Motoring Discussion > Greasy Windscreen	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Clk Sec	Replies: 36

New Sun 13 Feb 11 11:55   Greasy Windscreen - Clk Sec

Can the panel recommend a good product for removing grease from the windscreen of my modest limousine? The last spray-on type stuff that I bought, which I turfed out a few months ago, was utterly useless. Thanks. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 12:00   Greasy Windscreen - Robin O'Reliant

Vinegar is good for grease. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 12:01   Greasy Windscreen - R.P.

Vinegar and a wipe with newsprint. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 12:30   Greasy Windscreen - Zero

>> Vinegar and a wipe with newsprint. Dont use the Mail tho, it just spreads more smears over the screen. Reply to this message | Report message       4

New Sun 13 Feb 11 12:36   Greasy Windscreen - hobby

>> Dont use the Mail tho, it just spreads more smears over the screen. >> Best not to use The Star either, you never know what that might spread! Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 12:37   Greasy Windscreen - Iffy

...Dont use the Mail tho, it just spreads more smears over the screen... If that's the case, definitely don't use the Farmers Weekly. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 12:04   Greasy Windscreen - Manatee

Hot water with washing-up liquid in it? If it gets grease off plates I don't see why it wouldn't work on windscreens. Or if you fancy the solvent approach, meths/lighter fuel on a bit of kitchen roll. Repeat as necessary. Last edited by: Manatee on Sun 13 Feb 11 at 12:05 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 12:06   Greasy Windscreen - Bromptonaut

A few drops of w-u-l in the washer tank helps keep grease at bay. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 12:09   Greasy Windscreen - Iffy

Don't forget to degrease the wipers as well. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 13:04   Greasy Windscreen - Clk Sec

>>Dont use the Mail tho, it just spreads more smears over the screen. >>Best not to use The Star either, you never know what that might spread! >>If that's the case, definitely don't use the Farmers Weekly. Wouldn't dream of it. I shall, of course, be using the motoring section of a quality broadsheet, and Waitrose cider vinegar. Standards have to be maintained. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 13:11   Greasy Windscreen - -

Most important thing is preventative washing practice...make sure you wash the screen and wipers separately if you use a wash/wax with a non waxy washing solution, Lidl's 1;100 screenwash stuff (apple or lemon flavour, not anti freeze type) is excellent for this, put a capfull in you washer bottle too. If you use the Sun check which day it was published, you'll have to change sides if there's a d in the day. Last edited by: gordonbennet on Sun 13 Feb 11 at 13:13 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 13:25   Greasy Windscreen - Dog

Give it a quick rub down with the sporting life. I use mr muscle window & glass. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 14:07   Greasy Windscreen - Stuartli

Autoglym Glass Cleaner is the best product of its type I've ever used, with Nilglass not all that far behind. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 14:11   Greasy Windscreen - Bellboy

a lot of propitiatory cleaners smear glass in cars if there is any silicone involved i usually use gunwash on a clean lint free cloth or the next best thing is autosmart window cleaner or as said nilglass is excellent vinegar is ok but unless you use the right one your car stinks like a fish ole for agers Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 16 Feb 11 23:25   Greasy Windscreen - hawkeye

>> Don't forget to degrease the wipers as well. >> If you don't mind the paint coming off the frames, stick blades in the dishwasher to degrease. Pardon? Oh, Finish of course. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 14:50   Greasy Windscreen - CGNorwich

Multi surface cleaner - you've probably got some under the sink . If not around 90p a bottle in your supermarket. Never buy specialist cleaning products - they are all basically the same chemicals but 5 times the price. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 10:14   Greasy Windscreen - Oldgit

I would not touch my windscreen (outside I presume) with vinegar and newspaper not unless you want to end up with scratched glass. I always wash the screen with copious water first and then dry off. I then use a proprietary paste glass cleaner if only slightly greasy but if more persistent I then use some Silvo (used for cleaning Silver plate) and I rub this over vigorously and let it dry to a white powder and then buff off. This does leave a temporary 'wax' over the surface but this is soon removed by rubbing with a damp leather or using the wiper and wash facility. However it does not take long to remove whatever the Silvo left behind. I can get to the stage whereupon water run onto my screen wets the glass all over without beading and of course the wiper work perfectly and silently. Sometime I worry that I am too perfect!! Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 10:22   Greasy Windscreen - Old Navy

I have a bottle of Halfords Intensive Glass Cutter, It seems to work in the same way as Silvo. I wonder if it is the same stuff in an expensive bottle? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 10:24   Greasy Windscreen - VxFan

>> I would not touch my windscreen (outside I presume) with vinegar and newspaper not unless you want to end up with scratched glass. Haven't yet scratched a windscreen using newspaper. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 10:27   Greasy Windscreen - Hard Cheese

T-Cut itself washed off with soapy water and vinegar to degrease if required, kitchen roll better than newspaper. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 13:23   Greasy Windscreen - Clk Sec

I've done the deed using vinegar and kitchen roll, and it's worked so much better than anything I've used before. Thanks for all the tips, chaps. Clk Sec Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 13:40   Greasy Windscreen - Iffy

...and kitchen roll... I have what is sometimes described as 'elephant's bog roll' - a roll of bigger, slightly coarser wipes. Mine came from a double glazing supplies trade counter. I think the fitters use it to clean off excess sealant and give the windows a final buff. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 13:45   Greasy Windscreen - Clk Sec

>>'elephant's bog roll' I remember the fitters using that when we had our double glazing installed. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 13:50   Greasy Windscreen - Iffy

...'elephant's bog roll'... Mine is white. When my brother was in the RAF he obtained something similar in a suitably RAF-like mid blue. From memory, the RAF stuff was even wider. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 13:55   Greasy Windscreen - Bellboy

i use blue elephants bog roll very cheap if you buy it by the trunk load Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 14:24   Greasy Windscreen - Bromptonaut

Important to avoid any cleaner that adds polish or other shiny finish. Even those thing's like glassX that add a hydrophobic film don't work too well in the area swept by the wipers. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 15:18   Greasy Windscreen - FotheringtonTomas

"Wire brush & Dettol". Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 17:43   Greasy Windscreen - Mapmaker

Washing up liquid. Used neat, having pre-warmed the window with warm (soapy) water, if it's really bad. And make sure you keep wash 'n' wax well away from the screen - and indeed all windows. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 16 Feb 11 20:55   Greasy Windscreen - FotheringtonTomas

Oh, OK, Windolene, then. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 15 Feb 11 21:28   Greasy Windscreen - J Bonington Jagworth

"proprietary paste glass cleaner" Wozzat? Sounds useful... Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 16 Feb 11 19:12   Greasy Windscreen - Oldgit

>> "proprietary paste glass cleaner" >> >> Wozzat? Sounds useful... >> I exagerrated when I said 'paste' perhaps I meant a creamy glass cleaner as sold by the major brands; I am sure mine is a Turtle product but I'm sure that Simoniz, Autoglym etc. make them. Perhaps one could use Cif although I haven't use this domestic household cleaner for that purpose, I should add! Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 16 Feb 11 19:31   Greasy Windscreen - Old Navy

>> Perhaps one could use Cif although I haven't use >> this domestic household cleaner for that purpose, I should add! >> Ceramic hob cleaner? (Cif in a fancy expensive bottle). Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 16 Feb 11 19:42   Greasy Windscreen - Runfer D'Hills

Remarkably well informed on the subject of kitchen cleaning fluids for an estate car driver ON? Is it the sort of thing one chats about on boring evenings at sea, hob polishing, longevity of marigolds and so on? Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Wed 16 Feb 11 at 19:43 Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 16 Feb 11 19:43   Greasy Windscreen - Zero

Err they polish more than their hobs in the Navy Humph... Last edited by: Zero on Wed 16 Feb 11 at 19:43 Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 16 Feb 11 20:06   Greasy Windscreen - Old Navy

>> Err they polish more than their hobs in the Navy Humph... >> Sure do, the navy is fanatical about cleanliness. :-) Why buy car cleaners from Halfords etc, when you can find a supply that replenishes itself under the kitchen sink? Last edited by: Old Navy on Wed 16 Feb 11 at 20:07 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 17 Feb 11 11:10   Greasy Windscreen - Stuartli

>>but I'm sure that Simoniz, Autoglym etc. make them.>> The Autoglym glass cleaner I mentioned earlier is a pale green coloured cream, but difficult to find now as it's named Fast Glass or similar (whether this is also a cream I'm not sure). Re Cif (Jif as it was) - when my double-glazing doors and windows were installed about nine years ago, the local tradesman who did the work told me that this was the best cleaner around for uPVC and he was absolutely right. But I wouldn't like to use it on car glass...... Mapmaker is quite right too about wash 'n wax - I use a non-wax car shampoo (ArmorAll's version at the moment at £3.99 for a litre bottle). Last edited by: Stuartli on Thu 17 Feb 11 at 11:12 Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 16 Feb 11 17:34   Greasy Windscreen - J Bonington Jagworth

I'd certainly like something that polished out the hairline marks left by wipers over the years. WRT vinegar, it works a lot better than you'd think from the way it goes on. Tried it on a greasy kitchen window today and it was very effective. Reply to this message | Report message