Michael O'Hair

I'll add something here. While you're cleaning the glass, do the headlights, taillight and all the rest. Your basic "road film" on headlights really cuts down the effective distance.
----- Original Message -----
From: Rick C Johnson
To: OBRA ; bendcycling@yahoogroups.com

It's time for my annual clean your car windows reminder.

Rick C Johnson

It's time for my annual clean your car windows reminder. As we head into
the time of year where we more often drive in low light or darkness it's
important that everyone has clean windows. The enemy is the creeping
crud that has built up on the /inside/ of your windows as a result of
the plastisizers being baked
out of your vinyl dashboard during the heat of summer. This particularly
affects the windshield and is not often apparent until you encounter
fogging conditions or otherwise attempt to wipe the inside of the
window. It is then that it becomes clear how much the crud is affecting
the view.

Best cleaning results are obtained with a strong multipurpose cleaner
that is intended for glass. The cheaper glass cleaners contain only
ammonia and are very poor at dissolving the plastisizers. Be prepared to
use several towels (the blue paper "shop" towels work well) and plenty
of elbow grease. Don't quit until the entire surface looks (and feels)
clear and smooth.
Taking things one step further applying a water shedding or anti-fog
glass treatment is also a great idea (Rain-X
on
the outside, anti-fog on the inside of course). You will be amazed by
how much better you can see through what you thought was a window that
"wasn't that bad". And as the saying goes, "good vision is no accident".

I'll close by also asking you to remember how many times has an accident
occurred where the driver claimed, "I just didn't see the other person"?
Please forward this to everyone you know. Too often that other person is
a cyclist and the life you save could be your own.

Rick

Disclosure: I am not associated with the Rain-X company in any way. But
I have been using their products for many years because quite simply
they work.