Can you use vinegar to clean a windshield? Yes, you absolutely can clean the outside or inside of a windshield with vinegar. As a matter of fact, vinegar is better than lots of glass cleaners out there.
It seems a week doesn’t go by that someone doesn’t ask us that. But before we show you the correct way for cleaning inside car windows with vinegar, it’s first important to know what causes your windshield to become dirty in the first place.
Do you always get annoyed at how often your windshield gets dirty? No matter how hard you work to keep it clean, it almost feels like it’s impossible for it to stay that way. Here are some factors that might be contributing to dirtying up your windshield.
One of them is if you are a smoker. The tobacco plays a significant role in creating a haze on the inside of your windshield and so do pollutants such as engine smoke. If you have kids, they can also contribute to dirtying the glass when playing inside the car. A dirty windshield isn’t only annoying, but it can hinder your sight when driving. It’s therefore advisable to deal with it as soon as possible.
Regular Glass Cleaners vs Vinegar on Car Windows
Despite regular auto glass cleaners being manufactured and designed to solely clean glass, they seem to be very ineffective compared to vinegar on car windows. Instead of actually cleaning the glass, they contribute to making the windshield even dirtier. The problem with glass cleaners is that, other than breaking down the oils and dust particles, they just randomly move them around. It results in spreading the dirt to more areas. Fortunately, there is a better and more effective way for you to clean your windshield.
Here are some of the things that you should have;
- One cup of vinegar
- One cup of water
- Towels and pieces of microfiber cloths
- Spray Bottle
Ratio of Vinegar to Water for Cleaning Windows
Vinegar water ratio for cleaning glass will depend on the size of the windshield or window and how dirty they are. It starts with 1 part water for 1 part vinegar. You can then slightly increase vinegar depending on how difficult it is to get the dirt off. However, never really go more that 1 water to 1.5 vinegar ratio when cleaning windows.
How to Clean Windows with Vinegar
- Step 1: Mix the solution and shake the spray bottle thoroughly. Vinegar is an excellent cleaner but needs to be mixed with water for it to work optimally.
- Step 2: Cover areas near the windshield with a piece of cloth or any other suitable material. Despite vinegar being able to clean your windshield effectively, it can cause damage to some other materials.
- Step 3: Carefully spray the solution all over the inside of your windshield. You won’t have anything to worry about if you have covered your dashboard with towels. By ensuring the solution is spread all over the windshield you can be assured that no dirt, oil or dust will be left behind.
- Step 4: With the aid of a microfiber cloth, wipe the windshield from corner to corner. Replace dirty clothes with clean ones to avoid re-dirtying the windscreen.
- Step 5: Are you satisfied with the results? If not, you can redo the above procedure until your windshield is sparkling clean.
- Step 6: Allow the vinegar odor to evaporate. This will take five to ten minutes. You can leave your car windows open for a while to fasten the dissipation.
There you have it. You now that you can use vinegar to clean windows and windshields, you know the current ratio of water to vinegar and now you know how to clean windows with vinegar. Follow this procedure when cleaning your windshield using vinegar. For best results, do this regularly so that your windshield and windows remains clean at all times. You can also use the same process when cleaning a temporary car window.
Here’s another benefit of mobile auto glass companies, Dealer Auto Glass will come out and clean the inside of your windshield after each windshield replacement. How is that for service?
