Any - Impossible to shift windscreen smear | Technical matters | Back Room Forum

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Mon 13 Jan 2020 21:21

Any - Impossible to shift windscreen smear - bazza

Could do with some suggestions please: my Civic windscreen smears every time the wipers pass, despite brand new wipers on a screen I've tried everything on to shift it. It's a serious hazard at night. I've tried alcohol (pure 96), glass cleaner, vinegar and rolled up newspaper, autoglym glass cleaner, all to no avail and I'm running out of ideas. I've heard a clay bar might help, but not sure how to use, I'm tempted to try hydrochloric acid wash, as I have some. Any ideas most welcome!

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Mon 13 Jan 2020 21:29

Any - Impossible to shift windscreen smear - Bolt

Could do with some suggestions please: my Civic windscreen smears every time the wipers pass, despite brand new wipers on a screen I've tried everything on to shift it. It's a serious hazard at night. I've tried alcohol (pure 96), glass cleaner, vinegar and rolled up newspaper, autoglym glass cleaner, all to no avail and I'm running out of ideas. I've heard a clay bar might help, but not sure how to use, I'm tempted to try hydrochloric acid wash, as I have some. Any ideas most welcome!

A seagull caused mine and I have the same problem on my Civic right over drivers centre view area, thing is it is restricted to that area so no idea what will clear it but is a pain, I have tried everything as well

its as though grease has been smeared on it but unshift able strange never known it before?

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Mon 13 Jan 2020 22:01

Any - Impossible to shift windscreen smear - focussed

An acid won't shift greasy contamination and it's dangerous and won't do the rest of the car any good.

You need something that is slightly caustic like the sprays that are sold to clean woodburning stove glasses and barbecue grills.

www.diy.com/departments/hg-stove-cleaner-5l/821685...d

I have never used this particular product but we use something similar in france to clean our woodburner glasses.

But hose it off well afterwards to stop any marking on the surround and paint.

Edited by focussed on 13/01/2020 at 22:03

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Mon 13 Jan 2020 23:12

Any - Impossible to shift windscreen smear - Andrew-T

Jeweller's rouge? It's intended for fine-polishing glass surfaces and you can get a small amount online. Need to prevent the red colour getting to the wrong places though ....

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Tue 14 Jan 2020 08:15

Any - Impossible to shift windscreen smear - Galaxy

Clean the windscreen with T - Cut.

That's what I do - Never had a problem. It doesn't scratch the screen, if that's what you're thinking.

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Tue 14 Jan 2020 11:25

Any - Impossible to shift windscreen smear - Bolt

Clean the windscreen with T - Cut.

That's what I do - Never had a problem. It doesn't scratch the screen, if that's what you're thinking.

Thank you Galaxy and others for suggestions, I have never used T-Cut on glass but as I had some I tried it and has worked, not sure about what bazza has on his screen but it might help

and apologise to bazza and a thank you, for using this thread instead of posting my own

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Tue 14 Jan 2020 12:19

Any - Impossible to shift windscreen smear - RichardW

An interesting tip.... I've got similar trouble on my 3008 - I got it manageable with all sorts (up to and including oven cleaner) but it's still not great. I will get some T-cut and give it a bash. At one time I was considering getting the screen replaced as a resolution!

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Tue 14 Jan 2020 12:26

Any - Impossible to shift windscreen smear - Bolt

An interesting tip.... I've got similar trouble on my 3008 - I got it manageable with all sorts (up to and including oven cleaner) but it's still not great. I will get some T-cut and give it a bash. At one time I was considering getting the screen replaced as a resolution!

TBH I usually use rain X on the screen as nothing sticks to it, but not put it on for a couple of years I kept forgetting to put it on, im now waiting for dry weather to put it on and hopefully it wont happen again...

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Tue 14 Jan 2020 12:29

Any - Impossible to shift windscreen smear - bazza

Tried a hand hot strong solution of sugar soap this morning washed over the screen and rubbed with a new microfibre cloth. Looks promising and might take it for a spin after, as the weather here in South Wales is suitably awful. Thanks for the other tips. I also read a blog about making one's own screen wash using 1 to 2 percent traffic film Remover, the less aggressive version. Not sure about that but might experiment!

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Tue 14 Jan 2020 15:22

Any - Impossible to shift windscreen smear - galileo

Google 'windscreen polishing kits' and it will show Cerium Oxide powder based polishing kits. These are intended for polishing out the circular marks left by (not too clean) wiper blades and will certainly clean the glass very thoroughly, I use this stuff before I apply my Rain X.

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Tue 14 Jan 2020 17:05

Any - Impossible to shift windscreen smear - gordonbennet

Try an aerosol of Simoniz (used to be branded Holts) MIxra.

Even with a spotlessly clean screen after a few miles all sorts of filth will accumulate and soon as you put the wipers on smeared, give a short spray of Mixra onto the screen and marvel at the instant clean, a few drops of washing up liquid in the washer bottle helps.

Make sure you clean the wiper blades every now and then, wipe down the blade with a clean cloth even after washing the cart and the cloth will be filthy.

Sometimes screens get enough tiny chips and scratches from the wipers that no matter how well you clean it road grease will still be an issue, Mixra will deal with it for a time but sometimes a new screen is the only answer.

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Tue 14 Jan 2020 17:55

Any - Impossible to shift windscreen smear - Andrew-T

Make sure you clean the wiper blades every now and then, wipe down the blade with a clean cloth even after washing the cart and the cloth will be filthy.

GB, you won't be surprised to hear that I don't wash my cart very often ..... :-)

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Tue 14 Jan 2020 18:17

Any - Impossible to shift windscreen smear - gordonbennet

GB, you won't be surprised to hear that I don't wash my cart very often ..... :-)

No i don't think my uncle Jimmy washed the cart often either, riding on that cart full of (by hand) milk churns going up to the creamery is still vivid in my memory, as is catching 3 lovely rainbow trout in the brook just up the lane from the family farm, CoClare, God's country

Emissions from the 1 horsepower engine up front were memorable too..:-)

Edited by gordonbennet on 14/01/2020 at 18:17

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Wed 15 Jan 2020 09:24

Any - Impossible to shift windscreen smear - Andrew-T

<< the family farm, CoClare, God's country >>

Well now, County Clare. I had an uncle in Killaloe - we visited there a few times in the early 50s. It would seem a very strange place now I'm thinking ...

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Mon 27 Jan 2020 14:32

Any - Impossible to shift windscreen smear - edlithgow

If that was om my windscreen I would try brake fluid, because I have some, and it seems to shift most organic residues.

This includes paint, of course, so I'd use it sparingly, on a cloth. If there's a bit of accidental runoff the window rubbers would probably keep it off the paint.

(Not that I have much paint, but you probably do. You might not have window rubbers, though).

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Wed 29 Jan 2020 15:55

Any - Impossible to shift windscreen smear - Matt@

I do 30K a year as a driving instructor and my screen smears are awful. It doesnt make a differnce how new the blades are. All the cleaners I've used inc pricey Autoglym make the glass look lovely but as soon as the slightest bit of wet gets on the screen it smears as if it is waxy or oily. The smears vanish very quickly but reappear with the next wiper sweep. A cure for this use a green pan scourer thing, sprinkle household vinegar on the screen and scrub it with the scourer. Result - perfectly clean screen when using wipers

Edited by Matt@ on 29/01/2020 at 15:56

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