Product Review: 3M Glass Cleaner

Keeping your vehicle’s glass clean isn’t just a matter of appearance. Safety is an important factor, too. When dust, bugs and road grime build up on your car or truck’s windows, your visibility is reduced. Clean glass helps you to drive safely.

Obviously, a clean windshield is most important. For that, keep you vehicle’s washer fluid full, and be sure your wiper blades are fresh. Drivers of SUVs, hatchbacks and wagons with a rear wiper can maintain good visibility with a good blade and plenty of washer fluid there, too.

Of course, not all your vehicle’s glass has washers and wipers, so you’ll have to clean side windows, mirrors and inside glass by hand. Even where you do have wipers, frequent removal of dirt and grit can help your washers to be more effective and your wipers to last longer.

I recently tried out 3M’s Glass Cleaner, a foaming product available at NAPA. Sold in a 19-oz. aerosol can, this glass cleaner is safe for tinted windows and won’t harm paint. 3M suggests using it on other surfaces, too, including chrome and interior plastic.

The instructions are simple. Shake the can, spray the product onto the surface and wipe with a paper towel or microfiber detail cloth. We tried both. The microfiber detail cloth offered the advantage of lint-free results.

The aerosol can and foaming action are handy. 3M Glass Cleaner doesn’t run on vertical surfaces like side windows or drip when cleaning interior sides of windshields or even a moonroof. The foam also allows you to dispense just the right amount, so waste is minimal.

The product features listed on the label include “streak-free shine,” a claim I tested on this vehicle’s interior plastic and chrome. The results were impressive. I even achieved a lint-free and  streak-free shine on the clear plastic of my vehicle’s instrument panel.

After cleaning glass on two vehicles, I decided to try the product inside the house. I cleaned the glass on the front door, bathroom mirrors, chrome faucets and a microwave. Without spraying any cleaner on the machine, I wiped down my laptop with the microfiber cloth damp with glass cleaner.

Give this 3M Glass Cleaner a try on your vehicle or around the house. Let us know what you think, or what creative uses you’ve found for it, in the comments below.

Check out all the chemical products available on NAPA Online or trust one of our 17,000 NAPA AutoCare locations for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on 3M glass cleaner, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store.