Cleaning Glass & Plastic

Have you ever noticed how much better your car looks when the windows are perfectly clean?  Yet, many of us ignore the windows when we wash because it adds a few precious minutes.  Forget the time involved in keeping your glass clean for a moment; have you ever thought about how hazy, dirty windows can be a safety hazard?  Driving your car with dirty, hazy windows on a rainy night or in heavy traffic, straining to see, is a driving impairment.  You should consider this a true danger.

In addition to being a hazard, the effects of dirty glass can quickly ruin the appearance of your perfectly polished car.  Cleaning your windows is one of the most tedious tasks you will face.  After you have completed all other detailing tasks, put the perfect touch on your car by detailing you car’s glass.

Glass Cleaners

Just as in selecting a car polish, no two car enthusiasts can agree on the ultimate glass cleaner.  Some people like ammonia cleaners, others swear by TSP, while the purists will use nothing but clear water.  Whatever you use, the principles are the same: clean, dry and polish.

Zaino highly discourages the use of ammonia-based glass cleaners on your car.  While ammonia is a great glass cleaner for the home, ammonia is harmful to many car surfaces including vinyl, rubber, and leather.  More importantly, the use of ammonia inside your car is harmful to your health.  As a substitute to ammonia, an alcohol based solution or a mechanical cleaner, such as a micro-fiber towel is best.

Steps For Perfect Windows

Start your window cleaning with the driver’s door and front passenger door.  If your door has a window frame, lower the window approximately one inch to allow access to the top part of the glass.  This part should be cleaned and dried first.  Spray with glass cleaner and buff dry.  Now roll the window back up and clean the remainder of the window.  Pay attention to the corners of the windows, as this is where you will get most smears and streaks.  Don’t forget your driver’s side and passenger side mirrors.

While you’re sitting down in the passenger’s seat, clean the inside of the windshield.  The inside of the windshield is easier to clean from the passenger’s side as your access is not obstructed by the steering wheel.  Take your time around the rearview mirror as it is only glued to your windshield.  If you bump into the rearview mirror hard enough or at the right angle, you can break it loose from the glass.

The inside of the rear window is the most difficult to reach and should be done last.  The best technique for cleaning your rear window is to use the backside of your hand to guide your towel down into the corners.  Trying to use the palm of your hand will force you to be a contortionist and draw strange looks from your neighbors.

Polishing Spotted Glass

Some parts of the country are burdened with extremely hard water.  Hard water is water that contains excessive trace elements including calcium, iron, lime, and other minerals found in streams and rivers.  These trace elements remain on your glass when water from sprinklers or washing air dries.  These hard water spots attach themselves to glass like white on rice.  If left on your glass for very long, hard water spots will not wash off with shampooing or regular glass cleaners.

If hard water spots are allowed to remain for more than a week or two, they may etch the glass.  So, even though you have removed the minerals causing the water spots, the spots remain as damage to your glass.  In these cases, it is necessary to polish the glass.

We developed< Z-12 Clear-View Glass Polish specifically for hard water spots, water spot damage, heavy road film and light scratches.  We have yet to find a stain that it did not remove. Formulated with modified cleaners and mild abrasives, Z-12 Clear-View Glass Polishdeep cleans and polishes all glass surfaces with ease.

There are two ways to use Z-12 Clear-View Glass Polish. The most gentle is to use an old t-shirt to polish the spotted area and buff to full luster.  The second is to use the polish with #000 or #0000 synthetic wool to remove the spots then buff with an old t-shirt.  If your glass is heavily pitted or scratched, you should have it replaced or seek the advise of a glass expert.

Clear Plastic & Window Tint Film 

Window tint film is often applied to the inside windows to shade passengers or provide privacy.  Window tint film is a thin sheet of Mylar plastic.  Mylar easily scratches and will be destroyed by ammonia.  To clean tinted windows, use water or a mild, non-ammonia cleaner.

Tint film that has been scratched can be polished using Zaino Z-14 Plastic-Magic Plastic Cleaner & Polish.   In addition to polishing your window tint film, Z-14 Plastic-Magic Plastic Cleaner & Polish works great on your tail lights, headlight covers, vinyl windows on convertibles and SUVs.

Polishing and cleaning plastic with Z-14 is easy.  Using an old tee shirt, apply a small dab of Z-14, rub in well, and buff off with a clean, dry cloth.