How to Properly Clean Your Car’s Interior Windshield

When it comes to cleaning a car’s windshield and improving visibility, most people focus on their exterior windshield, which, being exposed to the elements, is the obvious candidate for such treatment. Between dead bugs, bird excrement, and other similar grime, removing such things goes a long way. However, there’s plenty to clean up on the underside of the windshield as well. Everything from dust, oils, smoker’s residue, and everything people emit when they cough or sneeze can gather up on the windshield and just as easily impair visibility while driving, especially in the evening. To learn how to properly clean your windshield’s interior glass, check out our quick guide below.

Preparation

It’s important to know that a lot of the buildup seen on interior glass comes from gases emitted by materials in the seats, dashboard, and other parts of the car that eventually evaporate onto the glass. Another culprit includes cleaning products for wiping down the dashboard, which can leave an oily film on the windshield. It’s also best to clean the exterior beforehand to make it easier to identify problems inside.

Materials

Glass cleaner
Microfiber towels
Rubbing alcohol/magic eraser

Directions for Cleaning the Interior Windshield

Using a dry, clean microfiber towel, start wiping down the interior windshield using circular motions before following up with up/down wiping patterns.
If using something like a Mr. Clean eraser, use warm water to saturate it before wringing it out. If not, simply use a microfiber towel and rubbing alcohol—pour some on the microfiber towel and rub down the glass, using circular motions for buffing and vertical strokes for polishing. Note: Wipe down the dash immediately to avoid stains if anything drips.
Follow up by drying down the windshield with an unused microfiber towel (remember to change periodically), and this should degrease the windshield. Try to keep the towel folded to prevent any grease from the dashboard transferring onto the windshield.
Spray your chosen glass cleaner on a clean microfiber towel (not directly on the glass) before applying it onto the glass using circular motions. Wipe the windshield again in vertical strokes to prevent any haze or streaks from developing. From there, the interior windshield should be clear, but it’ll be much easier to tell while driving at night.
Note: You can use paper towels instead of microfiber towels, but they will not get the windshield quite as clean—the paper’s fibers will stay on the windshield even after it’s been cleaned.

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