do with that, maybe...


--
jeffcoslacker
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Jeff Wisnia wrote:
>
> Metal content: Less every year...
>
> I bought a year old Lincoln LS automobile last January and in the past
> couple of weeks, as we started getting some daytime temps in the 90s
> here in Red Sox Nation I've been noticing an annoying film on the inside
> of the windshield.
>
> It's really a pain at night when facing oncoming lights or when driving
> into the sun.
>
> Whatever it is, it doesn't respond worth a damn to cleaning with Windex
> and paper towels, what's there just sort of smears around but doesn't
> come off completely, even with several scrubbings. And, by the next
> evening there seems to be another layer there.
>
> I'm assuming the film on the glass is some chemical (a plasticiser?)
> being boiled out of all the plastic inside the car, but what's the best
> way to remove it short of kicking out the windshield or maybe leaving
> the windows down all day, neither of which appeal to me.
>
> A neighbor mentioned some kind of small pillow-like "dry cleaning" pad
> for glass sold by Eddie Bauer, but I couldn't spot it on their web site.
>
> Thanks guys,
>
> Jeff
> --
> Jeffry Wisnia
> (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
> "Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength."

I've found that the Zep brand glass cleaner as found at Depot seems to
work better than Windex.

Pete C.

"TeGGeR®" > wrote in message
...
> "Dave Lyon" > wrote in
news:lIymg.41790$1i1.32348@attbi_s72:
>
> >
> > "Jeff Wisnia" > wrote in message
> > et...
> >> Metal content: Less every year...
> >>
> >>
> >> I bought a year old Lincoln LS automobile last January and in the past
> >> couple of weeks, as we started getting some daytime temps in the 90s
> >> here in Red Sox Nation I've been noticing an annoying film on the
inside
> >> of the windshield.
> >
> > Sounds like you may have a leaking heater core. That film could be
> > antifreeze.
> >
> >
>
>
>
> It's not. It's plasticizer evaporation from the vinyl dashboard.
> This is normal, if annoying. It will diminish substantially on its own
> over the years.
>
> Windex will work provided you use it when the windshield is cool
> (such as in the evening or in a garage), you apply enough to let it work,
> rub it in well, and you wipe off with KLEENEX, not paper towels.



Fully agree with Tegger...If it had been antifreeze, it would have come off
easly.

Vinyl plasticizers are heavy oily substances and are much harder to get off.
They are reasonably soluble in isopropyl alcohol (preferably the 90% stuff,
but I guess the 40-50% blends in water that you get at the drugstore are
better than nothing). Windex afterward is a good secondary treatment.

I guess these vinyl formulations have gotten better over the years but the
plasticizer boiloff has been worrying. When it cooks away, the vinyl would
begin to crack and degrade.. And, there was a concern with some of them
about the carcinogenicity.

> wrote in
. com:



>
> I guess these vinyl formulations have gotten better over the years but
> the plasticizer boiloff has been worrying. When it cooks away, the
> vinyl would begin to crack and degrade.



Regarding vinyl dashboards and cracking, my '91 Integra's dash offgassed
something awful when it was new. I was worried it would end up cracked and
flaked all over the place as the car aged, but here it is, fifteen years
old, almost no offgassing evident on the windshield, and the plastic is
still pliable with no cracking at all. In fact I can't remember ever seeing
an Integra with a cracked dash. Guess they've learned a lot about vinyls
over the years.

Even the ABS used for hard trim used to deteriorate. Don't know about now,
but they used to use corn starch in the plastic to cut the gloss and make
it more of a matte finish. That's why the stuff tended to acquire a white
powdery residue over the years.




--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

"Jeff Wisnia" > wrote in message
et...
> Metal content: Less every year...
>
>
> I bought a year old Lincoln LS automobile last January and in the past
> couple of weeks, as we started getting some daytime temps in the 90s here
> in Red Sox Nation I've been noticing an annoying film on the inside of the
> windshield.
>
> It's really a pain at night when facing oncoming lights or when driving
> into the sun.
>
> Whatever it is, it doesn't respond worth a damn to cleaning with Windex
> and paper towels, what's there just sort of smears around but doesn't come
> off completely, even with several scrubbings. And, by the next evening
> there seems to be another layer there.
>
> I'm assuming the film on the glass is some chemical (a plasticiser?) being
> boiled out of all the plastic inside the car, but what's the best way to
> remove it short of kicking out the windshield or maybe leaving the windows
> down all day, neither of which appeal to me.
>
> A neighbor mentioned some kind of small pillow-like "dry cleaning" pad for
> glass sold by Eddie Bauer, but I couldn't spot it on their web site.
>
> Thanks guys,
>
> Jeff
> --
> Jeffry Wisnia
> (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
> "Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength."


Jeff. I have tried Windex--Ammonia--Vinegar. Non did a good job in or out
on windshield. Friend who installs windshields uses "Invisible Glass " This
works great. First found it at Checkers and then at Sams where I get a pack
of 4 at a better price. Warren

"TeGGeR®" > wrote in message
...

> Regarding vinyl dashboards and cracking, my '91 Integra's dash offgassed
> something awful when it was new. I was worried it would end up cracked and
> flaked all over the place as the car aged, but here it is, fifteen years
> old, almost no offgassing evident on the windshield, and the plastic is
> still pliable with no cracking at all. In fact I can't remember ever
seeing
> an Integra with a cracked dash. Guess they've learned a lot about vinyls
> over the years.

Yes, it has gotten much better...
The company I used to work for had a branch which made boats out of
polyethylene.
In the beginning they had all sorts of plasticizer problems, dye permanency
problems, etc
but finally got it all worked out.

The boats got to be pretty good, but were a little heavy.. Handled,
perhaps, a little more
like wooden hulled boats that the thinner hulled GRPs.

The stuff I was thinking of is ZEP glass cleaner. Not sure where you can
get it, but I'd try an industrial cleanning suppply store.

--
J Miller
"John Miller" > wrote in message
nk.net...
> It's really hard to beat a mix of water, ammonia, and a little vinegar.
> Proprtions can vary quite a bit. I use the glug glug system.
>
> There is a comercial product that also works pretty good - I can't
> remember the name right now, but will post when I do.
>
> John Miller
>
> --
> J Miller
> "Jeff Wisnia" > wrote in message
> et...
>> Metal content: Less every year...
>>
>>
>> I bought a year old Lincoln LS automobile last January and in the past
>> couple of weeks, as we started getting some daytime temps in the 90s here
>> in Red Sox Nation I've been noticing an annoying film on the inside of
>> the windshield.
>>
>> It's really a pain at night when facing oncoming lights or when driving
>> into the sun.
>>
>> Whatever it is, it doesn't respond worth a damn to cleaning with Windex
>> and paper towels, what's there just sort of smears around but doesn't
>> come off completely, even with several scrubbings. And, by the next
>> evening there seems to be another layer there.
>>
>> I'm assuming the film on the glass is some chemical (a plasticiser?)
>> being boiled out of all the plastic inside the car, but what's the best
>> way to remove it short of kicking out the windshield or maybe leaving the
>> windows down all day, neither of which appeal to me.
>>
>> A neighbor mentioned some kind of small pillow-like "dry cleaning" pad
>> for glass sold by Eddie Bauer, but I couldn't spot it on their web site.
>>
>> Thanks guys,
>>
>> Jeff
>> --
>> Jeffry Wisnia
>> (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
>> "Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength."
>
>

Me too. Some of the cars I drive, it's not only visible but almost
palpable after a week or so in the summer heat. Couple of interesting
links:
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/whatstuff/stuff/8020stuff.html
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...sn=001&sc=1000

I've never found a mainstream consumer glass-cleaning product that
removes this sort of thing quite as well without leaving residue of
its own quite like "Sprayway" (available at hardware stores and some
Costcos). The MSDS suggests ethanol and 2- butoxyethanol are its
active ingredients.

Joe "A pthalate and a dimer short" Chew

Jeff Wisnia wrote:
> Metal content: Less every year...
>
>
> I bought a year old Lincoln LS automobile last January and in the past
> couple of weeks, as we started getting some daytime temps in the 90s
> here in Red Sox Nation I've been noticing an annoying film on the inside
> of the windshield.
>
> It's really a pain at night when facing oncoming lights or when driving
> into the sun.
> Being from Texas it gets real Hot. Try "fantastic" just works I do not know why. A teacher had the cleanest whiteboards I asked her how and it was Fantastic. So I tried it and it solved all my smear, smudge and residue problems. It might take 2-3 passes and 1 with windex to finish it off but your problem will be gone and you will still have 95% of bottle left for those future problem areas.






> Whatever it is, it doesn't respond worth a damn to cleaning with Windex
> and paper towels, what's there just sort of smears around but doesn't
> come off completely, even with several scrubbings. And, by the next
> evening there seems to be another layer there.
>
> I'm assuming the film on the glass is some chemical (a plasticiser?)
> being boiled out of all the plastic inside the car, but what's the best
> way to remove it short of kicking out the windshield or maybe leaving
> the windows down all day, neither of which appeal to me.
>
> A neighbor mentioned some kind of small pillow-like "dry cleaning" pad
> for glass sold by Eddie Bauer, but I couldn't spot it on their web site.
>
> Thanks guys,
>
> Jeff
> --
> Jeffry Wisnia
> (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
> "Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength."

wrote:
> Jeff Wisnia wrote:
> > Metal content: Less every year...
> >
> >
> > I bought a year old Lincoln LS automobile last January and in the past
> > couple of weeks, as we started getting some daytime temps in the 90s
> > here in Red Sox Nation I've been noticing an annoying film on the inside
> > of the windshield.
> >
> > It's really a pain at night when facing oncoming lights or when driving
> > into the sun.
> > Being from Texas it gets real Hot. Try "fantastic" just works I do not know why. A teacher had the cleanest whiteboards I asked her how and it was Fantastic. So I tried it and it solved all my smear, smudge and residue problems. It might take 2-3 passes and 1 with windex to finish it off but your problem will be gone and you will still have 95% of bottle left for those future problem areas.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > Whatever it is, it doesn't respond worth a damn to cleaning with Windex
> > and paper towels, what's there just sort of smears around but doesn't
> > come off completely, even with several scrubbings. And, by the next
> > evening there seems to be another layer there.
> >
> > I'm assuming the film on the glass is some chemical (a plasticiser?)
> > being boiled out of all the plastic inside the car, but what's the best
> > way to remove it short of kicking out the windshield or maybe leaving
> > the windows down all day, neither of which appeal to me.
> >
> > A neighbor mentioned some kind of small pillow-like "dry cleaning" pad
> > for glass sold by Eddie Bauer, but I couldn't spot it on their web site.
> >
> > Thanks guys,
> >
> > Jeff
> > --
> > Jeffry Wisnia
> > (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
> > "Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength."

let me try again
> Being from Texas it gets real Hot. Try "fantastic" just works I do not know why. A
teacher had the cleanest whiteboards I asked her how and it was
Fantastic. So I tried it and it solved all my smear, smudge and residue
problems. It might take 2-3 passes and 1 with windex to finish it off
but your problem will be gone and you will still have 95% of bottle
left for those future problem areas.