Clear Vision: How to Treat Your Windscreen for the Aussie Elements

Never, ever work on hot glass. If you apply polish or sealant to a windscreen that's been sitting in the 40-degree Aussie sun, it'll flash off instantly and leave a mess that's bloody hard to level out. Get it in the garage or under a carport.

Give the whole car a wash first, or at least the top half. You don't want dirt from the roof running down onto your clean glass halfway through the process.

Take a cloth with some glass cleaner and wipe down the rubber blades. You'll be shocked at the black gunk that comes off. If they're cracked, chuck 'em and get new ones.

Run your masking tape along the rubber gaskets and any plastic trim at the base of the windscreen (the cowl). Glass polish turns white when it dries and it's a prick to get out of black plastic grains.

Use your clay bar with plenty of lube. Glide it over the glass until it stops 'grabbing' and moves silently. This is removing the iron filings and tree sap.

Make sure there's no water hiding under the seals. Blow it out with a vac or use a fresh microfiber.

Put a few pea-sized drops of glass polish on your applicator. Work in small sections (about 40x40cm).

Use firm pressure and overlapping circular motions. You're not just wiping; you're gently abrading the surface to remove water spots and old residues.

Wipe the polish off with a damp cloth and inspect. If you still see 'ghosting' from old water spots, give it another go. Made this mistake myself on a black Commodore once, thought it was clean, put the coating on, and the spots were locked underneath. Never again.

This is the most important part. Spray your IPA mix onto a clean towel and wipe the glass thoroughly. This removes the oils from the polish so the sealant can actually bond to the 'naked' glass.

If your coating came with those little suede cloths and a foam block, wrap the cloth around the block.

Apply the product in straight, overlapping horizontal lines. Don't go crazy with the amount, a little goes a long way.

Immediately go over the same area with vertical lines. This ensures 100% coverage with no missed spots.

Depending on the brand (and if it's a humid arvo in Queensland), you usually wait 1-5 minutes. The product will start to look slightly hazy or 'bead up' on itself.

Use a clean, low-pile microfiber to gently wipe away the excess. Don't push too hard; you're just leveling it.

Switch to a fresh waffle-weave towel for a final buff until the glass is crystal clear. If it feels 'grabby', you might need a tiny spritz of water to help level it.

Repeat for the side glass. I usually don't coat the wing mirrors with the same stuff because the wind doesn't hit them to blow the water off, sometimes causing more spots.

Keep the car dry for at least 12 hours. If it rains 20 minutes after you finish, the coating will likely fail. Plan your weather window!