Essential Tips For Window and Mirror Car Maintenance

COLLABORATIVE CONTENT

By Tarek Salem

Regular glass maintenance is equally important as maintaining any other part of a car. Clean windows and mirrors can help ensure drivers avoid road mishaps.

Malfunctioning mirrors or a large crack on the windshield can hinder visibility. It can leave you vulnerable on the road to an unfortunate situation.

Collisions are globally among the most common traffic accidents. In Canada, thousands of people die annually from injuries suffered in traffic collisions; thousands more are seriously injured. Visibility hindrance is among the leading reason for collisions.

Proper Car Maintenance Is Imperative

To help ensure road safety, here’s a list of glass maintenance tips to help keep your car windows and mirrors in proper condition.

Tips for windshield maintenance

The windshield is the most crucial glass item in your car. You have to keep it clean to see the road clearly. When you notice stretches and cracks forming, get the windshield repaired. Otherwise, road visibility is hindered.

To maintain the windshield, wiper blades must be maintained. If the wipers begin to screech or smearing while wiping, replace the blades immediately. Scratch damage can ruin a windshield. It’s also essential to keep the wipers clean at all times.

Tips for keeping auto glass clean

Many car-care products promise to leave auto glass streak and smudge-free and many work. But a high-quality, microfiber cleaning cloth is essential.

The cloth should be easy to wash. The size of the cloth should be around 16×16 inches. Using a bigger cleaning cloth can be difficult to manage.

Cleaning clothes don’t have to be specifically designed for windows, but using a cloth for different types of weather is recommended. Also, use one cloth for cleaning windows, another for cleaning mirrors. It prevents the transfer of chemicals.

Use different techniques for the exterior and interior surfaces. The outer surface is exposed to more dirt, water and weather. The inner surface is likely to have more handprints and is exposed to chemical gasses the car emits.

Tips for cleaning the inner glass surfaces

Start by using a mixture of rubbing alcohol and distilled water to wipe the glass. This removes residues.

Wipe the glass with a damp cloth.

Spray glass cleaner and wipe it with a microfiber cloth to finish.

Tips for wiping the outer glass surfaces

Use an alcohol-based glass cleaner.

Start with the windshield and then the rear windows since they’re most difficult to clean.

Spray the glass cleaner and use a microfiber or lint-free cloth to wipe the surface.

Clean the blades of the windshield and rear-windows wipers.

With another clean cloth, dry the glass surfaces.

Tips for maintaining mirrors

Clean the side and rear-view mirrors with the same general procedures, with a few exceptions.

Clean mirrors in a shaded area to prevent water stains.

Use a cleaner specifically made for mirrors.

Use circular motions when cleaning mirrors.

Spray the cleaner directly into the cloth, rather than spraying the mirrors.

Summary

Incorporate our windshield and mirror cleaning tips into your car maintenance routine for optimal safety while on the road. Make sure to seek help from auto glass experts when needed to avoid potential danger.

Tarek Salam is a Canadian auto glass repair technician with more than a decade of experience repairing automotive glass for all makes and models of vehicles in Canada.