Canopy clear vinyl windows - Cleaning

seaboy

seaboy

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Noticed my some of my clear vinyl windows are clouding over.

Tried using Pledge with abit of elbow grease, although the cloudiness slowly coming off. It will take awhile, more than a weekend doing it this way.

Are there any old tips/methods to clean these vinyl windows without spending a fortune at the chandlers.

thanks
 
seaboy said:
Noticed my some of my clear vinyl windows are clouding over.

Tried using Pledge with abit of elbow grease, although the cloudiness slowly coming off. It will take awhile, more than a weekend doing it this way.

Are there any old tips/methods to clean these vinyl windows without spending a fortune at the chandlers.

thanks
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I think you will have more joy with a very light abrasive ...... I use Peek metal polish for this kind of think but Brasso or car polish or similar, or perhaps even toothpaste, should work.

Test a small area first of course.

Richard
 
RichardS said:
I think you will have more joy with a very light abrasive ...... I use Peek metal polish for this kind of think but Brasso or car polish or similar, or perhaps even toothpaste, should work.

Test a small area first of course.

Richard
Click to expand...

Would car body rubbing compound be OK as I have water proofing overspray on my vinyl windows.
 
seaboy said:
Noticed my some of my clear vinyl windows are clouding over.

Tried using Pledge with abit of elbow grease, although the cloudiness slowly coming off. It will take awhile, more than a weekend doing it this way.

Are there any old tips/methods to clean these vinyl windows without spending a fortune at the chandlers.

thanks
Click to expand...

Renovo plastic window polish
pwpolish2.jpg
http://www.renovointernational.com/products/plastic-polish.php

http://www.frost.co.uk/car-care-cle...re-products/renovo-plastic-window-polish.html

Amazon and other sources
 
Pledge is SPECIFICALLY forbidden by clean vinyl makers in warrantee information, since it leads to fogging with continued use. STOP using it.

If you use any sort of abrasive compound, it will remove the surface clouding, but the windows will then fog in wet weather unless regularly waxed. The reason is the micro scratches caused by the compound, no matter how fine the product.

Your best bet is to go to the chandler and buy the RIGHT product before you ruin them completely. IMAR Protective Polish is a good place to start, though Plexus, Starbrite, and a few others make good clear vinyl specific products. Follow the instructions and use CLEAN cloth. A buffer can be used, but keep it slow and wet, with light pressure. Do NOT let it dry out; keep a spray bottle handy.

I've been doing long term testing for a magazine, using test panels. Many brands of vinyl and products.
 
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A1GSS said:
You could try the stuff sold for convertible car hood rear windows. I had a BMW 3 series convertible with a plastic rear window in the folding hood, the stuff worked a treat. I'll see if I can find the link but was an Autoglym product.
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+ 1 Although, I used Renovo Plastic Window Polish
 
I have used Renovo in the past with good results. However, as I managed some rather deeper scratches this year (don't ask), I tried the Starbrite product which is a two stage process. It' obviously slightly more aggressive than the Renovo and the result was excellent.
 
richardbrennan said:
I have used Renovo in the past with good results. However, as I managed some rather deeper scratches this year (don't ask), I tried the Starbrite product which is a two stage process. It' obviously slightly more aggressive than the Renovo and the result was excellent.
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Starbrite Clear. Yup, I've tested that one, and it works well. They also have a cleaner (ViewGuard) that improves water sheeting. BTW, Rain-X is another product that is specifically forbidden on soft vinyl.
 
thinwater said:
Pledge is SPECIFICALLY forbidden by clean vinyl makers in warrantee information, since it leads to fogging with continued use. STOP using it.

If you use any sort of abrasive compound, it will remove the surface clouding, but the windows will then fog in wet weather unless regularly waxed. The reason is the micro scratches caused by the compound, no matter how fine the product.

Your best bet is to go to the chandler and buy the RIGHT product before you ruin them completely. IMAR Protective Polish is a good place to start, though Plexus, Starbrite, and a few others make good clear vinyl specific products. Follow the instructions and use CLEAN cloth. A buffer can be used, but keep it slow and wet, with light pressure. Do NOT let it dry out; keep a spray bottle handy.

I've been doing long term testing for a magazine, using test panels. Many brands of vinyl and products.
Click to expand...

I don't doubt your claims but they don't concur with my (many years) of experience.

I've used pledge for years and it always brings up the windows really well.
I'm not just talking about the boat either, I also used it on the soft top windows in my convertible car since 1984 with no ill effects whatsoever.

So I respectfully disagree.

As regards abrasives for cleaning marked areas I've always used Brasso (or Duraglit as was) wadding.
It's very gentle and works really well.
Followed by a coat of Pledge it's been a very effective and low cost maintenance package for years.
I don't doubt there are specialist products out there making great claims and costing £££$$$ but so far I've never felt tempted, the results I get bring up the windows like new.
 
Trundlebug said:
I don't doubt your claims but they don't concur with my (many years) of experience.

I've used pledge for years and it always brings up the windows really well.
I'm not just talking about the boat either, I also used it on the soft top windows in my convertible car since 1984 with no ill effects whatsoever.

So I respectfully disagree.

As regards abrasives for cleaning marked areas I've always used Brasso (or Duraglit as was) wadding.
It's very gentle and works really well.
Followed by a coat of Pledge it's been a very effective and low cost maintenance package for years.
I don't doubt there are specialist products out there making great claims and costing £££$$$ but so far I've never felt tempted, the results I get bring up the windows like new.
Click to expand...

Pledge. I didn't make this up. The below is from the Strataglass web site:

WARNING – Use of Rain-X, Pledge, or Plexus on Strataglass appears to work for a short time but then dulls the surface and presents an “Orange Peel” effect. Do not use any of these products.

I have not observed Plexus to do this, but I have seen it on the others. It also depends on the grade of vinyl (uncoated products have different vulnerabilities).
 
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thinwater said:
Pledge. I didn't make this up. The below is from the Strataglass web site:

WARNING – Use of Rain-X, Pledge, or Plexus on Strataglass appears to work for a short time but then dulls the surface and presents an “Orange Peel” effect. Do not use any of these products.

I have not observed Plexus to do this, but I have seen it on the others. It also depends on the grade of vinyl (uncoated products have different vulnerabilities).
Click to expand...

Yep, they do say that.
But all I can say is I haven't experienced any of the problems they warn of (with Pledge at least, I haven't tried the others).
In 32 years.
I'm not making that up either.
 
I am having a similar problem with clear film windows less than 18 months old. Nothing I have tried including the Starbright stuff has made any difference.

It is clearly sun related damage as the more vertical panels are less damaged as is the part shadowed by the boom.

Getting them replaced with a dirrent manufacturers product.
 
I just had a new sprayhood and asked the guy making it how the old Westerly in the marina here fitted with a sprayhood that he had supplied many years before had kept such clear windows. He told me the owner polished them with the cheapest furniture polish he could find, I believe he said from Tescos.
 
MartynG said:
Any particular product ? (there are a few things labelled Pledge)
I assume you mean this.........................
http://www.wilko.com/multi-purpose-cleaners/pledge-polish-250ml-original/invt/0319786

.
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Yep that's the stuff. The cans I have are brown & yellow but importantly your illustration says "classic", so I assume they've changed the packaging. They also do various others with anti-static etc but I prefer the original.
I'm fairly sure they're all pretty much the same but I just like the simple wax version.

Sorry about the price, it's much too cheap, it can't be any good unless you've spent at least £15 eh?
 
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