Do you get headaches every time you try to remove car wash wax from the windshield? You are not the only one to go through this problem. A shady job from your local car detailer or any improper DIY technique to remove the wax will only create new problems for your windshield instead of solving them.
Trying to get it cleaned by an amateur or doing it yourself the wrong way may only end up making the windshield look muddy or cloudy. We will elaborate on how to remove car wash wax from the windshield in this article so that you can do it or get it done by someone else the right way.
Can You Wax Your Windshield?
Yes, you can wax your windshield.
Getting your car waxed is a general part of car maintenance. There are some prominent parts of the vehicle, like tiers where you can’t put wax, but parts like the windshield and mirrors are good to wax. Car wax on windows is also recommended by pros.
Just like washing is recommended to keep your windshield clean, waxing the windscreen is also recommended. The wax layer upgrades the appearance of the surface and safeguards the paint from soil, flotsam and jetsam, UV radiation damage, water, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
How To Remove Car Wash Wax From Windshield
Generally, the best way to clean most dirt from a car windshield is using a good-quality glass cleaner. You can use the glass cleaner to clean the wax too, but sometimes you need to try different methods.
Method-1: Rubbing Alcohol
Most people use rubbing alcohol to remove wax from windshields. Rubbing alcohol is cheap and available pretty much everywhere. It removes wax, grimy build-up, and grease, and it helps prepare the paint surface for repainting or polishing.
The process is easy as baking a cake, but there are important steps that you should pay attention to. Focus is important to do the job properly and for safety precautions. Follow the simple steps below and we assure you, you won’t mess up your windshield.
- Spray bottle filled with the solution
We prefer spraying as it is more effective. But you can also use a soft microfiber towel or cotton ball to apply the alcohol.
- Spray on the windshield
If you use a microfiber towel or cotton ball, dip them into the alcohol and gently rub/apply them on the windshield.
- Wipe the windshield
Now clean/wipe the area in a circular motion. You can use a towel or dry paper towel. You will see the wax loosened up because of the strong solution.
- Use glass cleaner to finish up
To remove the contaminants completely, use any decent glass cleaner.
- Clean the wiper blades
Dip cotton balls in alcohol and clean the wiper blades.
Note: Rubbing alcohol may damage the paint job. Avoid spilling it on any critical component or on the paint job.
Method-2: Using Glass Cleaner
Glass cleaner is also a decent solution to remove wax from windshields. You can use any decent glass cleaner and follow the steps below.
- Spray on the windshield
Glass cleaners are usually sold in spray bottles. You don’t need an extra bottle sprayer to put the solution in; it saves some hassle. Simply spray it on the windshield.
- Wipe it multiple times
Glass cleaner may not be as strong as rubbing alcohol or other solutions, so you have to rub it several times to completely remove the wax from the windshield.
Method-3: Using Coca Cola
This may sound odd, but coca-cola can be a reliable wax remover. Many people use coca-cola mostly because they have it in their fridge. Yep, if you have leftover coca-cola in your fridge, why go outside to buy a solution to remove the wax.
You probably know already that coca-cola can clean rust off metal nicely. It is an acidic drink. So it is a good wax remover too.
Follow these simple steps, and you will be able to remove wax in a less messy way.
- Pour into a container
First, pour coca-cola into a bucket or container.
- Dip in a towel
Now dip a microfiber towel or cloth into the coca-cola.
- Wipe the windshield
Use the dipped towel to wipe the windshield in a circular motion.
- Wipe the coca-cola off
After cleaning the wax, use a dry towel to clean the coca-cola off the windshield immediately. Don’t let the coke sit on your windshield for too long. Or else the glass will become sticky and catch dirt easily.
- Clean wiper blades
Use rubbing alcohol and cotton cloth to clean the wiper blades of the windshield.
- Clean the windshield with blades
The last step is to clean the windshield with wiper fluids and blades. Make sure you have cleaned the wiper blades properly first, or else the glass will get messy.
Rubbing Alcohol: Safety Precautions
When you use rubbing alcohol to remove wax from the windshield, you have to use it in light concentrations. It is a perfect solution to remove wax, grime, and grease.
Make sure you don’t use it on paint jobs. Even a small portion of spillover rubbing alcohol concentration can dissolve the paint. It can expose the metal under it.
Remember, Wax dissolve is what we want, not the paint dissolve.
If you plan to repaint your car, then it might be a fine option. We recommend diluting about 10% of the rubbing alcohol just to be guarded.
Now, if you read the label on the bottle, you will see the alcohol comes diluted in water. But it is not even near to how diluted you want it to be.
Let’s say you buy rubbing alcohol that is 90% isopropyl, it means the bottle contains 90% alcohol and 10% water. To use it safely, you will need to add 80% of water to the solution, basically making it 10% alcohol.
Read Also: How to Polish Matte Black Wheels-6 Easy Steps
Spilling Alcohol On Car Issue
Sometimes pros make mistakes too. Once a guy put a container of scouring liquor on top of his vehicle without closing the lid. Then he forgot the container was there and spilled it all over his car.
It actually happens more than you think. Many car owners ruin their paint job by spilling the strong solution by mistake.
The best advice is to stay cautious, so this mistake doesn’t happen at all.
If it happens, the best thing you can do is immediately dilute the alcohol. Whichever you have, the closest bottle of water or bucket of water, just pour water into the affected area. If you have a hose, even better, just hose the section down.
You have to be quick about it. Letting the strong solution sit on the paint for a while, may quickly dissolve the paint.
Will Vinegar Remove Wax From Windshield?
Yes, you can use white vinegar to remove wax from the windshield.
Many call it a homemade car wax remover loosen the wax on the glass
People mainly use vinegar as a water spot remover on the car’s finish. Even though the primary use of vinegar is not wax removal, still you can use vinegar to remove wax.
Wax is a gluey component that makes a very thin film over the glass. Car owners know this issue. What you need is a solution that has a strong acidic presence to it. The acid breaks or loosens up the wax layer and makes it easier to clean.
White vinegar is sufficiently able to loosen the wax on glass, but you should not put it on the paint finish. It may spoil the paint job.
We are giving two methods to use white vinegar to remove wax; use whichever you may find convenient.
Method 1:
- Seal the edge of the windshield
If you just spill it on the windshield, it will slip over to some critical part or paint. Use masking tape to seal off all the edges of the windshield. Try to prevent the vinegar from spilling on the window by installing something.
- Spray bottle
You can be extra safe by mixing the vinegar with some water (warm water is recommended) and putting it in a bottle sprayer. But it may become quite weak. So we recommend putting the solution in a bottle sprayer without diluting anything.
- Spray on the wax
Make sure to wipe the vinegar fast after spraying. Otherwise, it may spill on the part of the car.
- Wipe with microfiber or paper towel
To remove built up wax from your car’s windshield, use a clean microfiber towel to wipe the window.
- Repeat spraying and wiping
Vinegar is not the most powerful solution to remove the wax. So you may need to spray and wipe multiple times to completely remove the wax.
- Clean wiper blades
Use a cotton ball to soak in vinegar to clean the wiper blades.
- Use clean towel
After cleaning the wax, use a towel to soak in water to wipe the windshield.
- Use a wiper blade to rinse
To remove excess wax from your windshield, use a clean wiper blade.
Method 2:
- Fill a bowl with vinegar
First, fill a bowl with vinegar. If you want, you can mix the vinegar with warm water.
- Dip cloth in the bowl
Use a microfiber towel to dip into the bowl. Make sure the cloth is not dripping wet; just make it moderately wet so that it won’t spill any vinegar on the paint finish.
- Scrub
Concentrate areas that have wax and scrub the area. Don’t contaminate areas that don’t have wax. It is better to wipe in a small circular motion.
- Wipe the vinegar
Use a clean cloth soaked in water to wipe the windshield.
- Clean with wiper blades and rinse
Clean the windshield with wiper blade and then then rinse it well.
How To Get Film Off Windshield
To get rid of the hazy look of the glass, you need to get the film off the windshield. The haze reduces the visibility of the road and makes it hard to drive.
Follow the below steps to clean the film and get a crystal clear windshield.
Fill a bottle sprayer
Add ⅓ cup of vinegar with 1 cup of water, and fill a bottle sprayer with the solution. Shake the spray bottle to ensure the solution is properly mixed.
Spray on the windshield
Spray the solution onto the whole windshield equally. Use a surgical towel to immediately wipe it in a back and forth motion. You can overlap each stroke many times to ensure you don’t miss any spot.
Dry the windshield
Use a waffle weave microfiber towel or cloth to dry the windshield. If you notice any remaining film, you can buff the windshield with a towel to get those remaining films removed.
Clean the interior surface
Use the same process to clean the interior surface. If you are not satisfied with the result or see spots that still have film left, you can redo the same process for a better result.
Mistakes to Avoid when Cleaning Wax From Windshield
The wax buildup on windows and windshields is common. Every other knowledgeable car owner uses wax on their car. So usually, after 3-4 months, you should remove the old wax and apply a new one.
Wax doesn’t let your windshield wipers make noise when you use them. You can apply windshield wax for rain too.
There are a few common mistakes people make when cleaning wax from windshields. This segment will elaborate on the significant and common mistakes you should avoid when cleaning wax.
Using a dirty or rigid cloth
This is probably the most common mistake people make while cleaning wax. They use a dirty or rigid cloth to clean and rinse the windshield. The dirty cloth will only make the windshield hazier. You may say it “clay the windshield”, meaning your windshield will appear like someone has put clay on it.
A rigid and not soft towel/ cloth may damage your windshield for good.
We recommend microfiber towels which are very soft and specially designed to clean stuff. It absorbs the solution nicely and makes it easier to clean the wax.
Some wax removing solutions require cotton balls. So if you use cloth instead of cotton balls for specific solutions, it may not give you the optimal result.
Likewise, when it comes to drying the windshield, make sure to use either a microfiber towel or cotton ball to avoid any unnecessary damage to the glass.
Too much acid/alcohol
When you use a solution like rubbing alcohol that has a high quantity of acid, you should be cautious. If you spill the solution on the paint job or any critical part of the car, it may spoil or damage it.
We see many incidents where a car owner accidentally spilled rubbing alcohol on the paint. As a result, the paint dissolved, and the car’s metal part was exposed. It is an expensive mistake because it costs quite a lot to redo the paint.
To avoid this mistake, firstly, stay cautious and secondly, dilute the solution just to be safe
Don’t apply wax immediately after cleaning
After removing the wax, take your time to remove swirl marks and buff the windshield dry. Avoid applying wax on wet surfaces.
Use bottle sprayer
Don’t be cheap; use a bottle sprayer for a better wax cleaning. There are solutions like coca-cola where you don’t need a bottle sprayer; apart from that, pretty much every wax cleaner solution is recommended to apply through a bottle sprayer.
A bottle sprayer gives you the precision to apply to a specific area. A bottle sprayer is less likely to apply more than needed solution that spills over your car.
Wipe/rub the wrong way
Avoid randomly wiping your windshield. For some solutions, it is recommended to wipe in a circular motion, and for some solutions, it is recommended to wipe in a back and forth motion.
Conclusion
Cleaning wax is not rocket science, but a simple mistake can cost you quite a bit. We hope this article will guide you on how to remove car wash wax from windshield in the most efficient way, without making any mistakes.
We mentioned 4 standard wax removing solutions, but there are many more solutions out there. Feel free to explore them if you want.
At the end of the day, it is hard to say which solution is the best; it depends on which one you prefer.
