Windows can be an auto detailer’s worst nightmare, what with all the streaks and hard-to-reach areas to contend with. Let’s face it. You can’t fake your way into a clean window. It’s either clean or it’s not, and giving it a wipe and a promise just doesn’t cut it.

That’s because windows are, well, as clear as glass. Any streak or mediocre effort on your part shows up on the not-so-finished product. Adding injury to insult, some streaks don’t appear until after the cleaning solution has dried, leaving you – the “professional” auto detailer – looking silly. Talk about product betrayal!

Of course the solution to all this is to be sure to use quality window-cleaning products. Some professional detailers prefer using aerosol for this chore, while others swear by liquid products. This being America and all, the choice is yours. Both have their good qualities and their bad, but as long as they’re quality cleaners, they’ll both work just fine.

The thing we like best about an aerosol window cleaner over a liquid product is the foam. Just like with car wash soap, it’s comforting to watch the foam hit the deck running on those tough areas where you need something strong to lift dirt off of the surface.

Lots of people who like to detail their own vehicles at home say they prefer aerosol window cleaners because, while it’s pricier than liquid cleaner, they don’t perform this chore enough to break the bank.

However, if you’re doing a lot of glass cleaning, a liquid glass or window cleaneris a real money saver. A quality liquid window cleaner can work every bit as well as aerosol and can save you cash at the same time. The only drawback to liquid cleaners is that it might be more difficult to immediately see the streaks that you didn’t fully wipe off.

But the best way to ensure a clean automobile window is to use the window cleaning tools and window cleaning towels that are specifically developed for automobiles.