Perfect Clean Glass - Getting Naked and Inta-Mitt

Having clean, streak free glass is important for safe driving, especially when you're driving into the early morning or late afternoon sun, when every little smear and streak suddenly becomes visible.

At Bowden's Own, we take glass cleaning pretty seriously, which is why we've spent a lot of time developing products and techniques that work together to make the job as quick and easy as possible.

Streaky glass can come down to a few things, including the wrong cleaner, dirty cloths, leftover residue or simply using the wrong technique. In this guide, we'll show you how to get beautifully clean, clear glass with the right products and a few simple tips we've picked up over the years.

 

Naked Glass

Our chemists and detailers have spent years developing and refining Naked Glass, with plenty of testing along the way to make sure it delivers a genuinely streak free finish without the frustration of cleaners that leave residue behind.

Our latest formulation takes things a step further, with improved slickness and advanced anti fog technology that helps keep your glass clearer and cleaner for longer. We've also developed it to help reduce the build up of that annoying haze on the inside of your windscreen, something we've extensively tested against our previous formula and other leading glass cleaners.

Key points are:

• Streak free cleaning. Easily removes fingerprints, grime and oily residue without leaving annoying streaks or smears behind.

• Helps reduce interior haze build up. Our improved formula helps keep your windscreen clearer and cleaner for longer, reducing that frustrating film that can develop on the inside of your glass.

• Helps minimise fogging. Special surface modifying ingredients help reduce moisture fogging on glass for improved visibility.

• Improved slickness. Leaves glass feeling beautifully smooth and slick after cleaning.

• Tint safe. Suitable for use on factory and aftermarket tinted windows.

• Easy to use. Simply spray, wipe and buff for a beautifully clear finish, without the need for excessive rubbing or repeated cleaning.

Getting epic results

For the best results with Naked Glass, using the right microfibre cloth is just as important as the cleaner itself.

Our Inta-Mitt is our favourite for this job, with two different microfibre surfaces designed to work together. The green twist pile side is great for applying the cleaner and lifting away dirt and grime, while the low drag textured purple side is ideal for the final wipe to leave the glass beautifully clear and streak free. Our Big Softie is also a great option if you already have one.

One of the biggest causes of streaky glass is using a dirty or contaminated cloth. Always keep a dedicated microfibre cloth just for cleaning glass, and avoid using anything that's previously been used with waxes, polishes or other detailing products, as leftover residue can transfer onto the glass and cause smearing.

It's also best to clean your glass in the shade, with the windows cool to the touch. On hot glass, the cleaner can evaporate before you've had a chance to properly work it and wipe everything away. In cooler or humid conditions, it can take longer to evaporate, so use a little less product and make sure you thoroughly buff away any remaining residue.

For those times when you're driving into the sun and notice a little haze building up on the inside of your windscreen, our Green Clean Glass Cloth is a handy one to keep in the car. It's designed to be used completely dry, without any glass cleaner, to quickly remove light interior glass haze and improve visibility between proper glass cleans. It's not a replacement for Naked Glass and the Inta-Mitt, but it's great for those quick touch ups when you need them.

Step 1

Easy application

With your Naked Glass and Inta-Mitt ready, here's how we like to get the best results.

First, make sure your hands are clean and dry before putting your hand inside the Inta-Mitt. This helps prevent skin oils and dirt from transferring into the cloth and potentially causing streaks.

Lightly mist 1 to 2 sprays of Naked Glass directly onto the green twist pile side of the Inta-Mitt. You don't need much product, and spraying into the cloth rather than directly onto the glass helps avoid overspray onto surrounding trims and surfaces.

Working on one window or half a windscreen at a time, wipe the glass in an up and down, then side to side motion to thoroughly clean the surface. Keep the purple textured side of the Inta-Mitt dry, as we'll use this for the final wipe in the next step.

TIP: Take care around wiper arms, sharp edges and other protruding parts, as these can catch and pull the threads of the green twist pile side of the Inta-Mitt.

If the glass is particularly dirty, you can use a little extra Naked Glass directly on the surface to help break down the contamination.

Step 2

The final wipe

Once you've cleaned the glass with the green twist pile side, turn the Inta-Mitt over to the dry purple textured side and gently buff away any remaining moisture or residue for a beautifully clear, streak free finish.

If the purple side starts feeling damp or you notice any light streaking, simply turn the Inta-Mitt inside out to expose a fresh, dry surface and continue cleaning.

TIP: Always use a dry section of the purple textured microfibre for your final wipe. This is one of the most important parts of getting a consistently streak free finish.

As you move onto the next window, only add another light spray of Naked Glass to the green side of the Inta-Mitt if needed. A little goes a long way with glass cleaning, and using too much product can actually make it harder to get a streak free finish.

Extra glass cleaning tips

 

For very dirty glass

If your glass is particularly dirty with heavy road grime, fingerprints or built up interior haze, it's worth giving it an initial clean before using your Inta-Mitt for the final finish.

Spray a little Naked Glass directly onto the glass, allow it a few seconds to work, then wipe away the bulk of the contamination with a separate, clean microfibre cloth. You can then follow up with your Inta-Mitt using the normal application and final wipe technique for a beautifully clear, streak free finish.

For interior glass, take care not to overspray onto dashboards and surrounding trims. If you do, simply wipe away any overspray with a clean, damp microfibre cloth.

 

Cleaning chrome and mirrors

Naked Glass is also great for cleaning mirrors and genuine hard chrome plated surfaces, helping remove fingerprints, light grime and smears.

Simply spray a little onto the surface or a clean Big Softie cloth, then gently wipe it clean. It's also suitable to use on delicate plastic chrome finishes. Keep your Inta-Mitt dedicated to glass cleaning only.

More information

What's the difference between the Inta-Mitt, Big Softie and Green Clean Glass Cloth?

• Our Inta-Mitt is our preferred cloth for cleaning glass with Naked Glass. It combines a green twist pile microfibre for applying the cleaner and lifting away dirt, with a purple low drag textured microfibre for the final streak free wipe. It's the combination we've found works best for getting consistently clear glass.
• The Big Softie is a versatile microfibre cloth that's also great for glass cleaning, particularly using its low pile side. If you already have one dedicated to glass, it'll still do a great job.
• The Green Clean Glass Cloth is designed for a different job altogether. It's a short pile, low drag microfibre that's used completely dry, without any cleaning products, to remove light haze from the inside of your windscreen between proper cleans.

How do I wash and care for my Inta-Mitt?

• We recommend washing your Inta-Mitt after every use with Microfibre Wash to remove any leftover cleaner and contamination from the fibres.
• You can machine wash it with your other lightly soiled microfibre cloths, but avoid washing it with heavily contaminated towels or anything that's been used with waxes, polishes or silicone based products. If you're a nutter like us, wash it only with other twist pile loop microfibre cloths like the Twisted Pro Sucker.
• Once washed, air dry indoors or tumble dry on a cool setting. Avoid fabric softeners, as they can leave residue in the fibres and affect how well the cloth performs.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about cleaning your glass or choosing the right products, feel free to get in touch with our team at info@bowdensown.com.au or call us on 1800 351 308.

You can find Naked Glass, the Inta-Mitt and our other glass cleaning products at Bowden's Own stockists right around Australia here.

Dan Bowden