Glass - Cleaning, Protecting & Finishing

The Perfect Finishing Touch

Windows are essential to both the functionality and appearance of your car, and they play a major role in your driving experience. Cleaning them to a sparkling finish is one of the best finishing touches to any detail. It's surprising how often they get overlooked, especially since cleaning and protecting glass is much easier than many realize. When done right, it feels like driving in 5K HD. Here's how to tackle the job efficiently, the best products to use, and a few expert tips to get flawless results…

Exterior

The main goals here are achieving clear, fresh windows and ensuring the best all-around visibility, while also maintaining them for the long term. When it comes to exterior glass, there are four key steps to focus on: safely removing grime, restoring and decontaminating if necessary, finishing, and applying protection.

Cleaning The Glass

Exterior glass is constantly exposed to the elements, which often makes it necessary to clean it more frequently than your paintwork. However, with the right detailing products, grime can be removed quickly and safely.

The key factor is the level of soiling. For heavily soiled windows, Lather car shampoo should be used during your regular maintenance wash, or you can clean them with a mild dilution of an all-purpose cleaner like Verso. It's crucial to wash and dry the windows properly before moving to the next step, to avoid inflicting light scratches. While window glass is more durable than paintwork, it's still susceptible to scratching.

For lightly soiled windows, products like Crystal glass cleaner or Caramics ceramic glass cleaner are ideal. These alcohol-based cleaners work by chemically dissolving grime and evaporating quickly, making them perfect for between washes and full detailing sessions. The rough, serrated surface of glass can trap dirt and water molecules, but these cleaners penetrate those micro-areas, breaking the bond between the glass and the contaminants, allowing for easy removal. This surface texture also plays a crucial role in the restoration and protection stages.

Restoration & Decontamination

Not all glass appears to need restoration at first glance, but you'd be surprised at the difference a product like Vision glass polish can make—even on newer glass!

Much like your paintwork, glass can benefit from a specialist polish to restore its clarity. The purpose of using Vision is to remove oxidation, fine scratches, and watermarks that can’t be chemically cleaned away. Instead, a mild abrasive is used to physically buff away these imperfections. This process is similar to how a mild polish works on paint, refining and cleaning the glass on a molecular level. It's an essential step before using Crystal or Caramics Glass Cleaner to wipe away any remaining residues. The results are instant and noticeable. For more stubborn imperfections, Vision can also be applied with the DPX Machine Polisher for extra refinement.

Additionally, this mechanical cleaning process clears out microscopic recesses in the glass, making it more spotless than ever. As a result, water molecules will adhere better to these smoother, cleaner areas, making the glass more hydrophilic. This sets the perfect stage for adding hydrophobic protection, ensuring your glass stays cleaner longer and water beads off more easily.

Protection

Adding hydrophobic protection to your exterior glass is a no-brainer because it prevents dirt and water from adhering to the surface. We offer a range of products that leave behind a SiO2 coating, actively repelling these contaminants and creating a barrier that stops them from becoming embedded in the glass.

SiO2 (Silicon Dioxide), or silica, is a major component of glass, which itself is derived from sand. It's also found in quartz, the foundation of ceramic coatings—whether for glass, paint, or other surfaces. When applied, SiO2 chemically bonds with the top layer of the glass, becoming a durable part of the surface. On a molecular level, it fills in the rough recesses, smoothing out the surface and leaving no place for dirt or water molecules to cling to. This is why you’ll notice water beading off the surface after a ceramic coating is applied to glass or paint.

Products like Aqua Coat hydrophobic rinse aid and Lavish ceramic foam are designed to apply and refresh ceramic coatings during the wash phase, either directly from the bottle or via your snow foam lance. These products make maintenance washes incredibly easy and efficient.

For quick cleaning and enhancing or refreshing ceramic protection, Caramics ceramic glass cleaner is a must-have in your kit. This powerful cleaner dries quickly, leaving glass streak-free, and the SiO2 layer it deposits improves water behavior immediately. Perfect for use after polishing glass, it not only cleans but also helps extend the life of any previously applied coatings. An essential all-round product.

For the ultimate glass protection, our Caramics Glass Protection Kit is the perfect solution. Unlike traditional ceramic coatings, this kit is designed for simplicity, using special Glass Wipes that can be applied in just minutes. These wipes create a super-hard, ultra-hydrophobic layer that lasts up to 12 months. The easy-clean properties make it a favorite, and it’s ideal for adding protection after polishing or refining. When paired with Caramics ceramic glass cleaner for routine maintenance, this combination delivers unbeatable results.

Interior

Inside your car, effective glass cleaning is just as important for clear vision and a smear-free, show-worthy finish. While interior glass isn't exposed to the elements, it still collects a different set of contaminants, including films from tobacco smoke, particles from sneezing or breathing, and greasy fingerprints. The good news is that all these can be easily removed with an alcohol-based cleaner like Crystal glass cleaner.

Crystal works thanks to its mild blend of distilled solvents, which break down greasy films, allowing them to be wiped away effortlessly. The formula also flashes off quickly, leaving behind a crystal-clear finish with just a final buff. Since interior glass isn't exposed to the elements, you don’t need hydrophobic protection or oxidation removal. Crystal is also safe to use on tinted windows, which is crucial as these films are typically applied to the inside. If you have a track car with polycarbonate or acrylic windows, Crystal is also safe for lightweight motorsport windows.

Glass Cleaning Top Tips

Tip 1 - Roll Your Windows Down

It’s easy to overlook, but on certain vehicles, lowering the windows slightly before cleaning allows you to reach the hidden edges at the top. This is especially useful during drying, particularly on cars with wind deflectors, ensuring every part of the glass is spotless. On many modern vehicles, you can often lower all the windows at once by holding down the open button on the remote—making the process even more convenient.

Tip 2 - Always Dry Your Glass!

Always ensure your glass is thoroughly dried after applying Aqua Coat or Lavish and before using any glass cleaner. Proper drying is essential to prevent watermarks and achieve a flawless finish.

Tip 3 - Make Sure To Use The Best Cloth For The Job

For the best results with glass cleaners, short-pile microfibre cloths are ideal. However, for truly exceptional glass cleaning, it’s worth using a cloth specifically designed for the task. We offer two excellent options, both featuring a special weave that traps grime in its pockets, keeping debris away from your glass as you wipe. They also make achieving a streak-free finish easier than ever.

The super-soft Superior Waffle Cloth excels at soaking up Crystal Glass Cleaner or Caramics Glass Cleaner and buffing to a flawless finish. Meanwhile, the Glass Waffle Cloth offers a bit more scrubbing power, making it perfect for tackling stains with Vision Glass Polish. It can also be used effectively with our spray-on glass cleaning products.

Tip 4 - Work From The Outside Edges Into The Middle

When using Crystal Glass Cleaner or Caramics Ceramic Glass Cleaner, the most effective method is to spritz a small amount onto the glass, start by wiping around the edges, and then move to the center. This approach ensures complete coverage of the entire surface.

Tip 5 - Use Your Heaters

A handy tip is to ensure your windows are slightly warm on the inside before cleaning. This helps the solvents evaporate more quickly for an even better finish.

Tip 6 - Clean In Different Directions Inside & Out

Use a side-to-side motion for the outside and a top-to-bottom motion for the inside. This technique makes it easier to spot and address any smears left behind.

Tip 7 - Remember To Clean All The Overlooked Spots

Don’t forget your mirrors and headlights! Our glass cleaners work just as effectively on these surfaces as they do on your windows.