What products shall I use to prepare my windows for tinting?
 

What products shall I use to clean my windows before I do the tinting process to my car?? I am alittle confused about whether to use windex or not since most people say if you do use windex then the tint wont stick

Most tint places will do the prep work anyway, so don't worry unless you have some previous film that needs to be removed.

Even then, they steam off the old film and adhesive, chemically clean the windows, and then apply the film.

If you are doing it yourself, use "Sparkle", a non-ammonia-based window cleaner.

Windex (or any ammonia-based cleaner) may cause film discoloration.

If you've ever seen a car with a dark blue or purplish tint color, it's because they used an ammonia-based cleaner.

Allow at least 24 hrs for the film to set before using the roll-down windows...

Two560two, if I read correctly, it seems that you intend to do the tinting yourself (not a shop). If so, I have a few tips as I have done this on my own cars with excellent results:

- wash the entire car very thoroughly first; this will reduce contaminants getting on or under your film
- do the tinting in your garage or some other enclosed space; whatever you do, DO NOT do this in the sun as everything will keep drying up quickly
- splash water on the floor to eliminate dirt from stirring up
- wipe down the dash, steering wheel/console area, door panels, etc. basically the entire interior
- scrape windows with only new razor blades using a mixture of baby shampoo and water as a lubricant
- after scraping or cleaning, spray liquid into cracks, corners, onto rubber weatherstrip, etc. in a "rinsing" motion to get all contaminants out; remember, the cleaner the environment, the better the job will turn out
- to successfully get a matching window curve cut into the film, flip it over and stick it to the outside of the window using the shampoo/water mixture, then trim along the curve of the window
- spray window with liberally with lubricant mixture
- roll window all the way up and slide film into place (with sticky side to window); make it meet just below where the rubber weatherstrip makes contact with the window (usually about 1/4 to 1/2 inch down)
- use one of those "block" squeegees which is basically an irregular wedge-shaped block of rubber; great for reaching tight corners
- use an exacto knife with the blade that breaks off in segments - use a new blade for each and every cut NO EXCEPTIONS

The previous comments about window cleaner are 100% accurate. Use only the purple "Sparkle" glass cleaner as it doesn't contain ammonia. Any other cleaner will fade and/or remove the film. Actually, ammonia is what is used by tint shops to remove the film. Or, like me, just use your absorber after washing/drying the car for streak- and lint-free windows.

One last thing - don't even attempt a rear window with a compound curve. It takes lots of practice. I am usually pretty good at getting some of this "finesse" stuff down i.e. painting, body work, etc. but when it comes to rear window tint - forget it. A good shop will only charge maybe 40 bucks to do it. If you can do the 6 side windows for $20 using a roll of film from the parts store, you've already saved over $100 to $150. Do yourself a favor and let a tint shop do the rear window.

I have nothing useful to add, but found it interesting that all the tinting expertise appears to reside in DFW. Guess I shouldn't be surprised. We do live in a concrete heat island. Ah well, at least it's November and the temperature outside is only 86!

- JimY

thx for the detailed explanation. Will using windex before applying tint do anything to the adhesive of the tint??

Windex or other similar chemicals might be ok to get the grunge off the window, but before getting into the tint, I'd use plain ole clean water, clean rags and elbow grease to get the chemicals off the window before applying the tint.

is it OK to use dish soap instead of baby shampoo for the lubricant mix with water?

No - dish soap leaves a residue and it is sticky and filmy. Use very little baby shampoo in the water, like just a teaspoon in a medium sized spray bottle. Just enough to reduce surface tension and make the water a little "slippery." Baby shampoo doesn't leave the residue that dish soap does. Plus, you can spray it directly in your eyes without crying - BONUS!!!