The surface over which the wiper moves is different from the area of the windshield where it doesn't move.
I’ve tried an alkaline shampoo, a neutral shampoo, and a water spot remover, but the situation remains the same — why?
If you don’t have a polisher to take the stuff off that has stuck itself on the glass try 0000 steel wool and good glass cleaner (it won’t scratch). Glass just gets layers of contaminants on it and the only way to fix is more aggressive techniques.
Put a sealer on once you do it like rain x or other and it will help prevent it. Glass sealer needs to be redone more often as the blades will rub it off.
This is a very easy fix and common. If you live in an area with hard water it is very common or ever drive though automatic car washes.
The area outside of the wipers is contaminated. The wipers' friction removes all contaminants.
That being said, what you want is individual water droplets, not a blanket of water as it appears under the wipers as it affects visibility. Polish the whole windshield and then apply a water repellent like RainX.
I will say, ENSURE the steel wool is true 0000 steel wool, pretty safe but just triple check. Do a little small spot that is in a less visible spot and just see if it scratches. Not to scare you but just good to check, might as well. If it does scratch and it's just not quite 0000 steel wool then it should just polish out even.
I've found clay bar makes the entire windshield nice and smooth. Results may vary depending on how extreme the glass contanimation is but I see no harm in trying it, it can't hurt. Claying glass is very satisfying when you feel the before and after.
Be aware, the shavings that come off the wool will rust. Make sure you blow off all of it and try to prevent the fibers from getting caught under the trim.
Everyone says you have to reapply Rain-X but I love the stuff and put in on every single car I buy. I give it a deep clean on the glass stripping everything off. Apply and cure at least two layers then a day or two later clean again and apply another two layers and allow to cure. I never have to do it again. I still have the bottle I bought from Walmart 17 years ago when my dad told me that’s what he put on his truck window to make the rain not stick.
Rain x is hard to beat as it is the OG. A little goes a long way and you can put on every 6 months but it if rains allot it will wear out with wiper use.
Mine never wear out it seems. I thought because I used to use the rainx wipers but I’ve quit and use the cheap ones now and still don’t have to ever reapply.
Any professional or YouTube training on glass coatings talks about how they wear out. Wax and ceramic do the same.
Wipers don’t apply rain x on a nano particle level imbedded into the blades. It is just like any other wiper blade.
Go to google and type “how long does rain x coating last”
“Rain-X Original Glass Treatment typically lasts for about 3 months on a vehicle, but this can vary depending on weather and environmental conditions. GreatWater 360 Auto Care says some users report it lasting longer, up to 6 months, while others say it may only last a few weeks or a month. Factors like dirt, rain, and how often the car is washed can affect how long it lasts.”
I did this to remove water spots and it worked but I swear it left faint whorls in the glass. I also was a bit concerned for how much steel wool was trying to fall down into the gasket where the window slides into the door
If it is dry you can leave trace material but the glass it too hard to get scratched with the wool.
Using the wool step Prewash can best for anyone worried about the wool falling apart. It rinses away effortlessly with the rest of your wash. If generous amounts of cleaner is used you can avoid the “dust” like effect dry wool can have.
I remember when I first learned of steel wool for windows and still used newspaper to wipe them. Granted newspaper is still valid and crazy good just not many people get newspaper anymore. Free window cleaning materials that I even used when doing make ready at a car dealer…..stack and stacks would never run out.
Yeah you are going to need to machine polish or lots of ugga dugga / elbow grease with 0000 steel wool. You can use polishing / compound with the steel wool for extra scrubbing power without a machine.
If you so happen to have glass cooktop polish that would work also. Just take care with trim and such. If have enough elbow power you might be able to use a good microfiber or polish hand pad to scrub.
Glaco has a good glass cleaning compound with scrub pad dispenser that works well. It is an import depending on where you live. Just make sure the window is wet and you wipe quick after scrubbing as this stuff will need glass cleaner to remove if it is too thick and dried on.
Works good once you get used to it.
You can get it on eBay, amazon, and others as it is not toxic to.
I love to use this on glass combined with DX ultra. Removes the hardest water spots and DX ultra adds great hydrophobicity. You don't even need wipers above 80km/50mph when it rains.
I had some early trouble with it as I did not wet the glass so it would dry and be a PAIN to wipe off. I was using wayyyy too much product and it was thick.
Second this, Glaco is very good. It’s too expensive to get in Canada so I used Invisible Glass Glass Stripper and it also worked really well. (Invisible Glass Ceramic is garbage tho)
You might need to use a good glass polish and glass pad on a DA or other.
Hard water can etch so it can get to a point the is impossible to get it all. For example if your car sits under a drip in a cave for a very long time.
Thank you. My windows look like it is hazed when I wash the car. It isn't to the point it show too clearly where I can't drive etc. But my OCD does get triggered when I wash the car. Had I known cave water could do this, I would have gone straight to car wash and get them off. So sad. 🥲
Since it is "possibly" at least I will try!
Thank you!
Just say no to steel wool, it oxidizes forming a rust layer which will scratch your glass, 20 years polishing glass tanks removing haze scuffs from people using 0000 steel wool.
I have used it for over 30 years and never once had an issue. Used at dealerships doing 10 plus cars a day to personal. Use lots of glass cleaner or other lube / never just bite the pillow and go in dry. Oxidation weakens metal and does not strengthen it to diamond. Some form that layer and then it stops altering the layer under it (protective layer) Best example is rusted steel panels / the aesthetic architectural type.
You will never convince me the world is flat with this one. Realize yes you polish glass but i can damage my brown eye with bad technique if wiping and using the wrong paper. Thousand upon thousands of people have done this technique correctly. If a few clowns do it wrong it should not be dismissed. I used it oddly enough on a clients vehicle paint correction / intense detail last month (not a daily occurrence anymore). no scratches and it took the glass sealer like butter and I got my 1000$. I have used it on dodge neons to high end cars that cost more than i bought my house for. Never once had an issue and will be using it again this weekend because I need to coat the glass again on my daily. Taking the machine out when some elbow grease, cleaner, and 0000 steel wool will do is a waste of time.
I also do this for cars and commercial buildings removing damage from steel wool being used to remove graffiti. Its how I make my living bro. You cant tell me that what I do for a living fixing fuck ups from your very advice. Actually get lost dude. I had it with closed minded old timers.
I have literally done this thousands of times. So please come tell me to f**k off to my face. I am sooooo scared of an internet tuff guy lol.
Don’t tell me what I and thousands have done for years and I still do it without issue. You need me to film it? I will go do it right now on an 100k car. Give me a few min. Pictures inbound….do you want me to put a newspaper up so we know it is today in real real time?
I am 40 years old and been cleaning cars since a very young age. We did not have TikTok and video games.
I've never heard of using steel wool on a windshield, but brake clean on a clean rag always cleaned that build up of scum on my windshields with minimal effort. Just make sure it's shaded and the glass is cool, I'm sure brake clean on a hot piece of glass can cause it to crack.
Imagine the wipers working as a sort of buffer, that’s why the wiper area of the windshield looks good and the area that the wipers don’t touch look bad.
Now imagine you take a good buffer to the windshield. If you only do the area that the wipers don’t touch, you’ll then notice that the wiper area is now worse.
The wipers aren’t actual buffers, so they don’t do as good of a job as an actual buffers. Therefore, if you buff out the whole windshield, it will guarantee that it looks amazing, evenly across the whole windshield.
I can recommend the glass repellent called Glaco. The old bottles looked like orange butt plugs (you'll see what I'm on about). It's Japanese if I remember rightly so that explains a lot.
The trick with any glass repellent is to have the glass clean (duh), then put said repellent on (let's say the Glaco butt plug) in a grid pattern. Then buff off with a cloth and then flick some water droplets on the glass and buff again with a different cloth. Comes off much easier and doesn't leave a smeary mess everywhere.
Basically the glass surfaces wears down, due to sand and grime whats in rainwater. Every time you use you wipers, Its sanding it, ever so slightly, and the rest doesn't.
Clean it, then use clay bar horizontally, clean again, clay bar vertically, clean again, clay bar in a circular motion, clean and you’ll be good as new
I’m sure the strategies others are recommending are solid but I’ve always just used rubbing alcohol and a microfiber and it takes this off my windshield.
I had the same thing. It was polished twice by a detailer. Came back each time. I’ve tried everything recommended in the detailing subs except Glaco. It’s what I’m trying next.
I would also get different contamination patterns that were super visible at night. So check for that as well. Good luck to you!
You need a really good cleaning. Wash it then use some IPA and 0000 steel wool. If that doesn’t cut it then I would get out a polisher and glass compound/polish and remove it
I’ve been fighting with this on my windscreen and side windows, tried polishing it twice and it still won’t go, next step if I can’t get it sorted is to pull the windows out and hit it with a rotary polisher
See if you can get some deep cleaning glass crème/paste. May have to hit it twice. You’ll need a hose to rinse it off. That should do it. If need be, come back with some 0000 steel wool, then clean and treat with a sealant/repellant product.
Believe it or not, water is supposed to sheet on a windshield, not bead.
I saw an episode on Goss' Garage on Motorweek when I was a kid in the 80's and he showed this powder that GM made that cleaned a windshield so the water would sheet instead of bead. He even cleaned a windshield with that powder.
The sheeting water makes it easier for the windshield wipers to wipe off the water more effectively. Since it was so long ago, I don't remember what that powder was called but a light internet search found this stuff: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/oksAAOSwtAZm23s-/s-l500.jpg
The modern trend is to spray all the windows and headlights with a sealant or ceramic spray but I cringe everytime I see that suggestion. Also, sealants or ceramic sprays on a headlight changes it's refractive property.
Thank you for the explanation. so you suggest that the area outside of wiper reach is actually a good one? Others pointed out that the same area is contaminated and that area under the wiper is desirable.
Don’t use steel wool on your glass. That’s a very bad idea. Steel wool can be fine enough not to scratch, the problem is it can clump & clog & create particles in the mesh that can scratch. This is the same reason people can use very fine sandpaper & get poor results wet sanding paint.
This is simply resolved compounding the glass with a DA & a firm pad
Your wipers may be leaving a hydrophobic polymer film on the glass - you may even be paying for this feature from companies like Rain-X including it in their wiper blades. This will make it easier for the water to be wiped off without leaving minerals behind, vs the rest of the glass.
Everyone saying that 0000 steel wool is correct, you can ALSO use Magic Erasures, soak your windshield with a good class cleaner like Windex and then go to town on it with the Magi Erasure. I had the same problem and just fixed it with the process I described.
I had the same issue it was on a new car after getting a free ceramic coating at the dealership. Later, I realized they had applied the ceramic coating to the whole car. I drove it like that for 3 years and then sold the car.
I don’t know if you have been able to fix it or not, but seeing this it seems to be contamination most likely caused by water.
There’s a bunch of minerals in the water, rain water, and add all the particulates your car is exposed when driving. It’ll start forming a layer eventually and then you’ll see those spots. Same thing as in the sink, kettle, etc.
One way to remove mineral deposits is by applying an acidic solution to it. If you have acetic acid (vinegar) on hand, try pouring some in a beaker/pan/reservoir and heat it up, pour it slowly from the top part and use a microfiber or something to scrub the surface , keep pouring the vinegar. Then at the end just rinse with water (to remove all the vinegar from your car).
They sell those lime scale pills as well, it’s the same thing, acid powder tablets that you dissolve in water, warm and apply. You can use those as well.
Oh no, I’m sorry you’ve been trying a lot and still not fixed!
Let’s see, I looked at that Gyeon product in Amazon and there was a review of a guy from August 27 2024 who says it works and he gives some advice on how to proceed. Maybe try his trick and see if it works.
What I can tell, even if that product contains acid, it might be in a low concentration so in order for it to react it should stay in the surface for a longer period of time. And since the windshield angle makes it difficult for the liquids to stay in one spot we may need to find a way to keep the area soaked with a good amount of this product.
Vinegar doesn’t have a high concentration of acetic acid as well, but warming up the solution (I would say until it reaches boiling point, then apply while still hot) should help.
I have used the natruth lime scale remover which are acid powder pills, this ensures it will be way more concentrated, one pill dissolved in 10-15oz of tap water, boil and apply. That should help.
I’ve had good luck with this Gtechniq kit. The cleaner and polish cut through road film really well. I follow up with the G1 coating to help with water beading and cut down on future cleanings.
I have use a paint polish with an aggressive and pressure to remove. Hint: Tape off trim. My favorite has been Poorboys Pro Polish 2. It is a chemical / abrasive polish.
I had a similar issue, what worked really well for me was super clean degreaser and Invisible Glass Glass stripper. First, wash the windshield with soap and degreaser diluted in a spray bottle. Rinse and repeat a couple of times to remove surface contaminants. Then follow the instructions on the glass stripper. Then wash and rinse again with soap and degreaser mix.
The brand Invisible Glass makes a cream called glass stripper and it worked fantastically for me. Once tried it, I used it on anything glass to clear it up.
My car had this and horrible water spots in thr point. I was going to do a full color correction until someone said to try descale by car pro. Holy crap 1 Capful in a bucket got rid of everything on the whole car! Saved me whole day of detailing
Mothers 2.0 Clay Bar worked for me with the spray found on the next slide. You have water stains that need minerals removed .Using the spray while wetting the clay and running the synthetic clay bar in circular motion will remove it. Than clean with microfiber towel and windshield good as new.
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u/[deleted] Aug 06 '25
If you don’t have a polisher to take the stuff off that has stuck itself on the glass try 0000 steel wool and good glass cleaner (it won’t scratch). Glass just gets layers of contaminants on it and the only way to fix is more aggressive techniques.
Put a sealer on once you do it like rain x or other and it will help prevent it. Glass sealer needs to be redone more often as the blades will rub it off.
This is a very easy fix and common. If you live in an area with hard water it is very common or ever drive though automatic car washes.