How To Clean Car Windows Without Streaks: THE GUIDE

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Cleaning car windows, especially windshields, is a nightmare for all car owners. Everyone’s trying to achieve perfect shine, clarity, and a streak-free result. Unfortunately, people usually get the opposite. Today I’m going to show you how to clean car windows like a pro and get the best shine, clarity, and streak-free glass.

If you think that you’re the only one who doesn’t know how to clean car windows properly, don’t worry. Actually, welcome to the club. 

It was happening to me again and again until I learned the proper way to clean car windows. Since then, I always get great results. I know this thing bothers many people, and that’s why I decided to share this advice with you guys.

Why Cleaning Car Windows Is So Important?

When you detail your car, it’s not a big problem if you miss some spots on your paint or something, but when you make mistakes in washing windows, it will affect your driving.

Driving with dirty windows during the sunset, sunrise, night, and rain is one of the worst things that may happen to us. With all the dirt on your windows, you won’t be able to see anything.

Sunset, sunrise, night, and rain are situations when there’s a lot of reflection on the road (from the sun and from other car headlights), and if you don’t have perfectly clean windows, you won’t see through them well enough. 

So, the only way to ensure you’ll see during those situations is to properly clean car windows, especially the windshield.

Consequences of poor car windows cleaning:

• Streaks
• Foggy windows
• Low visibility
• Shineless windows
• Not protected windshield

What You’ll Need

For cleaning car windows from inside and outside, you’re going to need these:

• High-quality car window cleaner (Check this GYEON Car Glass Cleaner – MY REVIEW)
• Microfiber cloths (7-8 pieces)
• Rain-X (or some other water-repellent coating)
• Clay Bar (Optional)
• Clay Lubricant (Optional)

In order to get the best results possible, you have to use high-quality products when detailing your car. The same is with washing car windows.

Sometimes we want to save a few bucks, but it’s not a smart decision when it comes to glass cleaning. Very cheap products will often leave streaks, and there is zero chance of getting the best clarity and shine.

There are many high-quality car windows cleaners, but I like to use the GYEON Q2M Glass Cleaner that I mentioned above.

You’re going to need a few microfiber towels:

• All-purpose microfiber cloths
• Microfiber towel for glass cleaning

Check out my Must Have Microfiber Products Recommendation, where you can find the best towels for cleaning. 

Rain-X (check the price now) is a great water-repellent coating to protect the exterior car windows and give them extra shine. 

There is no need to use Rain-X on all outside windows. Only use it on a Windshield since that’s the place where you need the best protection.

Applying Rain-X to the windshield will help water go off it easier, so you’ll get better visibility during rain. Some people like to use wax instead of Rain-X, but Rain-X seems to do a better job.

I have made a clay bar an optional choice since not everybody needs to clay the car windows. 

However, if you have never clayed your windows, I suggest you clay them to decontaminate the area, and you’ll get that smooth feeling. Not only will it look nicer, but the windows will be as clean as possible, making visibility through your windows even better.

Using a clay bar without a clay bar lubricant is a very dummy idea. Using some other chemicals may destroy the clay bar, and it will fall apart on your glass, which will be hard to remove then.

Only use quality clay bar lubricant or just warm water when claying your glass. This Chemical Guys clay kit is all you need (check the price on Amazon).

Can You Use Household Window Cleaner?

Many people asked me this, especially my friends, and it’s a big NO-NO. Never use household window cleaners on your car glass, especially if you have tinted windows.

Household window cleaners all have ammonia as an ingredient, which will slowly destroy the tint on your windows and could also be harmful to the car’s plastics and dashboard.

Best Way To Clean Car Windows: Simple Tutorial

We’re here finally, ha? First, I’m going to explain to you how to clean the outside car windows and then the inside since there are some differences.

So, to be clear, you’re washing the car windows LAST. When you finish washing the car exterior, then you go and clean the outside windows.

The same is for the interior. After finishing it, you can clean the inside car windows.

Before you start cleaning your windows, be sure to park your car somewhere in SHADE. Don’t ever work in direct sunlight.

The Exterior Car Windows Cleaning

Step #1 – Clean The Windshield

For this step, you’re going to need a car glass cleaning solution and a few clean microfiber cloths. 

Repeat the same process on the other half, and you’re good.

TIP: if there are still some streaks or specks of dirt, clean that area again.

Step #2 – Clay the Windshield (Optional)

To get the best shine out of the windshield, you shall clay it. If you have never clayed your windshield, I recommend you do it. However, if you have done it recently, you can pass this step.

This will help to decontaminate the windshield and also remove those tiny specks of dirt that the cleaning solution couldn’t remove.

After you clayed the whole windshield, dry the area with a clean microfiber cloth, and repeat step #1 again.

Step #3 – Apply Rain-X on the Windshield

As I said, some people are using wax, which is also great, but I suggest you use Rain-X since it’s doing a better job.

Applying the Rain-X to the windshield will give it a much better shine, but will also protect it from dirt, bugs, mud, bird poops, ice during the winter, and the most important thing – easier driving during the rain.

Follow the instructions and apply it. Here’s a quick guide:

TIP: be sure not to apply Rain-X on the plastics. If you do, clean it immediately.

Step #4 – Clean the Rear Car Window

Use the same cleaning process as on the windshield. However, you don’t have to split it into halves:

There’s no need to clay and apply Rain-X on your rear window.

Step #5 – Clean Side Windows

The process is the same as with the rear window, but I want you to pay attention to some details:

Just as with the rear window, you don’t need to clay it or apply Rain-X (or wax if you prefer).

The Interior Car Windows Cleaning

Before we go to the steps, I need to tell you some things.

When cleaning the inside windows, you shall not spray the window cleaner directly on the windows. Instead of doing that, spray the cleaning solution on the clean microfiber cloth and then clean the windows.

It’s especially important when you’re cleaning the windshield.

Remember: spraying window cleaner on the plastics or the dashboard may remove the protective layer you added earlier. Also, it may even damage some plastics, rubber, or vinyl.

Step #1 – Clean The Windshield

The process is very simple, even though you’ll probably need some time to improve your skills and get the perfect result.

Also, I like to clean the whole windshield from the passenger’s seat, not the driver’s. That way, the steering wheel won’t bother you when cleaning.

Be sure not to touch the windshield with your hands because there are oils that will make the windshield dirty again.

So, here are quick steps:

If you’re vaping in your vehicle, before cleaning windows, you may need to do a pre-step: cleaning the windshield with an APC (all-purpose cleaner) and then proceed with a typical window washing. APC will break up vape residue very quickly, which will help you to get spottles windshield.

Step #2 – Clean the Rear Window

Use the same advice from the step above, and clean the rear window.

However, you need to be careful with one thing – WINDOW HEATERS.

Do you know those straight lines on the rear window? Well, those are window heaters, and you could easily break them if you don’t do this properly.

Always clean the rear window in the same direction as the window heaters go. By doing that, you’ll make sure not to damage any of the heating lines.

Step #3 – Clean Side Windows

Side windows are the easiest to clean. However, if you have kids, you’ll probably have fingertips on your side windows, so make sure you clean them properly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions that people usually ask, make sure to check them out.

Can I use a paper towel to clean car windows?

I wouldn’t recommend that since it’s leaving paint on your hands as well as on the windows. Microfiber cloth is the best product to use for cleaning windows.

Wax or Rain-X?

Like I said earlier, both are better than nothing, but Rain-X seems to do a better job. However, if you don’t have Rain-X, don’t hesitate to use any kind of wax.

Can I clay bar all outside windows?

Yes, of course. However, I think there’s no need for laying all the windows unless you’re going to some car show or something.

Can I use just pure water for cleaning?

I wouldn’t recommend that. If you’re using only water, you’ll probably have many streaks on your windows after cleaning them. That’s why I suggest high-quality car windows cleaner.

Bottom Line

And that’s how you clean car windows without streaks. As you can see, methods for cleaning all car windows are pretty much the same, but I repeated them all the time, so you really learn everything in detail. In my opinion, the steps above are the best way to clean car windows without streaks, and I’m able to get fantastic results every single time when cleaning.