The best glass cleaner
Written by: Vinnie van Rooij
It is often asked on detailing fora and social media: “what is the best glass cleaner”. Off course there is a difference between certain products and brands, but it is important to know what you are asking. In this guide I will try to explain what the problem is with this question unless it is asked more in-depth.
Contents
The general problem
When somebody asks what the best shampoo is, they are not letting other people know what they mean with “best”. A shampoo is developed with several characteristics in mind. It has to be slick, good soluble in water, good cleaning properties, wax/sealant-safe and several more. These properties can be very different between products and/or brands. In the question “What is the best shampoo”, it is nowhere specified if that person is looking for a shampoo that is very slick, if it just smells nice or if it is the least protection-affecting.
So it is almost impossible to give an answer.
What to keep in mind when you ask the question
Many detailers are searching for a certain product that offers good quality. This could mean that they are looking for a cheap product, one that smells good, etc. Before you ask the question which product is the best it is important to know what you are looking for. Are you looking for a wax that offers mainly gloss? Or is easy to buff off? Or one that offers as much gloss?
It is important to know what you are looking for, and to know that there will be cases in which 2 properties can not be combined. A shampoo that is really awesome at washing away stubborn grease can not be wax safe. Simply because you need a certain harshness to remove the grease, harshness that is more then the wax can handle. Even sealants are likely to be affected by this.
A list of things to consider
Here is a list of properties you might consider including in your question. These can be your own preferences, or just things you find important. This list is simply made to help you find out what you exactly want to ask, so you will get better answers that suit your search.
Glass cleaner
- Easy to use
- Leaves stripes/streaks
- Smells good
- Price
- Size of bottle
- Dilutable
- Removes oil, nicotine etc.
- Alcohol or polymer based
Different related articles
Detailing a motorbike isn't all that different to any other surface. The main different will be the technique and the tools used because of working in small spaces. Motorbike cleaning requires more effort then most other vehicles, due to small crevices and tight corners....-
Feynlab is an American company founded by John Suerth. The name is derived from the scientist Dr. Richard Feynman who played a significant part in the discovery and scientific knowledge around extremely small particles and their behavior....
-
Tyre blooming is the discoloration of the rubber in a tyre. This usually shows as brown rubber that is hard to clean off. In general, it won't get washed off and it might stain towels or applicators. Blooming doesn't cause immediate damage, but over time it could shorten the lifespan of the tyres by a small amount....
-
Dodo Juice Ltd is an UK based manufacturer of detailing-related products. The range differs from shampoo's, wax to clay, washmitts, polishingmachines....
-
22PLE is a manufacturer of high end synthetic coatings, mostly based on SiO2 technology. The company itself has a big audience in Australia....
-
Washing a car in the summer gives the risk of the sun evaporating the water quicker then it can be dried off. You either have to be quick or smart to prevent waterspots or dried up products. These tips might help you in reducing the risk....
Links to this article
There are no external links to this article. Yet.