Water Marks On Glass (How to get rid of)

[Hawkwind]

As the title says.

I'm not a 'Detailer' like some of you guys, but I do like a clean car and the rear window on my W208 convertible has marks from water on the outside.

I've tried giving it a good scrub, to no avail, so I thought I'd ask the experts.

The car is a 2000 model, so the marks have probably built up over the last 15 years. I've read about you guys using 'clay' for the paintwork, I was wondering if that would work for glass as well

Tips and suggestions are most welcome

 

[lxi]

Suggestion only - if you can protect everything, particularly paintwork (& hood material) around the screen with masking tape/clingfilm etc, try one of the domestic products like Cilit Bang bathroom limescale / scum remover - works on my shower surround (the water marks will be limescale). Even lemon juice poured onto paper towel (so it stays in contact with the glass) might work

 

[Gareth Kent]

Suggestion only - if you can protect everything, particularly paintwork (& hood material) around the screen with masking tape/clingfilm etc, try one of the domestic products like Cilit Bang bathroom limescale / scum remover - works on my shower surround (the water marks will be limescale). Even lemon juice poured onto paper towel (so it stays in contact with the glass) might work

I really would not use a domestic cleaning product like cilit bang.

 

[A6lns]

Hi all water marks on glass you can use a clay bar I've used it on my c class hopes this helps

 

[daveenty]

Hi all water marks on glass you can use a clay bar I've used it on my c class hopes this helps

Clay bar will indeed be fine, just use plenty of lubrication to stop it sticking.

Alternatively, and a lot cheaper, try a slight moistening with a water spray, then rubbing with an old scrunched up newspaper. Yes, it really does work.

 

[merc85]

give vinegar water a try, it gets water/ran spots out from body work ok.

 

[LTD]

Hammer

£25 insurance excess

New screen

Job's a good 'un.





Please note I am not condoning this practice.

 

[Hawkwind]

Thanks for the replies guys, some good ideas.

Of course the marks are probably lime scale! I always use vinegar on the shower screen and it brings it up like new, this will be the first thing I try once I get a chance to wash the car

If that fails I'll try the other suggestions, thanks again

 

[T5R+]

Found "windolene" to be really good when going back to scratch (!) - watch any rubbers as white haze is a pain. Autosmart is also good in my opinion (but 5l lasts a lifetime).

Keep up to date with Auto Finesse Crystal glass cleaner.

 

[JDMUK]

The best glass cleaner by a long way is bar cleaners mate, you will find it in sainsburys

 

[ioweddie]

Hammer

£25 insurance excess

New screen

Job's a good 'un.





Please note I am not condoning this practice.

My excess is now £75 it used to be £50 never heard of £25

 

[Will]

White vinegar/Citric acid on a damp cloth - wipe over then wash off. This will remove water marks no problem.

Personally I'd be surprised if they were limescale/water marks - where would they have come from? Rain water is soft, and even small deposits from washing the car should come away after exposure to rain water etc over time. Why only on the back window?

 

[Blue Moon]

We use this Crystal Glass Cleaner - By Autobrite - Glass Cleaners & Sealants - Exterior Cleaning

It's very good, and you may find a distributor local to you, or buy direct

 

[Hawkwind]

White vinegar/Citric acid on a damp cloth - wipe over then wash off. This will remove water marks no problem.

Personally I'd be surprised if they were limescale/water marks - where would they have come from? Rain water is soft, and even small deposits from washing the car should come away after exposure to rain water etc over time. Why only on the back window?

Good point, once I get the chance I'll see if the vinegar works, I'm assuming they're water marks, may be something else, it's an old car

 

[lxi]

I really would not use a domestic cleaning product like cilit bang.

Your choice obviously, but glass is glass is glass - as I wrote, all else needs to be masked off.

 

[hotrodder]

FWIW it's the acetic acid in vinegar that makes it a good solvent/cleaner for various things including glass. The active ingredient (at least the main one) in Bar Keepers Friend is oxalic acid which is found naturally in lots of veg along with acetic and citric acid. Rhubarb leaves used to be used to clean stuff like copper and silverware before someone figured out the chemistry and made commercial cleaners... Bilt Hamber Deox stuff is mostly citric acid (presumably with various surfacants to allegedly make it work better), many rust converters use tannic acid as one of the active ingredients etc

All three of those organic acids are good chelating agents and can be used for cleaning all sorts of things (either by themselves or as the active ingredient in commercial cleaners) as well as 'eating' rust without touching good steel, removing iron contamination (rust stains) from stainless steels, descaling kettles etc. Citric is also commercially used to passivate stainless as an alternative to the more traditional methods using nitric acid. Food grade citric acid powder is dirt cheap, doesn't stink unlike vinegar and is less irritating/corrosive than a strong solution of oxalic acid (also available as powder/crystals) i.e. can splash a strong citric solution around and all it'll do is make things sticky if not rinsed off

 

[RichardF]

I find a little meths on a paper towel does a good job. Use plenty of towels so your not just smearing stuff about.

 

[MicB]

I find a little meths on a paper towel does a good job. Use plenty of towels so your not just smearing stuff about.

Meths with 0000 grade wire wool and finish with a dry microfibre cloth.......particularly the windscreen.

Mic

 

[dpw864]

I've got a similar question actually... I had water marks no the inside of the glass (rear window, coupe clk w208) where waters got between the seal and glass. Any ideas (I really don't want to remove the glass)?

 

[farhanali89]

Try the clay bar as others have mentioned, If no luck try a glass polish with an applicator to work it down, Even a cleaner polish should do. Once you see some progress rewipe the windows down with glass cleaner.