Glass & Mirror Cleaner/Polish

[Timo04]

Hello all,

Does anyone on the board have any recommendations on where one can obtain a good product for cleaning water and light scratch marks off of windshields and mirrors? I believe I need some kind of polishing compound as these marks seem to be etched into the glass. Thanks in advance.

[Will]

Cerium oxide and a rubber buff. You can use 1200 grit sandpaper or 10 micron film to get started and then finish with the cerium oxide, which you want to keep as kind of a paste consistancy- a spray bottle helps here. I've used it on my truck windscreens to take out wiper marks, which it does nicely.It also strips off any coatings on the glass, like that horrible rain-X stuff that works great for about a week and then becomes a nightmare :)

For cleaning glass, I learned from my glass guy that you can get aerosol spray cans of glass cleaner that work a lot better than windex. I actually found one of the dollar store type places by me sells them, so I keep stocked up. I don't know if it's the propellant or what, but it just dissolves dirt so much better...

-Will

[Timo04]

Thanks Will. Sounds exactly like what I am looking for! Where can I get this stuff (Cerium oxide and a rubber buff) and how is it applied? Should a high speed buffer be used or can it be applied by hand?

[SubGothius]

I've also read that a detailing clay bar, such as used to remove fine contaminants from paint (after washing but before polishing and waxing), is also fantastic for removing those same contaminants from glass.

The "Clay Magic" brand was among the first to intro this product concept to the general public, before all the other "big names" in waxing/detailing got on the bandwagon, and it still seems to be cheaper than most and often touted as easier to work with (softer, less hard or crumbly) than "the other leading brands" of claybar me-too products. ;)

[Will]

I got my cerium oxide through my glass guy, your local glazier probably has some or google it or check ThomasNet for a supplier in your area.I'm not sure if shipping is restricted on it, lately it's been a real hassle for me to get practically any kind of chemicals.

And don't confuse it with CESIUM oxide, which won't do you any good unless you are planning on making thin-film semiconductors.

Regular old DuPont #7 will take light scratches out of glass too, if you work at it long enough. It will test your patience though.

For the rubber cup buff, I actually cheat and use a rubber backing pad, the kind that supports diamond flex polishing and honing discs, just because that's what I have. I get those with my stone stuff from Braxton-Bragg.

I've never tried the clays (or on paint) maybe because my paint is getting to the point where the preferred tool to remove "imperfections" is going to be, like, a hammer! (Got another dent in the car a couple weeks ago from an errant tool :( )

-Will

[Hamish]

........................... or you could try toothpaste ;) Denture cream even better ;D


Trust me...... it works as a great cleaner :o

[Will]

I spend a little of my spare time hanging out at a race engineering shop that specializes in esoteric cars because, well a) they let me, and b) I get to learn some stuff and experience some new things along the way.

Anyway, I learned a trick for dealing with fuel injectors: Denture cleaning tablets. I kid you not. They clean fuel injectors and carb jets in water with the foaming type denture cleaner tablets, then dunk them in kerosene to get rid of the water. They also have a trick use for hemorroid cream, but I'd prefer to save that one for when someone asks "how do I ....".

Did I spell "hemorroid" right? I'm not looking it up on m-w.com and getting THAT stuck in my browser, the woman will give me no peace!

-Will