Have you bought a bulletproof car or are looking to buy one? Here’s a bit of information you will need to maintain the ideal properties of your ballistic glass and how to clean bulletproof glass.
Ballistic glass is made of several layers of laminated glass and plastic and is considered bullet resistant. It will provide protection to the occupants of the vehicle against all bullets listed in the specifications. The inside surface of the laminate is a material called polycarbonate. It prevents slivers of glass from flying around inside the car if the outer layer of glass were to be impacted by bullets or other objects.
Even though the polycarbonate on the inside surface has an abrasive resistant coating, it still scratches very easily. The polycarbonate may be damaged if care and maintenance are inadequate.
Please use the following instructions for the best way to clean and maintain bullet-resistant glass:
Cleaning the Outside Surface:
The outside surface of the ballistic glass is regular glass. It is as fragile as regular glass, so treat it carefully so it doesn’t get damaged.
Use normal window cleaning materials to clean the outside surface of the glass (such as Windex™) with clean rags.
Caution:
- Do not use solvents or chemically aggressive materials to clean the glass.
- Do not leave water on the glass. Dry the glass well when wet so that salts in the water do not stain the glass after evaporation.
- Do not use high-pressure water to wash the vehicle.
Cleaning the Inside Surface:
The inside polycarbonate surface is even more fragile than glass. Be careful when touching it, as it can scratch and damage easily. If the inside surface does get stained, use gauze dampened with isopropyl alcohol and wipe gently.
Caution:
- Do not use dry or dirty clothes on the inner surface.
- Do not scratch or rub stains. Any scratch on the polycarbonate is permanent and cannot be repaired or removed.
- Do not use abrasive cleaners on the inner surface.
- Do not use chemicals, even common glass cleaners, on the inner surface.
- Avoid touching the inner surface with metallic objects and especially do not attempt to remove stains with a metal-edged object.
Special Recommendations:
Ballistic glass is much heavier than regular glass and it behaves differently under heat. Here are some recommendations when using your bulletproof vehicle to ensure your car remains completely protected:
- Do not close a door with window glasses partially open. The weight of the glass may cause it to break.
- Do not travel with a window partially open. Again, due to the weight of the glass and the vibrations of the road, the glass may break.
- Even with the glass completely up and closed, take care when closing the heavy doors. Do not slam the doors.
- More suggestions for proper care of ballistic glass are contained in the “Transparent Armor Maintenance” section.
- Always use your seat belts. In case of an accident, hitting your head against the bullet-resistant glass may cause serious injury.
- Thermal shock may cause damage to the laminated glass because the glass and polycarbonate react differently due to drastic temperature changes.
- Avoid all drastic temperature changes.
- Attempt to always park in a shaded area.
- If you must park in the hot sun, position the car so that the windshield is not pointed directly at the sun.
- If possible, leave the sunroof or a small vent window open.
