Do you need a windshield cleaner?

UTV Windshield Cleaner

So you’ve been out on the trail and you got a little dirty. I’d like to say that this never happens to us. But let’s be real, this happens pretty much every time. Once you’re through riding around in the dirt, dust and mud, you may find your windshield has a few spots on it. Or maybe it’s full on covered, depending on your ride and riding conditions. Either way, cleaning your windshield can be a tricky thing. You don’t want to scratch, mar or cause any permanent damage to it. So just how careful should you be? There are all sorts of cleaning products available for just this type of situation. But are they necessary? Let’s take a closer look.

How you clean your windshield depends a little on what type of windshield you have. We decided to break this down into the more popular types of windshields and take a look at each.

Cleaning an acrylic windshield.

Most recommend using a microfiber cleaning cloth and soapy water. Don’t use paper towels, as they may scratch the surface. Also don’t use any sort of cleaner that contains ammonia, as this could ruin the surface.
You can use products such as Brillianize Acrylic Cleaner & Polish to help clean the windshield and reduce static, without increasing the risk of scratching. Acrylic windshields scratch really easily, so use extreme care when washing off any dirt, rocks or debris.

 

Cleaning glass.

Glass may be the easiest to clean, you can use soap and water, or a whole variety of cleaning products on it. It is more difficult to mar or scratch a glass windshield that it is other materials, such as acrylic or uncoated polycarbonate. But don’t use anything too abrasive. We definitely don’t recommend throwing caution to the wind. Scratching can happen. Don’t use an SOS pad, steel wool or anything like that.
You can use glass cleaners on this type of windshield, and there are lots of options available. Just avoid using products that contain ammonia, especially if your glass is tinted.

Cleaning uncoated polycarbonate.

Uncoated polycarbonate is prone to scratching. You need to be very careful when cleaning these windshields. Most recommendations are for using a really soft microfiber cloth, and some gentle, non-abrasive soap, such as baby shampoo, liquid dish soap or hand washing soap. Never use anything abrasive, or glass cleaners such as 409 or windex on your windshield. It’s not even recommended to use a dry cloth or your hands on it, as it may scratch it. They really do scratch easily.

There are windshield cleaners specific for cleaning polycarbonate on the market, such as Novus cleaner. You may want to try one out if you’re having a hard time getting your windshield clean. However, we recommend testing them before splattering them all over your windshield. Even these may give you some trouble.

If you are looking into purchasing a polycarbonate windshield, we definitely recommend getting one with a scratch resistant hard coating. It helps a ton with the scratching troubles uncoated polycarbonate has.

 

Cleaning hard-coated polycarbonate.

With this type of material, you’ll have some relief over scratching. Hard-coated polycarbonate has a protective scratch and mar resistant coating baked into it. It gives you the benefits of polycarbonate windshields, without the worries of scratching them up. To clean a hard-coated polycarbonate windshield, again, most recommend just using soap and water. You don’t need any special cleaning cloths. Just avoid anything abrasive, and steer clear of strong cleaners, or cleaners with ammonia.

We like to mention that at Clearly Tough, all of our windshields are made from hard-coated polycarbonate. We’ve found this to be the best material for UTV windshields. It is lightweight, yet extremely durable. And the hard coat makes it quite scratch resistant. Plus you won’t need a microfiber cleaning cloth or any special cleaners to get it clean.

So, do you need a UTV windshield cleaner? Maybe. But all these types of windshield could be cleaned with simple soap and water, and this is our recommendation. If you happen to have an acrylic or uncoated polycarbonate windshield, and are having troubles cleaning your windshield, you may want to shop around. There are cleaners specific to these that may help. But most of us will do just as well with soap. So get that windshield nice and clean, then get out there and dirty it up again.

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