Is this a good option? It seems weird. I ask because I saw my friend cleaning his with Windex. I've never seen this before. Does anyone on here do this?

 

If your wheels are waxed, I can believe that you can use just water to clean them.

Windex has amonia which is a good cleaner, but might soften or harm the clear coat on our wheels.

Anyone else?

 

windex was the cleaning product of choice on harleys for many years... it cleans metals (chrome, stainless, etc.) nicely.
however, it also removes waxes and protectants and offers no protection its self.

i remember when i had a show jeep that had as much chrome as it had paint... the hog guys were telling me that windex should be my product of choice- i was using detail sprays at the time.

surprised that it has taken this long for this question to come up here!!

my conclusion is that it is fine with a soft rag- but follow it up with a good protectant. or use a detail spray that can add protection or one that just will not remove what you have.

conclusion- its really just another one of those things where its opinion... what you like best.

 

excellent reply as always.

Will the amonia in the windex soften or otherwise harm the clear coat that is on our wheels?

 

Glad I brought it up

 

Interesting. Years ago, I knew a cab driver that cleaned the interior with Windex. He did not like Armor-All or any of the dressings available back then. The Windex clean looked good - clean, but not shiney and it did not attract dust like many of the vinyl dressings.

 

Every now and again I find someone with a detailing practice that I find a little, well..."unlikely."

A guy I used to work with has a 1990 Honda Accord, with 250K+ miles on it, it lives outside. He LOVES the car. Well, we went to lunch one day, and I commented on how fantastic the interior looked - it really looked brand new. Like it had been in a time capsule for 18 years.

His secret? Pledge! The furniture polish! I was staggered.

 

clear coat is pretty much like paint- generally hard to damage unless you leave an acid sitting on it.
windex would not be my product of choice (i prefer detail sprays), but i do not see a problem as long as you do not use it on hot wheels and dont let it dry on the wheels... pretty good advice for just about any non-wax type product.

 

since we are talking about non auto products on to use on cars. Several years ago, I was told about, and tried for a while.

No wax Mop and Glow on the tires. This would not give the level of shine that silicone does, but it did last a long time and shed water.

 

I have seen many people using Windex over the years, like Wanabe said, it would not be my product of choice. I am sure the ammonia won't eat at the finish right away, but I wouldn't want to see the long term effects.

As for the interior, never use it on anything but your windows, I know several horror stories that include windex and various materials.