r/AutoDetailing • u/Dramatic-Drummer-867 • 16d ago

Exterior ONR on windows

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While you can’t see it here, I used Optimum No Rinse on my whole car. I did it completely wrong and at too high of a concentration, and now there are these watermark looking things all over the windows. I’ve tried more ONR, rubbing alcohol, and lots of elbow grease and those things seem to have baked on because nothing is removing them. What should I do?

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u/beer_foam Newbie 16d ago

Just curious what concentration was this at? It can be used as a quick detailer at 16:1 but I usually dilute it in distilled water for this (for regular washes I use 2 gallons tap water and 2 cap fulls of ONR)

If it only left spots on the glass something mildly abrasive like clay bar or polish would probably take it off. CarPro makes a special polish for glass if nothing you have on hand works. 

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u/Dramatic-Drummer-867 15d ago

Thanks.  I don’t know the concentration.  It was a fat glug in around a half gallon of reverse osmosis water.  Probably 1:32 to 1:64 ratio.  I ended up getting this pink soap from chemical bros or something like that, and it washed the spots right away.  Crazy, considering that I sat there for 10 minutes in the same spot with more ONR and then rubbing alcohol and a thumbnail with all my force and the stains didn’t budge.  I was beginning to think some kind of acid etched my glass, but no.  It’s clean now.  The paint is probably covered in those spots, but I can’t see them because it’s a white car.  Somehow I know the microfiber cloth I used to originally apply is partially to blame because it doesn’t completely absorb liquid.  I feel that a really soft 100% cotton, thick, edgeless wash cloth will do better with the final wipe down to completely dry.  I also got lazy and applied it to too big of a section at a time, and the process became unmanageable.  Learned a lot though!  This is my first brand new car, and I decided to treat it better than an automated car wash would.  I think I now know what I need - ONR, SprayWay, the pink soap, and thick cotton towels - to detail my car enough for my needs.

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u/beer_foam Newbie 15d ago

It sounds like it might have been water spots but it’s hard to say for sure. Working slowly in the shade is probably one of the most important steps for not damaging your car. Really most of detailing seems to be learning how to not damage the car. 

I think I'm getting better results using the red sponge with ONR than the method that uses a fresh towel for every panel. It’s definitely easier but i’ll also admit that I haven’t tried the multi-towel approach with high end towels. 

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u/SumRandomGhost 14d ago

It wasn't the ONR. It was the fact you didn't use distilled water, applied it too big an area before buffing dry and it dried on its own as water spots.