Last updated on February 26th, 2024
Hey there, fellow automobile enthusiasts! As someone who takes pride in keeping my rides looking pristine, I know firsthand the importance of a well-maintained windshield. I’m excited to share several tips and tricks for achieving a glossy, crystal-clear windshield that will make you feel like you’re driving a brand-new car. In this post, I will guide you through clay bar detailing, polishing, and cleaning your windshield perfectly. You will soon be using these go-to techniques for a flawless finish. Don’t settle for a lackluster view of the road ahead – join me in taking your detailing game to the next level with Glossy Glass: Polishing Your Windshield to Perfection!
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Clay Bar Magic – A Windshield Detailing Must!
In a prior post, I addressed clay bar detailing and the importance of decontaminating your vehicle and glass mechanically using detailing clay. Well, in this article, we will talk about its use for decontaminating the outside front windshield of your car.
Anyone using their windshield wipers has seen the streaks caused by embedded contaminants clinging to the glass. The pollutants can include but are not limited to industrial fallout, rail dust, tree sap, road tar, grease, grime, adhesives, bug guts, water spots, and bird dirt. By using a clay bar, you can remove those contaminants easily and, in the process, prolong the longevity of your wiper blades.
An interesting piece of information about rail dust is that it is on your new car far before you ever purchase the vehicle from the lot and drive it home. This is because railway is still the most common transportation for getting new cars to vehicle lots.
I worked with my son-in-law this weekend after he complained that his windshield was so rough that it ate the rubber from his wiper blades. As a result of his constant complaining, we clay barred his windshield. I should note that I supervised and directed the process, and he performed the manual labor.
Wearing through wiper blades is only one reason for someone to clay bar their windshield. Other reasons would include scratches, water spots, etching caused by bugs, or bird droppings. Indeed, anyone who has had to purchase wiper blades for their vehicles can understand they are pretty expensive.
I recently bought wiper blades for both cars, which cost between $60.00 and $75.00 per pair. Additionally, one of the cars takes a 3rd blade for the rear window.
Tools & Products Needed to Clay Bar & Polish the Windshield.
| Clay Bar – Chemical Guys OG Yellow Light/Med Duty Clay Bar |
| Clay Bar Lubricant – Chemical Guys Clay Lubricant to Prevent Scratches |
| Machine Polisher – Chemical Guys Torq or TorqX Polisher |
| Polishing Pads – Chemical Guys Hex-Logic Polishing Pad Kit |
| Polishing Compound – Chemical Guys V-Line Polishing Compounds |
| Microfiber Towels – Chemical Guys Premium Red Line Dark Gray Towels |
| Glass Cleaner – Rain-X 2-in-1 used on the Windshield for Repelling Rain |
| Masking Tape – for Covering Plastic Trim & moldings to Prevent Discoloration |
Clear View Ahead: Pro Tips for Windshield Care!
As I have said in past articles, the products I point you to are products I use because they continue to provide the proven results I am looking for when I am detailing my vehicles. If you decide to substitute products, follow the directions for those alternate products. Alternatively, you could use a specially formulated polishing compound to polish glass. I have not used these products yet, but I have not needed to either.
Below are the principles you should follow for the best results. I have broken it down into three processes, including steps for each method.
Steps for Clay Barring Your Windshield.
- First, clean the windshield with soap and water.
- Secondly, knead your clay into the palm of your hand.
- Next, spray half the glass with clay bar lubricant.
- Place the kneaded clay flat on the glass and rub it in an up & down direction. (Consequently, if you drop the clay on the ground, throw it away and get a new piece).
- After you have completed one side, dry it with your microfiber towel, and move on to the other side.
- Depending on the level of contaminants on your clay, you should re-knead it and perform steps #4 & #5 on the opposite side of the windshield.
Below is a short video of my son-in-law, Camron learning to clay bar the second half of his windshield.
Steps for Polishing Your Windshield.
Occasionally, there would be reasons for polishing your windshield, and since we have gone through the previous steps to clay bar it, there isn’t any reason strong enough to stop here. Polishing the windshield involves removing light scratching, stains, or a hazy buildup on the surface of the glass.
You can do this with a machine polisher, as recommended in this and other articles I have posted, or you could do the polishing by hand. However, polishing by hand will not perform the best at removing many imperfections.
Here are the steps to follow:
- First, clean the windshield to remove leftover residue from the clay bar lubricant.
- Once the windshield is clean, further inspect the windshield for scratches, chips, or other damage that might need to be repaired before polishing.
- Apply 4-5 pea-sized drops of polish to your machine polisher pad or your hand polishing pad applicator.
- Apply the polish to the windshield; if by machine with the machine turned off. Dab it on half of the windshield.
- Turn your machine buffer on with it flat on the glass surface to spread the compound.
- After you have spread the compound evenly across the two-by-two square section, turn the speed up on the polishing machine and move the polisher up and down, applying gentle pressure.
- Next, you will want to make several passes in the opposite side-to-side direction.
- After completing the polishing, change to a buffing pad and buff the windshield to bring out the shine.
- Inspect the windshield again after buffing it to ensure you have removed the scratches, stains, and other imperfections.
- Repeat the steps as necessary if you have not received the desired clarity on your windshield.
Final Step to Keep Your Windshield Clean and Safe.
We have taken all the steps to remove any pollutants, light scratches, marring, and impediments from the windshield. At last, you are ready to perform the final cleaning step, but this step for me is more to improve the efficiency of repelling the water from the windshield.
For many years, I have used a product for the exterior surface of my windshield that has performed exceptionally well: Rain-X 2-in-1. In my opinion, the Rain-X 2-in-1 is the best product I have used to repel water while driving. Rain-X is safe and can clean all your vehicle’s windows. I have tried other products, but they do not provide the same results as the Rain-X – not even close.
To Sum Up,
There you have it, fellow car lovers – a step-by-step guide to achieving a glossy, crystal-clear windshield that will make you feel like you’re driving a brand-new car. You learned how to achieve a polished, crystal-clear windshield using clay bar detailing, polishing, buffing, and cleaning techniques.
These go-to techniques will leave your windshield looking new and prolong the life of your wiper blades. The post provided a step-by-step guide on clay barring and polishing your windshield. I offered my recommended and suggested products.
Don’t settle for a lackluster view of the road ahead – join in taking your detailing game to the next level with Glossy Glass: Polishing Your Windshield to Perfection!
Give it a try, and let me know how it worked out for you in the comments section! Do you have any additional tips or tricks to share with me? I would value hearing your thoughts and feedback on this post, so don’t hesitate to leave a comment below. And if you found this post helpful, please share it with your fellow car enthusiasts. Thanks for reading!