Octanguy told me he never uses his washer fluid. Hm.

I was asking what fluid I should use. I have near full line of griot's stuff going on. I do not want to remove any of it with some stupid fluid squirting everwhere!

I read quite a bit about glass cleaning in general. I read about jwardells aquapel, read a bit about 303 treatment, read about newspaper cleaning, the dangers of ammonia based cleaners, polishers and rainex, etc.

Came up with a big ol 0 as far as what to do when you add all of these nice things to anti freeze washer fluid.

In NY, you must have washer fluid that will not freeze. you will rupture all your tanks and lines without it, as well as not be able to see in the winter. I decided against aguapel stuff as it costs way to much to consider. I decided against rainx as well. I like to clean the crud out of my glass 1-2x a week. I live in a chemical death zone where it also rains and mists often.

303 says its the safest, best thing. It seems like it is a winner and seems nice and cheap as it is in tablet form which would last me a couple years per box I am guessing.

Stupid thing is it says you can mix it with anti-freeze fluids if needed. Whats the point of that? Methanol in the fluid will remove wax. thats really bad. What else is there to mix this stuff with? I actually have 100% lab grade methanol in large bottles in my garage. I could just mix some into water instead of buying 1 dollar blue crap.

WHat to do for a NY'er who wants to not kill his carnauba shine?

 

Help me, I'm confused...

Are you looking for something to mix with windshield washer fluid? Or something to use seperately?

I'm not super-big on windshield washer fluid unless I've got a visible layer of dust, or bugs, or something going and I won't be able to do anything about it anytime soon. The reason for this is I am semi-OCD and having my windshield clean in the areas where the wipers go and dirty where they don't is enough to send me off the deep end - unless whatever that's on the windshield is in my direct line of sight, in which case, it's got to come off or IT will send me off the deep end.

But I did try Aquapel after reading the post about it and I really do like it. It's not really a cleaner, though - it's more like a wax (much like Rain-X only longer-lasting) that causes water to sheet off the windshield. Really good in heavy rains and actually keeps you from having to use your wipers nearly as much as you normally would.

As far as what I do normally - washer fluid when necessary while driving, Aquapel for water repellant/sheeting action, and then when I actually wash my windows, I use Hope's Perfect Glass, and not because I have any idea of what is or isn't in it, but because it doesn't streak EVER (another OCD twinge of mine).

Are you saying regular washer fluid is bad for your wax? I've never heard that before, but I'd be interested in the details.

 

see, you live in california.

kinda doesnt apply. I do thank you for tackling my question though.

It is apparent that there is nothing in existence to purchase in a store that will both clean your window while driving and not remove you wax.

In NY City, the problem isnt water sheeting, its road grime when it isnt a downpour. it never is a downpour except for like 2-3 times a year and most of that is in the summer. If you run out of wash fluid in the winter on a trip it disables you from driving completely. One goes through 1 gallon in month at times. That's a big factor when considering how powerful a solvent methanol is.

I hear prestone is great and also it makes for a really disgusting view which means it also sux.

I wonder if I dilute the blue winter stuff will it be ok. less of a concentration might make it fine.

Maybe I should get some aquapel stuff. Then at least I would be using less fluid per squirt. hm.

 

I'm a fan of the prestone stuff. Here in the wilds of deepest darkest Hooterville good washer fluid is very important. You've got to get the grunge off to see. The summer Preston works for bugs & tobacco juice & the winter mix has a rain x like affect to it. If I lived in Cali I'd just use Perrier water.

 

do you seriously live in a place called hooterville?

got take some photo's of the ladies there for me


oh back to what I was talking about, Prestone is fine then eh? how about on natural wax finish?

 

My guess is you are too young to know of the real Hooterville. Drive over to Pixly & ask them about it. Maybe catch a rerun on Nick at Night.

Back on topic.... I keep my cars waxed & the washer fluid doesn't seem to do any harm.

 

lol thanx. Im 31.

ive heard of hoovervilles

yeah i guess thats good advice. doesnt do much.

 

being in the northeast, in winter diluting the washer fluid could be dangerous if at night with oncoming traffic you squirt washer fluid on and the diluting with water causes it to freeze up on your windshield.....I use my washer fluid a lot in the winter when on a highway after it has snowed and every car in front of you is spraying road muck on you

most washer fluids full strength say they are good down to minus 20 degrees, but I've seen it freeze across my windshield at plus 10, so I always go for the brands that say good to minus 25 or more....I'd rather have better visibility and not worry too much about it removing some wax....

 

well.

this forum is for people picky about looks

Looks over performance, performance over safetey.

Looks rule all!

I think I will make my own liquid. Bottle it, and sell it. Not much else to do.
Something to consider about that freezing ability of the wash liquid. That stuff has methanol in it, it really really wants to vaporize. The speed of your car is pushing it to vaporize faster. There is a partial vacuum being punched out of the air, especially with the mini's boxy shape. You are aspirating some of that liquid. I bet it freezes itself momentarily. If you take that same liquid and pour it on the ground, it will not freeze up. try this. As a liquid goes into a gas, it takes a lot of heat to do that, chilling itself for a moment. Just an idea but try to pour that same liquid out onto the pavement or onto snow even better (so it doesnt want to evaporate as much)

I wonder if I have figured out something new or not .

Well. still no answer yet. Have I checkmated the detailing forums?

 

First, Aquapel is not a window cleaner. Second, I don't own it. :p

Aquapel WILL however make it tougher for grime, snow, etc, to adhere to the window and will make it easier for your cleaners to remove it.

As for a real window cleaner, I still use 1Z Scheibenklar and an MF towel or newspaper.
http://www.1z-usa.com/sys-tmpl/winds...lasscleaners1/

But what I think you are asking is, what windshield washer fluid do you use.

To be honest, the cheapest I can get. Yeah, the 99-cent bottle at the supermarket.

I hate using the windshield washer, because I know it will leave spots all over my windows, and A-pillars, and side windows. So I try not to. But of course in new england, as you have said, certain days you won't be able to drive a mile without using it repeatedly! In which case I know I'm not wasting my money pumping expensive stuff into the air.

FWIW, I've read good stuff abou thoses 303 tabs that you add to water.

 

I just got off the phone with 303 products guy.

If you are in a place where it never gets below 40 degrees, you are in luck. They explained how their cleaner does not affect car wax if you dilute it to 1 tablet per 1 gallon. They said that the only way to notice their product is if people use 2/3 of their resevoir, pop a tablet, fill up, and keep doing this until the concentration increases. if this happens, and the stuff dries on the car, a white spot can occur. However, and here is the key to the product being probably a good one, it will just sit on the surface and be washed off easily at a later date.

If you are a person like me who lives in a colder climate area, you must start with anti freeze liquid and stick with it. Imagine just using water and 303 and not using your jets that often, winter comes, your screwed. Guy on the phone says you can use non toxic isopropyl alcohol or cheaper methanol. He actually recommends mixing it yourself (as much as one can recommend anything speaking for a company, which is a brief mention at best).

I looked up isopropyl. It appears that it has a higher freezing point. Also, it is a decent wax remover. If one only had to add like 10% to water, eh, wouldnt matter in a rainy situation. however, it appears you need like 40% + !!!! that would do a nice job cleaning off my detailing products. Methanol isnt as good of a cleaner and he said that it is cheap, toxic and probably better to use. I am guessing that im goign to use tap water, methanol and 303.

Nice people, going to try their product along with their wiper blade treatment instead of doing rainx or aquapel. It rains so much here that the problem isnt rain but road grime and mist from tires, never is the rain from above a problem on the oldest and most untreated windows.

 

Alcohols will also remove your wax when it gets on your paint. Not easy to re-wax every time you use your winshield washers in the winter!

 

I agree. I realized that isopropyl alcohol would be not as good, although health friendly.
I asked my father who is a chemist yesterday after we spoke and he said that the % of methanol in those blue bottled things at the car wash is very small. He also said that that methanol resembles water in may ways and that anything that was good at repelling water would also repel the methanol decently well. He said that isopropyl would start to interact and mess with wax.

interesting right?

I am going to mix my own washer fluid for this winter season I guess. (we can get pure methanol which is illegal to ship to ny unless via special chemical truck and permits