Just like everyone else in Michigan, we know that winter makes it hard to keep your window glass clean and clear. But with the first signs of spring, now is a good time to clean up your act…

Do your windows resemble a shower door?

Here at LotPro.com, you can tell when it’s winter (other than the temperature, of course). Other then where the wipers run, the car and truck windows are covered by a thin (or thick) film of salt, grime and gunk. Even the occasional spring rains do little to wash this off.

After you wash your car

Washing your car is only the first step. Now that you have the outside layer washed off, it’s time to finish the job. First, inspect the washer fluid reservoir under the hood and the wiper blades. Fill the fluid reservoir, then wash the windshield and look for streaks. Even if there aren’t any visible streaks, if the wiper blades are over a year old, replace them – especially if they’ve been through a winter like the last one. In fact, it’s a better idea to replace the entire wiper blade assembly. That way, you’ll be sure that the blades will have a strong, even contact over the entire windshield.

Once you’re finished, fill a pail with water and get a soft real or synthetic chamois. Soak the chamois, rinse and squeeze it, then proceed to clean the inside glass of each window. You read it correctly – water is the best thing with which to clean windows. Even if you have to do each one two or three times, water doesn’t streak like glass cleaner and it doesn’t leave a residue.

When you’re finished

Once you have completed your cleaning (don’t forget your glass sunroof if you have one), you might want to consider coating at least the windshield with a layer of rain-x. A number of us at LotPro.com have used Rain-X in the past and found that it is very effective, especially at expressway speeds, in keeping rain off your windshield without the use of wipers. Putting it on in the spring makes it especially easy to scrape off early morning frost.

The Bottom Line

Here at LotPro.com, we want you to drive safely this spring and summer – and what better way to do that when you can actually see out your windows!

Tags: Car, Car Care, glass, windows