We see several car cleaning products available in the market these days but not all the products are suitable for all parts of your vehicle. Windex is one such brand producing a large variety of glass and hard surface cleaning products in America. Now if you are wondering whether it is safe to use Windex on your tinted windows or not, then we have got the answer to your question.
Can You Use Windex On Tinted Windows?
Well, the answer to this very question is both a yes and no, let’s have a look at why? Windex comes in different variants: Original Windex, Ammonia-free Windex, Green Windex, and many more.
The original Windex cleaner is formed of various acidic and harmful ingredients that might potentially help in deep cleaning of windows and giving it a shiny look but at the same time, it can ruin the tint on windows.
If you plan to remove your tints in the coming future, it might not affect that much but if you plan to stick them for long, think about using them.
What makes Windex not suitable for tinted windows?
Windex originally contains ammonium hydroxide which can damage the window tint over time and can unglue it from the window.
Windex contains 3 cleaning agents: 2-hexoxyethanol, Isopropanolamine, and Ammonium Hydroxide. Ammonium Hydroxide being the most reactive is harmful to cleaning tinted windows. Although it helps in cleaning bacteria from the glass or hard surface but being basic it can immensely react with tint( containing PET which is acidic) and can cause harm to your tinted window.
Ammonia can make your window tint crack and can immensely affect your tinted windows in many other ways. Although, you can use it on the outer side of the window glass but try to avoid using it on the inner painted side as it can break the tint.
Is it harmful to use Windex on all kinds of Tint?
There are majorly 5 types of window tint: Dyed Tint, Metalized Tint, Hybrid Tint, Carbon Tint, and Ceramic Tint, all of them contain acid chemicals which when react with ammonia containing Windex, can damage the tint over time. It is advised not to use the original Windex even on the factory tint windows for cleaning purposes.
Safe to use ammonia-free Windex on tinted windows
Windex comes in various variants, you can use ammonia-free Windex glass cleaners to clean the tinted windows, you can also use vinegar, soap, and water solution to clean the tinted window.
Ammonia-free Windex cleaners that are safe to use on tinted windows include Windex Ammonia-free glass cleaner, Windex Vinegar glass cleaner, Windex disinfectant cleaner multi-surface, and Windex all in one starter kit.
The thing that makes these Windex cleaners suitable for use on tinted windows is that they are free from ammonium hydroxide and do not cause any harm to the tint.
What Happens If You Use Windex on Tinted Windows?
Windex can immensely harm tinted windows causing streaks in the tint, making the tint purple, and can also damage it over time and that is the reason it is advised not to use it on the painted side.
Original Windex contains Ammonia as a cleaning agent which can cause reactions if rubbed against a surface containing acidic chemicals. The tint is made of PET which is an acid and when Windex is used on tinted windows to clean that, it instead immensely reacts and unglues the tint.
Ammonia is known to fade the colour of the object so when you use Windex for cleaning the tinted windows it will slowly start fading the tint and can also cause immense damage and cracks to your car window in long-term use.
Verdict
Using Windex on the tinted windows can be harmful as the ammonia present in it can damage and cause streaks in the tint and make it fade. For cleaning purposes, it is safe to use ammonia-free Windex cleaners on the inside of the tinted windows.