OT: Homemade windshield washer fluid

[Stan in Oly, WA]

I'm going to be in the desert southwest in a couple of weeks. When I'm driving there, I like to wash the bug hits off the windshield frequently. Is there something I can add to the windshield wash water to make it clean better, but which can't damage the paint or make the car look messy as the overspray dries on it? Online recipes often call for a small amount of liquid dishwashing detergent, but I'm not happy with the idea of that drying on the hot car.

Thanks

 

[WayneLee]

Add white vinegar.

 

[Lazy WP]

A drop of Dawn dish soap.

 

[Dick2]

My wife mixes alcohol and vinegar with water for WS washer fluid. If you buy the cheap summer
washer fluid, it will probably start growing algae within a short time and you will have a mess to clean out - and it will freeze at 32 degrees.

 

[David G]

Vinegar is a weak acid, it will help dissolve the body parts.

 

[Texasmark1]

1.50 a gallon with bug remover WW.

 

[RedMF40]

In addition to other suggestions might want a roll of paper towels and bottle of windex if caught between filling stations with streaky windshield.

 

[sotxbill]

(quoted from post at 17:05:48 03/11/17) If you buy the cheap summer
washer fluid, it will probably start growing algae within a short time and you will have a mess to clean out - and it will freeze at 32 degrees.

What??? We (EVERYONE IN THE SOUTH) run that cheap summer time washer fluid year around down here and it does not grow algae and will not freeze till around 20 degrees...

And the rainx with bug remover... WILL CLOG your nozzles, and also throw a light for low fluid as it coats the sensor probes (assuming you have the capacitive probe vrs the float sensor)... AND.. when it does.. running a couple tanks of cheap summer time fluid will slowly clean it back up and make the sensor work correctly again. If you have any flow through the nozzles, it will very slowly unplugged the rainx bug remover goo out of them as well. If they are fully clogged, you will have to blow them out or replace the nozzles.

 

[D beatty]

I have used Rainx and Windex winter (-32 degrees) windshield fluid all year round for years no problems clogging anything else. I use winter because I don't have to change back and forth between summer and winter fluid and it cleans just as good. The summer fluid will freeze up nozzles at temps below 32 degrees. If nozzles do plug get the wire files that are used on cutting torch tips and find the one that fits washer nozzle and clean it out.

 

[ss55]

Have you tried treating the windshield with Rain-X? The slick coating makes it easier to scrape ice and frost off car windows in winter, it could make it easier to clean off bugs too.

 

[T in NE]

I keep a bottle of Windex handy. When stopped, reach out and spray windshield. Run washers when you start moving again.

 

[8NHENRY]

Rain x your windshield and use rain x washer fluid.

 

[4wdtom]

If I am on the road I take a pump bottle of Windex and a roll of paper towels and do the windshield each morning.

 

[sotxbill]

Go to the vw, audi or ford forums for a run down on the rainx with bug remover... any nozzle that has a spinner in it will clog.. as well as some regular nozzles. and yes.. the low fluid light will come on after about 3 months of using this product if you have the probe type sensor. There may be others but these are the vehicles that I own.... Rainx with bug remover.. very very very very bad!!! Cheap blue stuff very very good.... Base on all my vehicles I can confirm this.

other complaint that using rainx(yellow bottle) on the glass will result in a crack.. I personally dont know if this is true, or just a coincidence. I have had 3 windshields crack after using rainx, but also had gravel hits from the kamakazi gravel haulers... Some say the silicon in rainx will penetrate and weaken the glass.. I dont have enough info to say.

 

[rustyfarmall]

I just use whatever is on sale at the farm store or at wallyworld. Gives good results. Does not freeze.

 

[D beatty]

I don't know where you got your info but I have been using it since the mid 70's and never lost a windshield (chips or cracks) using it. In
my personal vehicles I have never had plugged nozzles using the winter rainx with bug cleaner ( use it year round). My semi tractor at work I
Rainxed it about once a year and never pick up cracks and windshield didn't sand blast any more than windshields that weren't treated with
Rainx. As far as that cheap windshield blue stuff our company used that stuff and we trouble with plugged nozzles all the time and at 20
degrees they were froze