Play It Safe: How To Protect Your Auto Glass

When it comes to providing protection for your car, you may be missing one vital section; your windshield. If you're not taking steps to protect your windshield, you may be putting yourself and your investment at risk. Here are four simple steps you can take to protect your auto glass, and yourself.

1. Close Your Doors With Care

If you, or members of your family, are in the habit of slamming the car doors, it's time to make some changes. Slamming your doors does more than damage the locking mechanism on your car; it also puts your windshield at risk for damage. If you have cracks in your windshield, the act of slamming the doors could cause additional damage. Not only that, but slamming the doors can loosen the adhesion around your windshield. Unfortunately, if the adhesion is loosened, your windshield won't fit as securely as it should. You can protect your windshield by closing your car doors with care.

2. Maintain Your Windshield Wipers

If you're not maintaining your wipers properly, you could be damaging your windshield. Dirt, debris and sand on your wiper blades can do considerable harm to your windshield. In fact, those tiny pieces of debris could be causing scratches across the glass. Unfortunately, those tiny scratches can undermine the structural integrity of your windshield. To avoid problems, clean your windshield blades at least once a week, and replace your blades several times a year.

3. Protect Your Window Tinting

If the windows in your car are tinted, you want to take care when cleaning the glass. You may think that grabbing the cleaner that you use on your residential windows is the way to go, but that's not actually the case. Most glass cleaners that you use on your residential windows contain ammonia, which can destroy the tinting on your auto windows. To avoid damage to the tinting, never use cleaning sprays that contain ammonia.

4. Sweat the Small Stuff

If you've got chips or small cracks in your windshield, don't postpone the repairs. Instead, always sweat the small stuff, including those small chips that are caused by flying debris on the road. Small blemishes in your auto glass can obstruct your field of vision. Not only that, but small cracks and chips will expand under extreme conditions. The best thing you can do for your car, and for your safety, is repair even small chips and cracks as soon as possible.