Windshield Repair Forum

Recently I did a windshield repair & noticed that my mirrors suction cup on the inside of the windshield left a suction cup ring mark.
I instructed the customer that it could be cleaned with some water & paper towels.
Not giving the customer a full explanation always bothers me.
I am a newbie having only repaired about 30 windshields with two months experience.
The explanation I found on another website forum was that
The suction cups are made from vinyl and the suns heat causes (out-gassing) this is the plasticizer evaporating.

Sounds like a great explanation for customers. Not sure if this is the real cause?
Customer paid & was very happy with the repairs. =)

Updating my kit with windshield cleaners & towels Any recommendations?

Up until this point I have used standard lint free paper towels & everything looked spotless.

Has anyone tried 1:1 solution of Isopropyl alcohol and distilled water?
Read that this removes windshield residue left from suction cups.

Windex or any glass cleaner will remove these marks with a little elbow grease added in the mix.

Seems like this happens mostly when the W/S is hot or at least pretty warm. When I stick the UV shield to the hot roof to fix a chip that's high on the W/S and the roof is hot this will happen more often. A little spritz of cleaner and a scrub with a towel gets it off.

I use dawn dishwasher(liquid).I just squirt a little in my bottle with water. I ALWAYS clean mirror marks off the inside as well as clean the outside.Most of the time the inside mirror mark is the only way the customer can find the scar.I hope that helps!

This is for real? Telling a customer how to clean your mess because you aren't prepared to do it yourself? Sorry man, but that's unbelievable to me.

As a side point, I would suggest learning how to to WSR without mirrors. Problem solved! I tried it once... about 20 years ago. Trust me, you don't need them.

No its fake....?
Not using mirrors? How do you check for air & water from different angles? Not using mirrors to your advantage for 20 years! If my eyes could see windshield damage the way they can when a mirror is attached I would be super human. My vision last checked was 20/10. I can see at 20 feet what a person with normal vision can see only when they are 10 feet away. Being prepared is the most important aspect. In this situation I was not prepared for the suction cup mark as it usually wipes right away. Giving the customer information as to how to go forward from that point was all I could offer at the time. I will stick with my mirrors & add the cleaning tools to my kit for the future.

I always clean the entire windshield inside and out, not just the affected areas. First off, it shows the customer that you take the time to provide some extra customer service. And secondly, there is nothing better (to me) than to get in your vehicle and have a clean window. It only takes an extra minute at the most and its good to see and hear the customers reaction when they notice that you are doing more than just the repaired area. Just my two cents...

If you are going to work fleet, car lots or customers cars without the customer present, you had better learn to work without a mirror. Locked cars....
If needed slide the bridge off to see what you have done or not done..... I / we verry seldom even go inside the cars to see what the repair looked like.....

You better learn how to walk before you can run with the big boys......

Dawn / water mix all the way....

I can repair with or without a mirror, for sure with is a lot better. Not sure I can run with the big boys but I can cycle fast.

Guys the inside of the glass is already dirty, just placing the mirror on that will leave a slight mark, I never clean the complete screen.

If the vehicle door is unlocked, I sometimes prefer to look at the break from the inside instead of using a mirror. As a courtsey I clean the WS and inside if I use a mirror or flame on the inside. A vast number of the vehicles I repair have dirty dash boards and the inside of the WS has a greasy film and are dirty. Some people just dont take care of their vehicles. Iam from the south and doing the little extra , like cleaning the WS after a repair makes good customer relations.