Crystal Clear Glass: The Practical Guide to Windscreen Treatments and Coatings

Never work on a dirty car. Give the whole thing a good wash to make sure no dirt from the roof drips down onto your clean glass while you're working.

Lift the wipers up. Use a bit of glass cleaner on a rag and wipe the rubber blades. You'll be shocked at the black gunk that comes off.

Run your masking tape along the rubber seals and the plastic cowl at the bottom of the screen. Glass polish turns white on plastic and it's a mongrel to get off later.

Give the screen a heavy spray of glass cleaner and a thorough wipe to remove the surface dust and bird droppings.

Lube up the glass and run the clay bar over it. You'll hear it 'singing' at first as it hits grit. Keep going until it's silent and slides like butter.

Use a fresh towel to make sure there's not a drop of water left, especially around the edges where the tape is.

Put a few pea-sized drops on your applicator. Work in small sections (about a quarter of the screen at a time).

Use firm, overlapping circular motions. You're trying to break down the 'road film', that oily layer that builds up from exhaust fumes and bitumen.

Use a clean microfiber to buff away the polish residue. It should look incredibly clear now.

This is the most important step. Spray your IPA mix onto a cloth and wipe the whole screen. This removes any oils from the polish so the sealant can 'bite' into the glass.

Give it 2 minutes to make sure every bit of alcohol has evaporated. Grab a coffee, but don't touch the glass with your bare hands!

If using a ceramic like G1, apply it in small circular motions using the suede cloth. Cover the whole screen evenly.

Most coatings need to 'flash' or haze up. In the Aussie heat, this might only take 5-10 minutes. If it's a humid arvo in Queensland, it might take longer.

For windscreens, I always put a second layer on immediately after the first hazes. It ensures total coverage.

While the windscreen is curing, do your side windows and mirrors. You don't need to polish these as hard, but the repellent helps heaps with visibility during heavy rain.

Use a fresh, dry microfiber to buff off the haze. If it's stubborn, some kits come with a 'residue remover', use it sparingly.

Get a torch (or your phone light) and look at the glass from an angle. If you see rainbow smears, buff them out now before they harden.

Pull the masking tape off at a 45-degree angle. Look at that clean line, satisfying, isn't it?

Clean the *inside* of the glass now. Often, what looks like a smudge on your new coating is actually just a finger mark on the inside from when you were moving the sun visor.

Don't let the car get wet for at least 12 hours. If it's going to rain, chuck it in the garage. The coating needs time to chemically bond.