Cleaning Stained Auto Glass

With older mobile homes, cars, trucks, and even boats you can find yourself faced with a rather serious problem, stained and etched glass. Typically, these stains will not come off by simply using a little bit of Windex. In cases like this, cleaning stained auto glass can become a tad more time consuming, labor intensive, and even a little expensive. Here are a few guidelines that you can use to help ensure that you get the job done right.

One word of warning before you begin cleaning your stained auto glass. These guidelines were designed with the idea that your glass is, in fact, glass. If your "glass" is instead Plexiglas, or some other kind of plastic "glass," then these guidelines will not work for you. Also, keep in mind that if you are uneasy at all about doing this kind of work yourself, then you should have a professional do it for you.

• Preliminary cleaning. Begin by doing a little preliminary cleaning. Using regular soap and water, or even glass cleaner, clean your auto glass as much as you can. When you have finished washing and cleaning the glass as much as you possibly can, inspect it for damage. Run your fingers over the stained or etched areas. If the etchings are noticeably different from the rest of the glass, then you will need to replace it. Otherwise, you can proceed.
• Remove the glass. If possible, remove the glass and set it down on a firm surface. Make sure that you have thickly cushioned this surface to help protect the glass. Usually all you will need to use is a couple of old towels to protect the glass. Re-clean the etched surface of the glass using some jeweler's rough or even glassman's polish, which you can get at a glass shop. Slowly, and carefully, polish the glass according to the directions on the bottle.
• Get a second opinion. In the event that you are unable to get the glass cleaned, or re-polished, then it may have more extensive damage than you can fix. That will mean that you need to take the glass to a professional and have them clean it for you.
• Replace the glass. When you finally have the glass clean, replace it. Once the glass has been replaced, you may need to clean the glass once again to remove any finger prints or smudges. In the event that you were unable to get the glass clean, or the professionals were unable to get the glass clean, simply replace the old glass with new.