Can You Clean Car Windows With Newspaper?
Reviewed by the Skyview Auto Glass technical team — NWRD-, ASE- and DINITROL-trained technicians · Updated November 2026
Quick answer
It is an old trick that worked when newsprint ink had solvent properties, but modern inks and thin paper smear, tear, and shed lint on car glass. A low-lint microfiber cloth in a two-towel method cleans better and leaves no residue. Newspaper will not harm plain glass, but it is no longer the best tool for the job.
The newspaper trick — myth and fact
Newspaper leaves glass streak-free because the ink acts like a solvent.
Older oil-based inks did lift grime. Modern inks are different, and today’s thin paper tears, sheds lint, and smears the ink itself across the glass.
Newspaper is better than microfiber for car windows.
A low-lint microfiber cloth, used damp to clean and dry to buff, traps grime and leaves no lint. Newspaper cannot match it on modern glass.
Why the trick faded
The newspaper method dates to a time when newsprint used oil-based inks that acted as a mild solvent on glass. Wiping with a crumpled sheet lifted grime and left a streak-free shine, or so the story went. The glass itself was never in danger — newspaper is too soft to scratch it.
Two things changed. Modern inks are formulated differently and no longer have the same solvent effect, and today’s newsprint is thinner, so it tears when damp and sheds fibers that stick to the glass. The result is a smeared, lint-flecked finish that takes a second pass with a real cloth to clean up. Microfiber does the job in one.
Newspaper versus microfiber today
Newspaper
- Modern inks smear across the glass instead of lifting grime.
- Thin paper tears when damp and sheds lint.
- Leaves ink residue on your hands and the seals.
- Will not scratch plain glass, but will not clean it well either.
Microfiber
- Traps grime and liquid instead of pushing it around.
- Leaves no lint on a clear finish.
- Reusable and washable without fabric softener.
- Reaches into corners with a tight, low-pile weave.
For a streak-free finish on modern car glass, a low-lint microfiber cloth is the better tool. Newspaper will not hurt the glass, but it will not clean it the way it once did.
Use the two-towel method instead
One damp microfiber cloth cleans, one dry cloth buffs, and the glass finishes clear with no lint. Wash the cloths without fabric softener so the fibers stay absorbent. See our streak-free guide.
More questions about newspaper and car glass
Does newspaper scratch car windows?
No, newspaper is too soft to scratch plain automotive glass. The problem is not damage — it is that modern inks smear and thin paper sheds lint, leaving a finish that needs a real cloth to clean up.
Why did newspaper work in the past?
Older oil-based newsprint inks acted as a mild solvent on glass. Modern inks are formulated differently and lack that effect, so the trick no longer delivers the streak-free result it once did.
What should I use instead of newspaper?
A low-lint microfiber cloth in a two-towel method — one damp, one dry — cleans modern car glass better than newspaper and leaves no lint. See our cloth guide.
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