Removing Wax from windows

cmuk · July 2001

My brother in law washed my car the other day and he used a towel that was used to wax the car (carnauba wax) to wipe the windows and I have a yellowish haze in my windows. I tried alcohol and windex but the haze is still there and is really annoying. How do you remove this? Please help!

tronsr1 · July 2001

I am awaiting a good answer, also. I did the same thing and have tried almost everything except ACID. I finally went to a car wash and that did the trick.
TRON
I have heard that if you have a "steamer" such as people use for steaming their curtains to take out the wrinkles...that the steamer will work...I have not tried it and do not what the results would be. I am sure someone reading theses posts can help us.

tronsr1 · July 2001

I was in the same situation, however; after trying everything from Windex to alcohol {like you}, I finally went to a car waswh and that did the trick. I imagine the real hot water did the job.
I hope someone reading these posts has a solution rather than the car wash.
TRON

cmuk · July 2001

Thanks for the advice tron. what kind of car wash did you get? could I just try hot water on rub it myself?? I need to take it off. Please keep the advices flowing. thanks

adc100 · July 2001

Drop in the quarters and it's over.

wilcox · July 2001

detergent? That's what is supposeto be used to strip wax for before zainoing?

lokki · July 2001

It'a solvent for removing glue and wax and it's available in grocery stores. It certainly removes glues. It claims the same for wax and gum. I would think it would work.

tronsr1 · July 2001

cmuk,
I went to one of those brushless {shammy type strips flopping back and forth}car washes, however; I believe any good carwash will suffice.
I have also been getting a slight wax residue on the windows from my California Duster { I have to be a litle more careful and stay away from the glass area ]} as I believe the duster is wax impregnated to help lift the dust off the paint.
UNWAX-IT TRON

britton2 · July 2001

mixing equal parts of distilled water and white vinegar - this removed not only some paste wax but stubborn water spots too - I used one of those Miracle Towels to get the wax off

rparian · August 2001

Use the old fashion method that has worked for years Kerosene and newspaper. Work like a charm

zueslewis · August 2001

"Goo cutter" and even strong degreasers can damage paint. Try a really wet SOS pad (soapy steel wool), but don't nail the door trim. Your glass will come clean. I tinted windows years back and I used SOS pads to pre-clean. Of course, you have to make sure you're getting all of the SOS fragments off the window if you're tinting after getting the wax off.

I'm not about to go the Zaino v Zymol conversation, but I've always used The Wax Shop's "Super Glaze". Awesome, stuff, comes off with NO effort (comparatively) and you can be sloppy around weatherstripping and it comes right off. I use it on my side and rear glass and it adds a nice shine to my older truck's glass.

jeprox · September 2001

hmmm, you guys are removing wax from windows, windshields while i'm putting them on! every car i've owned, i wax the windows once a month! why? it helps keep my windows clear of water, dirt, etc. easier for the wiper to do its job.
i find that it works excellent for me.

zueslewis · September 2001

I was helping with the idea, I think, of removing stray wax.

If the wax still won't come off, use SOS pads.

jeprox · September 2001

SOS pads may scratch the glass. i find those spray can window cleaner - the type that foams, they work really well. i buy them from costco.

zueslewis · September 2001

from glass - I usually need to use a polishing compound afterwards to polish out fines scratches. My mom would get really mad when I'd use all of her SOS pads.

bretfraz · September 2001

for windows. Use #000 steel wool and a paste glass polish to remove residue like paint overspray, tree sap, hard water spots, etc.

Be careful with the windshield as some are coated with a UV protector and can easily scratch. To test, use the steel wool in an inconspicuous spot and look at the area from various angles to determine scratching.

FWIW, I've used the steel wool trick on all kinds windows and mirrors both on the car and at home. I've also used polishing compound watered down with either a rag or steel wool to remove crusted-on dirt residue from house windows. It worked great. Don't be afraid to experiment a little.

adc100 · October 2001

What paste glass polish do you prefer. Will Meguiars #7 work??

jgmilberg · October 2001

That is what we use at my plant to get all the grime off of the windows and paint. It doesn't harm the finish at all, but it's flammable and the fumes are terrible. Acetone, AKA nail polish remover might work too, but if it gets on the finish of the car you will have to re-wax. Are we talking about wax on the inside or outside of the car?

oldbeater · October 2001

Here's the tip of the day:

Removing wax from windows or your car's painted surfaces -

Tip number one:
Go to an automotive paint store, PPG makes Ditzler wax and grease remover. This is what a paint and body shop use to wipe down the car just before they are going to paint the surface. It removes all traces of wax and grease and fingerprints ect. If they don't have this exact brand, any wax and grease remover they sell for auto painting will do. I've used this before I wax a car. Wipe it on the car with a clean rag or paper towl soaked with the stuff. It evaporates and does not leave a residue. (I painted a couple of cars and used this and I know this stuff works)

This stuff is great for removing grease from clothes and I've even used it to remove gum from clothes. It is a clear liquid and has some odor. I've had a gallon of this stuff for years and it comes in handy for all kinds of uses. Today I used it to wipe down the area of my son's race bike to put the numbers on and it makes the numbers stick really well and is good to remove it too.

The second tip: To clean water spots off ANY color car or truck and to get the windows absolutely spotless inside and out. Buy a gallon of vinegar. Soak a paper towl with the vinegar and wipe over the window and then take another paper towl and wipe till it's gone. Don't do this with the windows hot in the sun, it evaporates and its too hot.

Follow these two steps and your baby will look better than new. Bade..Bade..Bade that's all folks!!

oldbeater · October 2001

By the way...NEVER NEVER use Naptha or Acetone near your car's finish. Acetone will eat it off. This is not good advice.

mike_542 · October 2001

"Solvent first.

Naptha should do it if you don't have a safety solvent handy.

You could get a Prep-Sol solvent at a paint/body supply store, but if not, just use lighter fluid, then wash with a strong soapy solution, followed by glass cleaner.

Other than that, buff it off with a very mild compound, followed by glass cleaner or rubbing alcohol.

Rubbing alcohol (IPA) will not do a good job of breaking it off as the resin system of the product is made to withstand washer fluid which has a high concentration of IPA."

(The above quote was by Ron Ketcham, Director of Sales & Technical Services of Valugard)

easyrider300m · October 2001

a quote from the Zaino site concerning removing wax from car finish before Zainoing--this should work on windows as well:

"I would definitely recommend you remove the wax buildup on your paint. Just use Liquid Dawn (hand dishwashing liquid) as a car wash. It has a high alkaline content which cuts right thru carnauba wax, paraffin, silicone oils, etc. This will get your paint finish squeeky clean and wax free.

I don't advise making a habit of washing your car with Dawn. But for this scenario it's fine. High alkaline products like Dawn are tough on polishes. It will never harm the paint finish though. A car wash is made specifically to clean without removing durable polishes"

johnlindsey · November 2001

The is a serious subject for me since I drive a lot in the early morning humid hours of Florida.
I tried everything and finally found "No Touch Auto Glass Stripper".
My car I used it on is a 92 and the windshield was "baked"in car wash wax when I bought it. Most is gone by now.

hood54 · November 2001

recommended, and I have tried, using Bon Ami to clean your glass. It's a fine abrasive cleanser. You can buy some at the grocery store. Works great; doesn't scratch.

Removing Wax from windows

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