[flcooper]

I was wondering if anyone else was experiencing the inside of the front and back (but not the side) windows getting a hazy/foggy coating on them? I have had my 2005 Prius for about 8 months now. I was thinking that this might be a "normal" outgassing of the solvents, glues, and plastics that adds to the "new car smell" but this is getting annoying. I have to clean the inside of the windows at least every two weeks to remove the film.

Thoughts? :?

 

[ChasSuitt]

8) We are non-smokers and have had similar inside glass "filming" for many years on many cars. Not sure what it is, but I have to clean it every several weeks. It even persists on our 7-year-old Camry.

 

[KTPhil]

Yup, I get it. I figure it is the flatter angle that exposes the windows to direct sun and heats them more than the side windows. Moisture from your breath will condense and then dry, leaving a film. Also, the tendency of the ventilation system to select a very low fan speed allows more condensation than I've seen in other cars with more airflow in those areas.

 

[firepa63]

What do you clean the inside of the windshield with? I found out, several years ago on other cars, that products like Windex seem to allow a haze to develop over a short period of time. I switched to plain water and paper towels. I only have to clean the inside of my windshield every 4 to 6 months now.

I also never let anyone at a car wash "clean" the inside of the windshield.

 

[KTPhil]

I use a clean terry cloth, little or no water.

 

[firepa63]

I use a clean terry cloth, little or no water.

But, your's is fogging up. Mine isn't.

 

[KTPhil]

Depends on weather, sometimes it fogs, other times it doesn't. But visible or not, the moisture can condense and evaporate, leaving the fillm.

 

[galaxee]

paper towels are better for cleaning glass surfaces.

i may try the paper towel and water idea. windex always leaves a streak or 2 that irritate me.

 

[firepa63]

paper towels are better for cleaning glass surfaces.

i may try the paper towel and water idea. windex always leaves a streak or 2 that irritate me.

Use a wet paper towel to "wash" the glass and then dry it using a clean, dry paper towel. I usually dry it in both directions, first vertically, and then horizontally. Believe me, it works... Try to use a good quality paper towel that doesn't leave lint, but absorbs well.

 

[Phoenix]

Homemade Window Cleaner (compare to Windex)

Recipe from old Consumer Reports magazine issue:

1 pint of isopropyl alcohol
1/2 cup of sudsy ammonia
a few drops of dish detergent, like Dawn
a few drops of food coloring

Add above to 1 gallon heavy duty container, like an empty orange juice or vinegar jug, etc., and add enough water to fill the bottle.

It's just like Windex, only much cheaper.

For use as windshield washer fluid, delete ammonia. However, please note that this mixture will freeze in winter. Need to change to commercial cleaner with antifreeze in colder climes.

 

[Diana_04Prius]

I was thinking that this might be a "normal" outgassing of the solvents, glues, and plastics that adds to the "new car smell" but this is getting annoying. I have to clean the inside of the windows at least every two weeks to remove the film.

As they say, “You hit the nail on the head.” It is all the gases from the plastics ( You know like all the good stuff you are not suppose to breath, like vinyl chloride. ). I have a ’04 and I still get the film.
I just wipe it off a dry paper towel and a little bit of elbow grease.

 

[GreyMud]

I use vinegar to clean windows. Cheap + works well.

 

[Smackoww]

i would be careful using iso-alcohol or ammonia. some chemicals will discolor plastic. so keep that stuff far away from the dash!

 

[ehurtley]

And one thing I heard from some random source a long time ago is to use black and white newsprint instead of paper towels. Change to a dry area OFTEN, though. I use it on my home glass, and it ends up spotless and crystal clear. Now that I think of it, though, I haven't tried it on my car windows... Hrm, I think I'll try that next time. (I also get the film, and have tried just about every 'auto glass cleaner' out there with no luck.)

 

[KTPhil]

I've used the newsprint trick on house windows to avoid streaking. However, with the new soy-based inks, you get a lot of ink on your hands, and therefore possibly on the car interior, so be careful.

 

[ehurtley]

Hrm, my local daily rag uses non-smearing ink. And, one explanation for why newsprint worked better was that the ink rubbing off the paper gave the window a little extra 'shine'. So the ink rubbing off is considered a good thing! (Although this was before soy-based inks.)

 

[KTPhil]

I think the old inks contained lead, which prompted the change to soy.

 

[Sanny]

Yes, I know it makes me an environmental weasel, but so be it. I keep a tube of those pre-moistened window wipes in the car, under the seat. Quick puppy nose-streak removal. Her noseprint is neither lead nor soy. Maybe a little bit of chicken kibble, though. But noseprint is not very effective at window cleaning, even if it's wet.

 

[BIF]

I've used the newsprint trick on house windows to avoid streaking. However, with the new soy-based inks, you get a lot of ink on your hands, and therefore possibly on the car interior, so be careful.

If you have access to UNPRINTED newsprint, this is worth it. Otherwise, you can probably use a couple of sheets of laser printer paper. Or paper towels, whichever's handier.

 

[GreyMud]

I've used the newsprint trick on house windows to avoid streaking. However, with the new soy-based inks, you get a lot of ink on your hands, and therefore possibly on the car interior, so be careful.

If you have access to UNPRINTED newsprint, this is worth it. Otherwise, you can probably use a couple of sheets of laser printer paper. Or paper towels, whichever's handier.

Most large newsprinters have a bit of scrap left from each roll that they need to dispose of. maybe if you offered to recycle it for them...