[Updated] Car Windscreen 101: How to Take Care of Your Car’s Windscreen?

As a car owner, when you go for regular service and check-ups, you rarely pay attention to the windshield, the wiper, and the glasses. It is quite surprising to see the number of people who ignore the maintenance and care of the windshield when it is an important part of the driving experience and safety. More often than not, you can easily do a DIY cleaning process that would keep the windshield as clean and shining as new. 

A chipped, cracked, or dirty windshield leads to the same problem; the lack of visibility. The build-up of dirt, mud, and watermark makes it difficult to see clearly whereas a chipped or cracked windshield may be a potential hazard in case of any bump or accident. Cleaning car windscreen should be as frequent as giving a good car wash.

In this article, we will be learning how to clean the car windshield and the various ways you can maintain and care for it. Let’s get started. 

How to clean the car windscreen/windshield?

Car windscreen cleaning has two steps- Washing and Polishing. Each is important to keep the glass as clean as possible.

To wash the car windshield, soak the glass with water and then use a soft brush (make sure it is soft, you don’t want scratches on the windshield) or a car glass cleaning cloth to scrub it. For very dirty glass, you can also use hot water and car shampoo to scrape any stubborn blotch. Once the glass is completely dry, move on to the polishing process. 

Also Read: How to Change Car Windscreen Wipers

Polishing a Windshield

Polishing the windshield is also an easy process which you can do in your garage or lawn. Make sure you use a microfiber cloth to have a smooth cleaning process. The best and the most efficient way to do this is to use an alcohol-based glass cleaner. 

Step 1: To have an unobstructed view and access of the windshield, lift the wiper blades away from the glass.

Step 2: Spray the glass cleaner in every nook and cranny, until the entire windshield is covered. You can experiment and look for the best car windscreen cleaner to suit your needs.

Step 3: Take the cloth and wipe the windscreen, making sure you’re moving vertically.  

Step 4: Repeat the third step, but this time in horizontal stroke. Make sure you’re reaching in every corner and hard to reach places. 

Step 5: Now that the windshield is done, move on to the wiper blades, Using the same glass cleaner, wipe the wipers to remove any mud or residue that has gathered on the grooves. 

Step 6: Take a clean microfiber cloth and, using a small circular motion, clean the glass without the cleaner. This is the final touch to make it as good as new. 

You will notice the increase in visibility and also an enhanced experience when driving the car. The difference between a dirty windscreen and a clean one is immediately noticeable.

How to clean the inside of the car windscreen?

If our main aim is to keep the glass clean and visible, then you have to pay the same amount of attention to the inside of the car windshield. One of the best ways to clean inside a car windscreen is to follow the similar steps as you did with outside cleaning.

Step 1: Use a windshield cleaning cloth to rub the inside of the glass in a circular motion. This will help to soften the dirt and build-up, allowing us to clean more efficiently. Make sure you do this on every corner. 

Step 2: Repeat the same process as described in Step 1, but use vertical strokes. Make sure you’re using the clean side of the cloth. 

Step 3: Take the second cloth and apply rubbing alcohol to the glass. 

Step 4: Once everything is done, take your glass cleaner and spray it on the cloth. Now use the cloth to clean the glass with horizontal and vertical strokes. 

You should be able to spot the difference in your windshield. If you live in a rainy area, you can always find a water-repellant and spray it on the glass to avoid frequent cleaning. Now that we are done with windscreen cleaning, let’s look at demisting the windscreen.

Also Read: Seasonal Car Care: Top 20 Car Care Tips for Rainy Season

Demisting your windscreen

Demisting your windscreen is also a crucial step to windscreen care. Driving during the rainy or cold season leads to lower visibility due to fog and mist. For this reason, it is very important to know how to demist your windows, while keeping the visibility intact. 

1. Use your heater to demist the glass by switching it on on cold. Once the air inside the car, which is full of moisture, dries up, you can crank up the heater to its hot setting. When you find the balance, you will notice that the glass clears up easily. 
2. Another easy way is to switch on the air-conditioner. This will stop further condensation and therefore, demist the car glass. 
3. Your car may come with a climate control feature which is likely to have a demist setting. Use that when things become foggy and invisible. 
4. If you don’t have the option of an air conditioner or climate control, simply open the windows of your car. The moist air will find its way outside and the cold air coming inside would be drier, thereby removing the mist from the glass. 

Repairing your windscreen cracks and chips

Windscreen Crack Repair

There are many reasons that may lead to the windscreens cracking and chipping. Your windshield is always susceptible to crack and depending on where it is, you may or may not be able to repair it. In case the crack is within 3cm on the edge, the windscreen can’t be repaired. 

In case you’re looking for repair and replacement, visit a car service centre. A chip in the driver’s line of sight can’t be bigger than 10mm. 

Windscreen chip repair

Windscreen chip repair can be fixed instead of having to replace the entire windscreen. Here are the steps that your car has to go through to repair a chip. 

• The chip and the surrounding area will be cleaned to remove the residue to make it absolutely clean. 
• Using special equipment, the resin is inserted into the damaged area. 
• The resin is then treated with a UV Lamp. 

The chip repair is best performed in summers and takes around 30 minutes to do so. Make sure you notice a chip when it happens as this can result in cracking of the windscreen. Even a small chip can easily grow into a crack with the slightest bump, and the crack can grow with each bump until you have to repair the screen. 

This brings us to the end of our article on how to take care of your car’s windscreen. Hope this was useful. 

For more such articles, keep watching this space.