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Does anyone know how to get the Rain-X product off of the glass. I screwed up and put it on all exterior glass when I first got my 05 nearly a year ago. I have washed and washed, used Zaino glass polisher, soft-scrub, etc., but to no avail.
My glass is never crystal clear. When the light hits it just right, you can see that there is some kind of residue that acts almost like a prism or thousands of little pits. The fact that it is on every piece of glass makes be believe that it's that darn Rain-X from a year ago.
I'd heard of the denatured alcohol as well - supposedly takes it right off.
I used Rain-X on my Z-28 back in the mid 80's and had problems with yellowing in the corners of the glass - don't know what the problem was; I followed the directions on the package to the letter. All my friends swore by it, I wasn't all that happy and haven't used it since.
This is just a shot in the dark, but you ever hear of overspray?
When I was stationed in San Diego at the Navy Base, we were about 1-2 miles south of a 'nutrasweet' plant. Long story short, pretty much everyone's car was covered in chemicals involved in the making process, which created a light film most people didn't notice, but I and a few others did.
Maybe you're getting some fallout or overspray somewhere, and the rain-x doesn't mix/adhere well to it. Probably not it, but a possibility.
Possible, I guess, but my negative Rain-X experience was in the DC metro area, specificially when I was in the USAF stationed at Ft. Myers. The car was kept outside but kept as clean as possible, and I had a razor scraper (the kind you use to remove stickers and crap) that I'd lightly gone over the glass with - I don't remember seeing any excess residue coming off - but this WAS about 20 years ago and I DID like to drink a lot of beer, so maybe my memories are somewhat foggy). . .
Along those lines, what exactly is the perceived benefit of Rain-X? I know it's supposed to make water bead and roll off easier, and you supposedly don't have to use your wipers as often, but with automatic wipers, is that really an issue? Are there any other benefits to using Rain-X?
Thanks for all of the replies. I guess my question should have been, does anyone notice that their glass isn't crystal clear when just washed and when the light hits the glass just right? I was assuming it was the Rain-X, and it still might be the Rain-X, but I guess I should roll past my dealer and check out the glass on other cars to make sure.
I called them a few months back and they told me use SoftScrub - that it was the only thing that takes the stuff off. I think I'll try the alcohol route, since the glass I saw at the dealer today was clear on the new ones.
yes - the inside has been windexed on a number of occasions. The glass is very "sparkly" as if there is a film on the surfaces, that's why I looked at it being the Rain-X product.
I even apply RainX to the inside of my windows. Only have to do it once as it seems to last forever on the inside and, sure makes cleaning the inside glass MUCH easier
I'm assuming what you're talking about is that you're having problems buffing off the haze that forms when you apply the Rain-X?
What's always worked for me is this:
1. Apply Rain-X and allow to set for a couple minutes. I even apply a second coat over the first to ensure good coverage.
2. Once you've let it sit a bit, get yourself several wet paper towels.
3. Wipe the glass down thoroughly with the wet paper towel to remove most of the haze, then go back and buff glass with a clean, dry cotton cloth.
The trick is to make sure you use plenty of paper towels. Don't try to scrimp and wipe down all the windows with one towel, or even try to rinse the towel out and reuse it. I find that one piece will do half the windshield or one side window, etc and then I toss it.
When finished, if you still see a couple little hazy spots that you missed, repeat with a fresh wet paper towel and then buff dry again. If you're seeing a lot of streaking, then you're not changing paper towels frequently enough.
I even apply RainX to the inside of my windows. Only have to do it once as it seems to last forever on the inside and, sure makes cleaning the inside glass MUCH easier
I do the same thing with the inside glass and have the same experience. The surface becomes slick (seemingly permanently) and it takes much less effort to polish the inside glass.
On the exterior, I like Rain-X on a new windshield but I find it loses much of its effectiveness as the glass becomes pitted. I usually stop applying it after a year or two. I remember many years ago when I used Rain-X for the first time. Shortly afterwards, I was on the freeway when a large bird poop hit the windshield. Over the next minute, I watched in fascination as it blew off completely clean. Ended up with a white streak going across my roof, though.
With regards to the original post, I have never seen Rain-X affect the clarity of the glass. Could you be seeing some kind of pitting perhaps from pollution or other fallout from the atmosphere? If remember correctly, Rain-X actually promotes itself as a very effective solvent that will remove other residues.
I'd be willing to bet that it's on the INSIDE. I know you say that you have Windexed, but the plastic fumes on a new car will coat the inside very quickly. A wet approach on the inside with windex and paper towels usually just smears it around... the reason why you are still seeing the coating, even after Windexing the inside.
I would recommend starting with a glass microfiber (available at most Auto parts stores) and using it DRY on the inside. Then use some paper towel (lots of it) with Windex or Stoners Invisible Glass (at Wallmart and most auto parts stores). Then follow with the glass microfiber with the glass cleaner.
SUBJECT:
Windshield Wipers Are Noisy Or Do Not Clean Properly
MODELS:
All
Situation:
Windshield wiper blades may start to make noise, or fail to clean the windshield properly, even though the blades are not worn and are properly adjusted.
This can be caused by contaminants on the glass, such as oily road deposits or wax residues from car washes. These contaminants can cause the blades to chatter across the glass or fail to wipe cleanly.
Correction:
Common contaminants that are not removed by conventional glass cleaner can be cleaned with Bon Ami(R), a household cleaning product.
The cleaner should be applied on a wet cloth or sponge and the windshield must be thoroughly and evenly scrubbed. Wipe off residue with a clean,dry cloth before the product dries on the glass.
Thanks for all of the replies. I guess my question should have been, does anyone notice that their glass isn't crystal clear when just washed and when the light hits the glass just right? I was assuming it was the Rain-X, and it still might be the Rain-X, but I guess I should roll past my dealer and check out the glass on other cars to make sure.
I am in the DC area, have used RainX for several cars now, and have also noticed the sparkly/pitted look on the windshield. It is a replacement windshield to boot, so this really should not be happening.
It is definitely not the film that RainX can leave behind; I am well familiar with how that looks.
BonAmi sounds worth a try...
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