Need fast window cleaning advice for car wash

[sallain]

I am running a Car wash and having trouble getting streak free windows we are using Ottob clean products and it just doesnt seem to be working. we use seperate rags for the inside then the outside. was wondering if it could possibly be the detergent we wash the rags with or the cleaner we are using any info would help.

 

[DavidM]

There are many things that can cause streaky windows. If you are getting consistently streaky windows regardless of who is doing them I would check your towels and your window cleaner.

A towel that gets tire shine on it can contaminate a whole load of towels. Towels washed with too much laundry detergent can also be a problem.

Window cleaner - Are you using a good product? Has it worked well in the past? Window cleaner diluted too strong can also cause streaky windows.

 

[MEP001]

As a rule, you shouldn't need detergent to wash window-only towels. If you're using a window cleaner that needs to be diluted, mix it with RO or distilled water. Make sure your employees aren't mixing window towels with interior or exterior ones. Consider microfiber or newspaper.

 

[soapy]

NEWSPAPER?--- only if you want ink all over the windows. Newspaper will also scratch the windows. Best leaves that kind of window cleaning to the glee club at the local charity wash.

 

[sallain]

ty

thank you for your advice i am trying it all out today and have micro fiber on order

 

[sallain]

i tried it out and using the window cleaner to clean the rags helped alittle but i am still seeing the streaks in the windows. Is there a better chemical out there or cleaner i can use. Right now we are using Ottobclean products

 

[smokun]

A Few Tips...

Regarding washing the towels: Use any laundry detergent sparingly with hot or warm water. Or, try Simple Green... sparingly. Too much detergent... and not enough rinse... will leave a dry residue in the towels. Once the residue is wet again, it will smear. Towels MUST be rinsed thoroughly.

One way to see if the laundry equipment is the culprit, take a few loads to a laundromat or even home for laundering. It could be that you have contaminated your washing machine with chemical residues that transfer onto the toweling. All it takes is a load of greasy towels with tire or vinyl dressing, especially if you use only cold water. If you only have one washer, consider a second one (nothing fancy) dedicated to window towels. And use hot or at least warm water for washing.

Window Cleaner: There are many great commercial glass cleaners available from janitorial supply outlets, including Windex. But why not make your own? A few capfuls of JOY (original yellow, not ultra ) dishwashing detergent or Simple Green in a 5-gallon jug. As an option, also add a few ounces of ammonia for shine. In cold weather, add isopropyl alcohol to aid in drying.

Segregate your window towels from every other towel, and treat them carefully. If you use cotton terry, do not wash them with microfiber. Each should be laundered separately... with NO bleach.

If the cotton towels have lint, add a cup of vinegar to the wash.

Hope that helps...

 

[smokun]

One more suggestion. Do NOT use fabric softener in your laundry process, either as a liquid in the wash... or transfer sheets in the dryer. They leave a residue on the towel that will smear, especially when mixed with a detergent window cleaner.

 

[Waxman]

smart ideas.

 

[sallain]

just found out our unimac doesnt have a rinse cycle. so we are working on trying to get that fixed now

 

[MEP001]

If I'm not mistaken, the way you rinse with a Unimac is to transfer the towels to a tub with clear water, then you remove and spin them and use the rinse for the next wash batch. It's intended to save time and money by not having to refill the tubs as often.

You should also spin the towels between the wash and rinse cycle.

 

[sallain]

actually the rinse cycle is done in the spinner its self it shoots water in there when it spins really fast

 

[BayWatch]

Smokun and I disagreed on the last window cleaning post, but I have to agree with him on the use of vinegar to clean the towels. We will wash our towels, microfiber, at the end of the month. One store last month started having issues, and found they hadnt been using the vinegar for a few months. A few passes in the Unimac and problem solved. We also use two different colored towels, one for windows and one for body, as well as wash them in separate sides of the Unimac.

 

[sallain]

we use 3 different towels one for inside windows one for outside and one for body, but thanks for the advice we will try the vinegar and see if it makes a difference, now do we wash them with detergent orr cleaner after we use vinegar?

 

[MEP001]

I wash towels with detergent, then again with vinegar without rinsing, but that might be overkill. It should be enough to do the detergent and vinegar together.

I've read that an ammonia-based cleaner in microfiber towels' wash cycle will remove the silicone that will inevitably get picked up when cleaning windows.

 

[pitzerwm]

How much vinegar, with a load?

 

[MEP001]

I've used 1/2 cup in a large load washer and noticed very good results.

 

[sallain]

after you wash with vinegar is it ok to use on the vehicles or do i have to wash in detergent

 

[Danny]

Another thing to check for are contaminants washed before the window towels. A common problem is washing detailing towels or applicator sponges and contaminating the next load of window towels.

 

[sallain]

Yea i am hoping the vinegar washing will help that