Maintaining your newly tinted windows starts right at the very beginning, on the day that they are freshly tinted. It is vital that you give the mounting solution time to dry properly, before you do anything about cleaning your windows.
Not paying attention to the care instructions for newly tinted windows is one of the biggest mistakes people make and one of the most frequent causes of bubbly and substandard looking window tints. This is because people tend to forget that the mounting solution of new tints can take weeks to dry completely, sometimes up to 60 days, particularly in cold and cloudy weather.
The warmer and sunnier the weather, the quicker the mounting solution will dry. We remove nearly all this mounting fluid during the installation process, but a very small amount always remains. It is this final solution that needs to be completely dry before you start cleaning your windows or else the tints can bubble and look unprofessional.
Use the right cloths to clean your tinted windows
After at least 30 days have elapsed since the installation of your tinted windows (longer if the weather has not been warm, bright and sunny), you can clean your windows. This is another step where the simplest mistakes can ruin your tints, so it’s essential that you always adhere to the following instructions.
Basically, you need to use a soft microfibre cloth to clean your tinted windows. Do not use anything else or it may scratch the surfaces of the tints. Do not use a brush, scrubbing brush, abrasive sponge, paper towel, duster, old t-shirt, rag or anything but a soft microfibre cloth. Always use a clean microfibre cloth, because trapped dust and dirt in the cloth from using it to clean something else, can easily scratch the tints.
Use the right solutions to clean your tinted windows
Regardless of the location of your tinted windows – your car, home or office, you need to keep your tinted windows clean and without damaging the film in the process. The following cleaning instructions therefore, apply to all tinted windows.
Don’t use any abrasive solutions to clean your tinted windows, just keep it simple using clean soapy water or with vinegar or methylated spirits, diluted with water. Baking soda, which is an old household cleaner will scratch your tinted windows, so leave this for use inside your home. Floor cleaners, windows cleaning solutions and sprays can all damage your tints, so stick with soapy water and you will be fine.
It’s worth mentioning squeegees here, because most people use a squeegee to remove the residual water from their windows, which is fine if it has no metal components or bits poking out that will scratch the tints.
Always clean your squeegee before use, making sure to remove any dirt that might cause damage to your tints. If it is an auto tint rather than home or office, be very careful about using squeegees at petrol stations, as these can easily harbour grit and dirt from being dropped into a bucket of dirty water between uses. They can also have jagged metal edges that can scratch the surface of your tints.
Keeping your tinted windows looking flawless is pretty easy really, all it takes is a few simple steps to avoid damaging the surface of your tints. It can’t get much simpler than a microfibre cloth and soapy water!
For more information on professional tinting, call Kustom Window Tinting on 0402 221 505 or shoot us an email.
