Tire shine and glass cleaner come in similarly shaped and sized spray bottles, which makes mixing them up – and accidentally using tire shine on your windshield – a lot easier (and much more frustrating) than most people think.
If you’ve ever had tire shine on your windshield and had a nightmare of a time getting it off, you’re in luck.
This detailed guide covers exactly how to remove tire shine from your windshield – using rubbing alcohol, degreasers, and more – with as little headache and hassle as possible.
Let’s jump right into it, shall we?
How to remove tire shine from windshield?
You’re not going to be able to get tire shine products off your windshield with just a little water and some elbow grease.
Unfortunately, the same chemical composition that breathes new life into old and faded tires also leaves a sticky, gooey mess on your windshield.
A sticky, gooey mess that isn’t just annoying to look at, either – but a mess that attracts dirt, dust, and gunk and does a number on your overall visibility.
You’ve got that right, tire shine on your windshield is a real safety hazard!
Getting rid of it, though, doesn’t have to because you a ton of frustration. In fact, with the tips and tricks we highlight in just a moment, you’ll be able to scrub away tire shine easily (no matter how tough it was to get rid of it before).
Best tire shine removal products safe to use on your windshield
Rubbing Alcohol
Good old-fashioned rubbing alcohol is a perfect solution for removing tire shine caked on your windshield.
The alcohol will dissolve the tire shine chemicals, breaking them down and eliminating the adhesion they had with your windshield glass.
It doesn’t matter if the tire shine product was made from a water solvent formula or a silicone-based formula – rubbing alcohol works just as well either way.
You’ll probably need to use a little bit of elbow grease to lift the shine from the windshield completely, though. It’s not bad to have a steady supply of paper towels on hand, either.
Bathroom Cleaner
Bathroom cleaner products (those designed to clean toilets, tubs, showers, etc.) also work well to break down the chemicals in tire shine products.
You don’t have to use a ton of cleaner to get rid of tire shine.
A couple of sprays across your windshield left to set up for a couple of minutes (maybe three or four). Then some swipes with a damp paper towel are usually more than enough to eliminate your tire shine trouble.
Degreaser
Degreasers (a whole bunch of them sold in automotive parts stores worldwide) are a little heavy-duty for this kind of task. Still, they get the job done – and they get the job done quickly.
You do want to be a little careful with your use of degreaser products, though. This is not something that you want to have a lot of surface time with your paint (even if it’s been polished and waxed recently).
It’s probably a better idea to apply degreaser to a paper towel and then work on your windshield rather than spraying degreaser all over the place and trying to keep the overspray contained
Lacquer Thinner
Lacquer thinner (and paint thinner, too) can remove even the most stubborn, stuck-on tire shine from your windshield in record time.
Like degreaser products, though, you have to be careful that you aren’t getting lacquer thinner or paint thinner on the painted parts of your vehicle.
You don’t even want them to have a lot of extended contact with the rubber gaskets around your windshield, the rubber on your windshield wipers, or any other rubber and plastic parts.
Apply lacquer thinner to a paper towel or microfiber cloth. You’ll get much better results than spraying it all over the windshield.
Closing Thoughts
All in all, dealing with tire shine on your windshield – as well as all the gunk and dirt that it attracts, dropping your visibility and posing as a real safety issue – doesn’t have to be as frustrating for you as it might look on the surface.
Tire shine is a nightmare to try and clean from your windshield if you’re using regular soap and water.
Break out the big guns – products like rubbing alcohol, bathroom cleaner, degreaser agents and lacquer thinner – and you’ll find the tire shine comes off almost effortlessly.
No matter what you use to get rid of your tire shine, you must wash and clean your glass as soon as the job is done. You don’t want to leave too many of these solutions lingering on your windshield for any longer than necessary.