Any glass experts here?

[Scott Shepherd]

We bought a used truck for work not too long ago and the first day I had it, I took it to a car wash at a gas station. They used that tricolor foamy gunk that they spray all over. I didn't think much about it.

I put brand new, higher end wiper blades on it right after that too.

When it rains, I can't see a thing. There appears to be a film on the windows I can't get off. If you look at the "pattern" that it smears, the pattern looks just like the foam droplets from the car wash. In fact, the pattern on the back truck window is one that's long and thin, like soap hitting a vertical surface. It's awful. I mean awful. It's so bad at night, you literally can't drive the truck in rain at night. The smear reflects the light so bad, you can't see through the glass. In the day, it's really bad too. You can't see a thing while driving in the rain.

I've tried alcohol, paint thinner, paint reducer, chemicals made specifically to remove waxes and silicones, window cleaners with ammonia, Krud Kutter, and just about anything else I can find in the shop or on a shelf. Nothing phases it even remotely.

The fact that it looks just like the soap pattern from the car wash makes be believe it was done there.

My parents took their car through the same car wash, different dates, and they have the same exact issue.

I stopped and spoke to a glass guy putting in a windshield near work one day and he said it was the hot wax from the car wash and anything that removes hard water spots should do it. I tried that and got nothing.

I can't imagine having to put new glass all the way around the truck to resolve it, but I certainly can't find anything that will remotely make a dent into this issue.

Anyone got any ideas? The 2 photos below are what it looks like when driving at night in the rain. If you look close, you can see the pattern.

Sorry for the photos being rotated. They are straight on my computer, but rotated here and I'm not sure how to correct that, since they are straight on my computer

photo.JPGphoto copy.JPG

[Greg Peterson]

Try Bon Ami or Bar Keepers friend. Get a damp sponge, put some Bon Ami on it, work it into a paste, then apply it to the windshield in a small circular motion. Rinse the windshield really well.

Bon Ami and Bar Keepers Friend will not scratch glass.

[Kevin W Johnson]

It sounds as though the hot wax has etched/damaged a coating on the glass. Many manufacturers use coatings that reduce UV rays to lower inside temps and sun fade/damage to the interior. There is a glass polish, Cerium Oxide, being a popular one that may work for this, but I can't say for sure as I've never experienced this myself. I think I'd contact the owner of the car wash ASAP for some resolution to this matter. Knowing someone else that used the same car wash and having the same problem strengthens your case. The owner of the car wash may know what needs to be done as well.

With all you've tried, polish sounds like the likely route, as it's clear that the glass itself is clean.

[Van Huskey]

Try Bon Ami or Bar Keepers friend. Get a damp sponge, put some Bon Ami on it, work it into a paste, then apply it to the windshield in a small circular motion. Rinse the windshield really well.

Bon Ami and Bar Keepers Friend will not scratch glass.

Agreed. Amway used to sell a paste "abrasive" glass cleaner, works the same way. I think that is only Amway product I have ever bought.

As an aside I used to use Rain-X window treatment and loved it but became convinced it accelerated the wear of wipers. I don't know if it was causal or merely a correlation but when I quick the wipers went back to lasting as I expected.

[Kevin W Johnson]

As an aside I used to use Rain-X window treatment and loved it but became convinced it accelerated the wear of wipers. I don't know if it was causal or merely a correlation but when I quick the wipers went back to lasting as I expected.

While I'm old enough to remember cars that "parked" the wipers off of the windshield, I wasn't old enough to drive at that time. I still find myself thinking that helped wipers last longer. Being that wipers maintain contact with the windshield even when parked nowadays, seems it would have a negative effect on them. The wiper lays on hot glass in the summer (ever notice the curved wiping edge on old blades?), and the tension arms never get to relax. Aside from that wipers are a prime example of an item that is designed and engineered to fail.

[Scott Shepherd]

Thanks, I'll start there and report back!

[Keith Westfall]

I've used toothpaste with lots of water to polish both plexiglass and glass. Always use Crest because of the super fine abrasive in it.

[Brian Elfert]

I have a similar problem after going through a car wash. My problems doesn't seem quite as bad as yours. I bought some stuff that is supposed to remove water spots, but the problem is still there, but not quite as bad as before. My next plan of action is to replace the wiper blades.

[Dan Hintz]

It sounds as though the hot wax has etched/damaged a coating on the glass.

I agree it's an issue with wax, but I don't believe there's any damage. You'll get the same effect if you try to wax your windshield, ala poor-man's Rain-X (DAMHIKT). Try giving it several good scrubs with some alcohol (keep that away from your wiper blades) and see if that helps clear it up. It will disappear over time, regardless.

[Rick Moyer]

I would HIGHLY doubt the stuff from the car wash is the problem. Probably hundreds of cars a week thru the same car wash. All of them have the problem? Very unlikely.

I would suspect maybe a pitted windshield which will make anything on it get into pores and stay there, at least not easily removed by the wipers. "bought a used truck.....first day I had it.." makes me think there IS a problem with the windshield like pitting. I cannot get the windshield real clean on my dump truck because it has basically been sandblasted over the years (910,000 miles). I think the best solution would be to replace the windshield. I don't believe it's from the car wash foam.

[Greg Peterson]

Rick - The pitted windshield theory is legitimate. We don't know how many miles Scott's truck has, or whether the windshield has a lot of miles on it. But a pitted windshield is problematic and usually resists many ''restoration" techniques. Not to mention it doesn't do the wipers any favors.

For the ultimate in glass friendly abrasive - polishing - I will use 0000# steel wool with Bon Ami. For day to day polishing I just use a sponge with Bon Ami.

[Scott Shepherd]

It's not a pitting problem. You can see the pattern on the window. Pitting doesn't make a pattern like soap foam. If you look at the back glass, which is completely vertical, it has the same pattern, but they are longer, like if you dripped soap onto a vertical surface. If it was pitting, it wouldn't be on the side and back glass, it would only be on the front glass. Also, it wouldn't explain how my parents car ended up with the same thing on all windows, not just the front glass, all in the same time frame.

[John Lohmann]

Old fashioned Glass Wax?

[Joe Angrisani]

....I put brand new, higher end wiper blades on it right after that too.....

Exactly which blades? Whole blades, or replacement inserts/refills?

[Scott Shepherd]

Some bosch blades that were about $18 each.