The final part of any car cleaning process is tackling the windows with good car glass cleaners. Windows collect a lot of grease and grime, which needs to be lifted without leaving behind residue or smears.
Keeping your glass clean is more essential to safety than you might think. If you've ever been gazed by the sun and your windscreen is smeared with dirt, it can be difficult to see out of. Keeping the glass clear reduces your chances of struggling to see in front of you.
Glass can be a tricky surface to clean well, but looks stunning if done properly. Water spot removers can work, but dedicated glass cleaners are the most ideal for the job. Aside from the obvious safety benefit of being able to see through crystal clear glass, clean car windows complete the look of a freshly cleaned and detailed car.
The best car glass cleaners at a glance:
Editor's pick: Gtechniq G6 Perfect Glass - buy from Amazon
Best simple glass cleaner for cars: Autoglym Fast Glass - buy from Amazon
Best glass cleaner on a budget: 26JPN Glass Cleaner - buy from eBay
All-purpose cleaners (APCs) can be used if you have to, but most aren't designed for window-specific muck. It's also very important to check you aren't using a glass cleaner with ammonia in it, as this reacts very poorly with tinted windows. Your technique will be just as important as which product you use. Using the right microfibre will be essential. We gathered some of the best on the market and tested them on a couple of cars. Both could've done with a window clean, so we decided to do just that.
The best car glass cleaners tested 2024
We rate this as our personal favourite, albeit only by a tiny margin. You must understand that measuring better-ness in glass cleaner isn't the easiest job in the world, but we believed Gtechniq took on a line-up of class leaders and put them in their place - right behind it. The finish the product left was more crystal clear than we've seen in a long time. And at under a tenner for 500ml, it's good value, too.
The clear-ness of the tested windows were a tiny margin above the competitors and for that reason alone, it takes the spot at being our favourite glass cleaner available.
Pros
- Unbeatable results
- Anti-static finish keeps the glass clean for longer
- Great value for money
Cons
- It does smell a fair bit
- Doesn't come in 1 litre bottle
Coming in at an almost tied second place is the Gyeon Q2M Glass. It did a phenomenal job at cleaning every last streak, spot, and light mark on the tested windows and made sitting inside a car feel just that little bit cleaner.
It dissolves grease and other marks with ease and is suitable for privacy glass, tinted windows, plexiglass and infotainment screens. We tested the latter part on the Citroen's infotainment screen and it came out looking perfect. Where it doesn't quite excel is piano black trim, but it wasn't quite designed for that purpose.
Pros
- Two-in-one cleaning and protection
- Affordable price point
- Versatile on different glass and screen surfaces
Cons
- Falls only a tiny bit short of the Gtechniq G6
If you're looking for a glass cleaner that's easy to simply spray and wipe, then Autoglym has the answer for you. It falls short of the Gtechniq and Gyeon products, but is good enough in its own right when dealing with dirty car windows.
You have to only spray a tiny bit on to get the best results, but once you do, it's simply a case of wiping and buffing until you achieve a clear finish. It represents pretty good value for money and is perfect for bird droppings, tree sap, and much more of nature's detritus.
Pros
- Effective cleaner that leaves a crystal clear finish
- Quick to apply
- Good value for money
Cons
- Results weren't quite as impressive as others
Bilt Hamber's Trace-Less had the front windscreen to deal with on this test; the most difficult of all the windows to clean, so we have to take that into account when measuring the results. We should mention that B.H sent over two cleaning cloths which we continuously used throughout our test. You can buy the product along with the cloths, which does add a few bonus points if you're shopping for glass cleaner.
After a quick spray and thorough wipe, the front windscreen definitely showed through its clear-ness, but we feel it didn't quite match up to the crystal-like appearence of the Gyeon and Gtechniq products. However, it did clean the most amount of dirt and dead bugs off the car, and the Trace-Less was profoundly good at doing just that. It's just a slight shame it's a little more dear in price over the competitors.
Pros
- Comes with two cleaning cloths
- Is very good at removing windscreen debris
- Generous quantity included
Cons
- Didn't quite match up to the best
- Isn't as good value for money as the rest
The cheapest product in our group test doesn't automatically mean it's the worst. In fact, it's not even the least best. Representing great value for money at a nod over £7, 26JPN's glass cleaner is both affordable and impressed us massively at providing a very transparent finish to the window of our test car.
What's more, we love the handle. It's easy and comfortable to grip onto compared with the others and this helps when you're trying to aim for a nice spot to spray onto each window.
Pros
- Very good value for money
- Comfortable to hold
- Amazing results for the price point
Cons
- Isn't quite as effective as the Gtechniq and Gyeon
The task of cleaning the rear window of a car is never a nice one. Dirt picked up from the rear wheels and airflow usually ends up on the back window of a hatchback, estate, or SUV, and there was no exception with our test subject BMW Touring.
Car Gods impressed us with pre-wash in our last group test, and it still continues to impress here. The finish of the rear window was near-perfect, albeit a tad behind the quality of the Gtechniq cleaner. It only took two sprays and the window was looking so clean, that it would've been a shame to dirty it up again on the road. Car God has engineered the Glass Perfection to deal effortlessly with greasy finger marks as well, so it would be ideal for those when found on the windows and infortainment system.
Pros
- Impressive results of the clean
- Good value for money
- Very efficient in its usage
Cons
- Didn't quite match up to the best
Testing this one gave me the excuse to open up the tailgate window of the BMW Touring - something that because I'm an unfathomable nerd, I've always wanted to do. Nevertheless, one quick spray and a light buff, and the glass was easily freed of smears and spots that you could just about notice.
On the outside of that window, we tested the Car Gods product. So, these two on each side left a sparkling finish to the glass and made it even clearer to see out of - and it wasn't especially dirty already. It evaporates very quickly, so make sure you buff it in time. It has a high degree of alcohol contained, so it also makes for a great glass cleaner to use around your home.
Pros
- Great for home windows as well as the car
- Quite good value for money
- Leaves a very nice finish
Cons
- Doesn't quite match up to its competitors
- Can evaporate more quickly than the others
What to look for in a good car glass cleaner
Misting – The trigger of the glass cleaner is crucial for delivering a thin but even misting of the stuff onto the surface. This is not only economical, but less product on the glass will make clearing it off without causing streaks more easily. For a deeper clean involving dead bugs, you may be better off with a dash of insect remover before using the glass cleaner for the crystal clear finish.
Base – The majority of car glass cleaners are IPA (isopropyl alcohol) based. IPA is very effective at lifting oils but does evaporate fairly quickly, especially in direct sunlight. Wipes, bird poo remover, and foam products will use other chemicals to do the cleaning. These are similar ingredients used in home window cleaners, albeit not quite as strong. You should also be aware that glass cleaners containing Ammonia could risk damaging tinted glass, so be sure to check the small print before applying it to your vehicle.
Smell – Albeit nowhere near as bad as like tar removers, some glass cleaners will have a slight stench to them. They can smell like cheap clear spirits owing to their alcohol base. Higher-end products may mask this scent, but it's not by any means essential.
How we tested the glass cleaners
We took two test subject cars as the centrepiece of our group test: a BMW 520D Touring (F10) and a new Citroen C4X. With the BMW, we selected one to two individual windows to test the products on before proceeding. We then measured the effects side by side as we could easily judge the cleanliness of one window next to another.
With the Citroen, we took our favourites: the Gtechniq and Gyeon, and performed further testing before deciding on a winner, which would eventually be the G6. We cleaned the infotainment screen on the Citroen as well, and it was left looking spotless by the end. We also tested snow foam and a Worx cordless vacuum cleaner on that car, and you can expect reviews on those very soon.
Who tested the glass cleaners?
This group test was orchestrated by Aaron Hussain - a commercial content writer specialising in car care products on both CAR and its sister site, Parkers. Having organised previous group tests with alloy wheel cleaners and snow foams, he has a good grip of how to determine a fair test, playing field, and ultimately the winner of product group tests and as an owner of a classic car, has a fine eye for detail after a job.
Aaron Hussain is a commercial content writer at Bauer Media writing for Parkers and CAR. He is obsessed with classic cars and anything with a fascinating story to tell.