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Hints | Tips on How to Reduce Glare on Car Windows
Glare is a huge enemy to drivers with low vision-especially those with sensitivity to light and/or albinism. Keeping one's car windows scrupulously clean is the first step in reducing glare.
Why Keeping Car Windows Clean Is Important
The effects of glare are magnified since dirty windows tend to scatter light rays thus blinding the driver. This becomes especially troublesome to the low vision or normally sighted driver when bright sun low in the sky is present or from car headlights and streetlights at night.
Keeping windows clean on the inside is also important as the plastics used in car interiors give off vapors into the air that clings onto the windshield and other interior windows leading to a film that causes a lot of fogging and can severly reduce visibility. Female drivers in particular should take note since the perfume they wear will also leave a residue on the inside windows after a short time as well.
Driving with dirty auto windows is a huge safety hazard and one that can be reduced by carefully cleaning all windows every few days-both inside and out.
How To Clean Auto Windows
Before you begin, try not to clean windows in direct sunlight as the glass cleaner dries too quickly leaving streaks. A good glass cleaner for automotive use is Rain-X Foaming Glass Cleaner. Since it's a foam it is much easier for those with vision disabilities to see where it was applied and doesn't spray all over the painted surfaces of the car. It is also better at removing stubborn road grime, tar and tree sap than regular glass cleaners and leaves less streaks.
Thoroughly clean all exterior and interior windows along with the rearview mirror and side mirrors. Before you clean the winshield from the inside you should wipe the top of the dashboard with a damp cloth as the vinyl gives off vapors that collect as a film on the windows. For the rear interior window it might be best to remove the headrests to get easier access to the entire glass surface. On my Toyota Camry I simply press the little button at the base of the headrest and they slide right up and off.
Once all your inside windows are clean you can choose to also apply Rain-X Anti Fog spray as it helps prevent fogging of interior windows. I apply it to all inside windows and mirrors as it virtually eliminates foggy windows on those damp mornings.
Reducing Glare On the Windsheild With Rain-X
Now that your windows are thoroughly clean there is one last product that you should apply to the outside of the windshiled. It's called Rain-X Original Glass Treatment. Don't let the rain aspect of its name fool you as it does a lot more than that. Besides helping to wisk water away from your windshield when it rains, it helps reduce glare-I mean the difference is amazing. What Rain-X does is help fill the microscopic pores in the glass, which forces rain, sleet and snow to bead-up and roll off and also to reduce the scattering of light rays. The effects of Rain-X are especially noticeable when the sun is low in the sky or when looking at oncoming car headlights at night. Even though it takes a few more minutes to apply every two or three weeks, I swear by Rain-X and even got my Mom hooked on it after I applied it on her Honda Accord's windhsield. Remember that the Rain-X glass treatment has to be reapplied every few weeks onto clean glass and is for outside windows only-do NOT use inside the car! There are other brands that claim to do the same thing, but I've never tried them. If you have tried other brands then please leave a comment below with your experience.
I hope that you found this article useful and welcome your thoughts, suggestions and opinions via the comment form below.
YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS DRIVING ARTICLE...
Hello,
I have never tried Rain-X but I will be purchasing it very soon. It sounds like it does an spectacular job.
Thank you for the referral.
Warm Regards,
Denise Freeman
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