Glass cleaners tested

The low winter sun can highlight a mucky windscreen, but wipers and screenwash won’t remove all the road grime. That’s where a specialist spray can help – and Turtle Wax has just launched its new Sparkling Glass Cleaner.

It’s meant for use with kitchen towel, and claims to cut through all kinds of dirt – just like our reigning Best Buy from Comma. So we compared the two.

After dividing our test car’s windscreen down the middle, we sprayed each product on to some kitchen towel and applied one sheet of each to the inside and outside of the glass.

We assessed the spray pattern and ease of use, and crucially whether they removed insect marks, fingerprints and wiper smears. Scent was also a factor – you don’t want an overpowering smell in the cabin. Plus, we rated bottle sizes and compared prices to work out which is better value.

Sparkling Glass Cleaner is a welcome addition to this market. It’s a competent cleaner that will easily remove sat-nav suction cup marks and doesn’t smell too bad. However, it’s held back by its price and bottle size; the Comma is better value.

The newcomer: Turtle Wax Sparkling Glass Cleaner

Price: £6.49 (500ml)

Contact: www.halfords.com

Rating: ★★★★

There’s not much to separate the new Turtle Wax from the Comma. It has the same twist trigger – our preferred option – which makes spraying just the right amount of the formula on to your glass a breeze. Plus, the Turtle Wax’s citrus smell is very similar to its rival’s. On the inside of the screen, Sparkling Glass Cleaner left a streak-free finish and easily removed fingerprints. But it struggled a little when it came to shifting dead insects on the outside, and we had to use more of it to get the same result as the Comma. Ultimately, thanks to its higher price and smaller pack size, the newcomer couldn’t topple our reigning champion.

The main rival: Comma Glass Cleaner

Price: £4.29 (750ml)

Contact: 01474 564311, commaoil.com

Rating: ★★★★★

It doesn’t come in such a bright and colourful pack, so doesn’t stand out on the shelves like the new Turtle Wax, but Comma’s Glass Cleaner has been a test winner for the past nine years, as it’s such great value for money. You get a huge 750ml for the £4.29 price, which means you can afford to use twice as much – a good job, as its spray pattern wasn’t quite as wide as its new rival’s. Yet it shifts dead insects from your glass without too much effort – one wipe was all it took us. The citrus smell makes it pleasant to use inside the car, too, and it left a streak-free finish here.