Motorcycle Helmets - Visor - Windscreen Cleaner

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There's a great old-style auto parts store in the local village that's been there since Henry Ford was buying flame decals for his knicker buttons.  Even though their prices are about twice as high as the nearby Wal-Mart, I'm always looking for an excuse to get down there to buy something, chat with the old-timers behind the counter, and check out the aisle displays.

The place looks like it hasn't changed in at least 50 years.  They still give out those old-fashioned calendars every year -- the ones with the graphics that look like they were last updated during the Hoover administration.

One day I was standing at the counter and I happened to glimpse this can of Sprayway Glass Cleaner out of the corner of my eye.  I couldn't believe the colors and the design of the label -- it's fantastic, and looks like it stepped right out of the '50's.  I had to buy it, if only for the way it looked!  I had never heard of the product before, and had no idea how good it might work.  I just love the look and feel of the old days, and even though I figured this can might have been sitting on the shelf for 30 years, I had to have it.

Was I surprised when I got it home and realized the stuff really works great!  It contains no ammonia, so it's apparently safe to use on motorcycle helmets, helmet visors and motorcycle windscreens.  It has what I can only describe as a '50's smell to it too; a nice scent like something you remember from when Mom was cleaning windows in the days before Windex  (does anyone remember "Glass Wax", the Pepto-Bismol colored stuff used to clean glass?  You could buy stencils of Santa and snowmen and Christmas trees and use the Glass Wax to decorate your windows...).

I've since come to find out that Sprayway Glass Cleaner is a popular and well-regarded product in the high-end automotive detailing business.  The consensus is that it doesn't streak, and it cleans up glass and plastic really well, including soft plastics like automotive window tinting.  It also doesn't leave any residue.  When my wife heard we were doing a review of the product, the first thing she said is "Oh, that stuff is great!  It doesn't streak at all!

While the Sprayway label doesn't say anything specifically about using it on motorcycle helmets or visors or windscreens, I use it on everything and it does a better job than any of the motorcycle-specific cleaners that I've found for this purpose. 

When the Sprayway Glass Cleaner is applied, it immediately foams up into a nice, thick coating.  I usually leave it on for about 15-30 seconds, depending upon how much dirt and/or bugs are stuck on the plastic.  It seems to loosen everything up, then I buff it clean with a soft cloth and the plastic really sparkles!

I also use it to clean my helmets and pretty much any other plastic on a motorcycle.  By the way, it also works great on glass!

The Sprayway Glass Cleaner doesn't have any wax or polish in the formula like, for example, the popular Plexus cleaner.  But I find this is a benefit, because the waxes can leave some streaking and can make it harder to buff the plastic to a nice shine. 

The wax in some formulations is supposed to help prevent bugs and grime from sticking to the visor or windscreen.  Many visors are treated with a special coating and certain waxes seem to be better than others at preventing bug buildup when applied over those visors.  In any case, it's a good idea to simply use a product that will keep the visor as clean as possible as quickly as you can after the bugs have messed up the view and Sprayway works really well for doing just that.

It turns out that the local auto parts store bought only one case of Sprayway just to try it, and it immediately sold out.  You may have some difficulty finding the product; Sprayway, Inc. has been around for 50 years or so, but is mostly known as a supplier of cleaning products to industry. 

They don't have anywhere near the marketing budget of any of the big grocery store brands, and it's pretty tough to get shelf space when you don't ante up the big bucks, no matter how good your product is.  Fortunately, there are plenty of online retailers for Sprayway products, and you can find the 19 oz. (539 grams) can for around $3.25.  Well worth it!

And please Sprayway, don't ever change that label design!

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