How to Clean the Inside of Your Windshield Without Streaks

Aug 29, 2022

view of windshield from inside a moving vehicle

If you’ve noticed lots of glare through your windshield, especially when driving at night, you aren’t alone. In fact, as many as one in three drivers drive with nighttime views obstructed by oily streaks on their windshields.

Unfortunately, the inside of your windshield can be an absolute pain to clean. The angles alone make the human body contort in inhuman ways, and that’s not even taking into consideration the oily film caused by “off-gassing” from your vehicle’s plastic or vinyl dashboard.

What’s “off-gassing”? Vinyl and plastic materials have oils in them. When those materials heat up (the sun is hot, or so we hear), they release those oils, which evaporate and stick to the glass. That residue is what makes interior windshield streaks so hard to get rid of.

Difficult as it is, washing an oily windshield is certainly doable. Continue reading to learn the best way to clean a windshield inside without leaving any streaks.

Here’s How to Get a Streak-Free Windshield, Every Time.

#1 – Clean Outside

If you need to clean interior windshield haze or streaks, it all starts with the outside. Why? Because it’s much easier to identify the cleanliness of an interior window if the exterior is spotless. So, give your outside windshield a very thorough hand-wash before continuing to the inside. (And don’t worry about those dark spots on your window – they’re from your polarized sunglasses!)

#2 – Wipe Inside with a Clean, Dry Microfiber Cloth

Once that’s done, use a soft, microfiber towel (or clean shop towel) to wipe the inside windshield, starting with the corners and working your way up in circular motions. (The “backhand method” is particularly effective for cleaning the lower portion of a windshield.)

Note: If the towel touches the dashboard, it’s dirty. It’s already absorbed oil, and rubbing it on your windshield will only make streaks more visible. Get a new towel!

#3 – Clean with Alcohol or a Magic Eraser

Next, you need to degrease the window. This can be done on the cheap with isopropyl rubbing alcohol applied to a clean microfiber towel, or you can opt to purchase a product like a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. We recommend the Magic Eraser because it’s magic.

Dunk the Magic Eraser in warm water, wring it out, and clean the glass in circular motions. The Eraser should be damp at all times, and you should quickly dry the area, in circular motions, with a microfiber cloth once cleaned.

Work in quarters. That is, clean and dry one quarter of the windshield at a time. This reduces the risk of the chemical cleaning solution from the Magic Eraser from drying onto the glass.

Note: Wipe away any drips on the dashboard with a paper towel or separate cloth right away! These can stain or discolor the dash if left to dry. Read more about other things that will damage your car.

#4 – Finish with Glass Cleaner

Apply your glass cleaner directly to another clean microfiber towel. Clean the windshield in circular motions, being sure to get that area right where the dashboard and glass meet.

Flip that towel over to the dry side and rub the windshield in an up-and-down motion.

This windshield cleaning technique works with all interior windows, though you want to avoid applying alcohol or any other chemical to tinted windows. Check out these other car window cleaning tips.

How to remove stickers from car windows

To remove stickers from car glass without leaving sticky residue, you’ll need a good bit of elbow grease, even more patience, and a cleaning solution like Goo Gone. Here are step-by-step directions:

Clean your window thoroughly and allow it to dry. If there is any dust and dirt on the window, you may scratch the glass!
Use a razor blade and scrape away the stickers with the flat edge, while also keeping the sticker taut (pull/peel the sticker up while scraping).
The sticker outline and sticky residue can be cleaned with a healthy spritz of Goo Gone and by scraping with the razor blade.
Spray with glass cleaner and wipe away with a clean, soft towel.
Repeat and wash all areas with water when happy with the results.

Of course, you want to be careful about cleaning around chipped windshields or auto glass. A mistimed move or too much applied pressure could worsen that windshield chip, necessitating a repair. Read more about why windshield chip repair kits might not be the best solution.

(P.S. If you’re wondering how to remove bumper stickers from a bumper or car body, this logic also applies. Just be extra careful not to scrape too hard, otherwise you might scratch the paint.)

How to get sap off windshield

If you weren’t aware, tree sap can damage car paint. But what effect does it have on automotive glass?

When left alone for too long, tree sap on a windshield or car window will start “baking” in the sun, making it ever more difficult to remove. The longer it stays on glass, the more time you’ll have to spend cleaning. It may even permanently discolor that area of your window!

How do you clean tree sap off a windshield, though?

On glass, tree sap can be wiped away with rubbing alcohol or something like anti-bacterial kitchen wipes. The chemical structure of alcohol lets it grab on to pretty much any substance, especially sticky substances like tree sap. When this happens, the chemicals break down the substance’s molecular structure, forcing it to effectively ‘melt’ away.

You can also use alcohol to clean bugs off a windshield. To reduce the risk of scratching the glass, we recommend using a clean, soft towel and drying off with a squeegee.

To avoid run-off that may affect your vehicle’s paint, be sure to thoroughly clean any residual alcohol with water.

How to get paint off car window

A razor blade (or something with a similar edge) is essential for removing paint from windows. Starting from the outer edge, scrape the paint away in a uniform manner – typically scraping down only – until there is no visible paint remaining.

Once that’s done, spray with window cleaner and wipe away with a soft, microfiber cloth. Rinse with water and repeat as necessary. This works with most types of paint, including spray paint and automotive paint overspray.

How to get water spots off car windows

Water-etched windows are surprisingly difficult to clean! In some situations, not even a hand wash will remove water spots from car windows. There is a solution, though – a headlight buffing kit.

First, use glass cleaner on all windows affected by water spots.
Unpack the headlight kit and attach the included foam pad to a drill or buffer.
Apply the included cleaning compound directly to the pad, NOT the window.
In a horizontal motion, buff the window.
Spray the area with glass cleaner and wipe away.

Alternatively, you can skip the kit and get a circular buffing pad and water-sport remover. A kit is just typically more cost effective if you don’t have those items.

How to clean tinted windows

Tinted window film cannot be cleaned with alcohol, ammonia or any abrasive chemical, as these can very easily and quickly scratch, crack or even detach the film from the window itself. Always check the ingredients of any cleaner you use, including your basic glass cleaning spray – some of them contain ammonia, which is used by good body shops like ours to actually remove window tint!

Here’s what you’ll need and how to get started:

Distilled water
Chemical Guys Wonder Wash
Spray bottle
480g+ microfiber cloth

There are only 3 steps to clean tinted auto glass:

First, mix 20 oz of distilled water with 1 tablespoon (Tbsp) of Wonder Wash inside the spray bottle.
Spray on your exterior windows and wipe away with your non-abrasive microfiber cloth. Be sure you aren’t using any cloth that isn’t meant for automotive applications! Paper towels, dish rags, bath towels and handcloths will all potentially scratch your tint.
Spray your cloth and wipe down your interior windows. Flip to the dry side of the towel and wipe away.

Soap and warm water can also clean tinted windows, though rinsing off soap on an interior automotive surface is a challenge.

Need Windshield Chip Repair in Kansas City?

Cleaning your windows and windshield is one thing. Fixing a cracked windshield or chip is a whole different matter. If you require professional windshield chip repair or a replacement car window in Kansas City, visit one of our auto body shops near you. McCarthy Collision Centers provide a full range of auto glass service, including hail damage repair, windshield chip repair, and window or side-mirror replacement.

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