Safe Speed Forums

I agree 100% with Adam. I've had my latest car for just over a month now. It's an import and I strongly suspect that the original (Japanese) owner was a big fan of Rain-X. I've used just about every windscreen cleaning method that I know to remove the stuff, and I've replace the wiper blades twice. However, there are still traces of the accursed stuff to cause smears whenever I switch the wipers on!

Does anyone know how to completely remove Rain-X from a windscreen?

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Will

Meths seems to shift most stuff off glass, but don't know about rain-X. Meths won't hurt rubber, either.

Rainex - smearing? Never known that. Meths won't touch it tho - it's a polymer.

If you really have it and want to shift it, I can tell you a way - but it involves some risk - to you and paintwork. Roll a couple of teatowels up and place them in the valley at the bottom of the windscreen to catch drips and spills. Get a *very small* amount of nitromors (methyl chloride) on a bit of kitchen roll - using marigolds - and wipe over. KEEP THIS OFF THE PAINT - it will get through it. That in turn can be shifted with meths on more kitchen roll - then buckets and buckets of water from a carpet shampooer - on - rinse and off again without letting it on the paint - and put old wipers back for a couple of weeks in case of interaction.

Before any of that though, are you sure you don't simply have too much screenwash detergent in the bottle? Try half the measure or changing the brand.

I think windscreen contamination is a nightmare. I absolutely hate Rain-x.

In addition to the other suggestions (and I wouldn't have the courage to try Nitromors), you can safely try T-cut and lighter petrol. When I've had contaminated windscreens in the past I've used both to good effect. I suspect that T-cut will remove Rain-X residue because it's an abrasive compound. I have used it on windscreen glass without side effects.

I'd try the lighter petrol first. It does remove greasy stuff that meths won't touch.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Because I didn't apply the stuff, I don't know for sure that it is Rain-X. However when I first got the car, rain "beaded up" and rolled off the windscreen just like it does with Rain-X applied. That said, at night the droplets caused dazzle and I had to use the wipers. After a couple of days, the wipers were smearing badly. An Internet search suggested that Rain-X wrecked wiper blades, so I changed mine. This temporarily cleared things, but after about an hour of rain the smearing was back.

I tried cleaning the screen with meths, then white spirit, then vinegar and washing-up liquid solution, finally I tried Autoglym glass polish. The only thing that seemed to work was the Autoglym, but only for a couple of days. So, it was Autoglym once more together with another new set of wiper blades for a few days of clear screen followed by more smearing.

WRT screenwash detergent, I'm using Decosol (that being about the best available near me, but I'm open to recommendations) and that clears the screen for a few seconds. However, soon after the rain washes the detergent from the screen the smearing returns. It's no problem during the day but reduces my vision at night.

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Will

Of course - abrasion - rouge (T-cut) is a far safer andf better approach. Forget the Nitromors.

On a slightly related topic, I used "ClearVision" for a number of years - an expensive and longer-lasting version of RainX - and found it wonderful.

What is your principal objection to it, Paul and Will? If it is applied properly, thoroughly and regularly I find it makes for a clean and smear-free windscreen.

Yep, we use RainX for night rallying and swear by it - especially in cars with crap wipers like Mk1 Minis! Never known it cause smearing...

Another excellent product I heartily recommend is Holts "Mixra", which I try to keep a tin of in my road car. If you have to do a long motorway journey in the wet it's amazingly good at getting rid of the smearing caused by diesel residue.

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The beading effect of RainX and other polymers is produced by turning the comparatively rough glass surface to a silky smooth surface by filling in the gaps.

With a rainX-free screen you have effectively a large surface area thanks to the microscopic pits - and need a healthy dose of detergent (screen wash) to clean it. With RainX, a much reduced dose of screenwash in the washer bottle is needed - indeed, excess is almost guaranteed to smear as the soap has nowhere to recluse.

Try plain water in the screenwash reservoir, with the addition of just a capful of meth when freezing is likely.

Try Acetone. Used in nail varnish remover. Shifts anything.

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Speed camera policy Kills

Might work - but willsoften/damage paint. much care required.

Incidentally the other thing that would work is naphtha - and that is present in the brush restorer variation of polyclens (I assume that's still available) - but that also is guaranteed to knacker paint.

I know Rain-X and related products polarise people. It seems to be a "love it or hate it" situation.

I've found driving with a chemically clean windscreen is never a problem. So I like chemically clean windscreens. No wax. No rain-X. No coating of any sort. Obviously we get various sorts of road film, but none of these are "difficult" when added to a chemically clean windscreen.

With Rain-X I've found two problems. Firstly, it's seriously horrible when it starts to wear out. If you notice this effect when you've got no Rain-X and 300 miles to drive, you're in big trouble. Secondly I've found it affected (by reaction or interaction, I don't know) by certain contaminants - one case in point was an experimental liquid de-icer they sprayed on the roads 15 years ago - Like the first objection, I found no escape from the problems.

Perhaps there's another difference between Rain-X lovers and haters? Some other part of cleaning procedure or choice of screenwash or something?

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Should be OK with modern 2 pack and water based paint used nowadays.

Older paint may suffer though.

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Speed camera policy Kills

Agreed - and typically because the concentration of screenwash is too little for the worn bits and/or too high for the unworn bit. Of course, the other thing is its effects are cumulative, that is to say a top-up application need not use anything like as much as the original or previous coat.


Interaction most likely - the polymer is very stable. I guess the fact that the microscopic holes that "hide" tiny contaminants are filled in that wipers, if used, will smear/scratch it - on a microscopic level.



Ideally, instead of a solvent-based screenwash you would have a polymer-based one for the summer (they don't anti-freeze at all). autoglym do a good one - I think it's called "summer-plus". Mer do one too - forget its name.

First, many thanks to all for the suggestions. I'm a little wary of using nitromors. I'm also wary of T-cut, which I understand is a coarser abrasive than the Autoglym glass polish I've already tried.


I have no objection to anything that works and "wears off" gracefully without creating a hazard. However, Rain-X wears off most ungracefully. I found out about this the hard way recently in the Lakes. The A591 on a rainy night was frightening. Although I could see the road immediately ahead, oncoming headlights grew large haloes and those classic smear-induced flares that blot out half the screen.

With Cornwall over 350 rain and spray laden miles away, and over a hundred miles of that at night. I was worried about the trip back home. Thankfully, it stopped raining just south of Lancaster and so my worst fears weren't realized.

I'm used to keeping my windscreen clinically clean and ensuring that my wipers are in good order. This gives crystal clear vision. If the screen picks up some muck that a wash/wipe won't clear, I only have to use a little elbow grease and screen-wash detergent - a process that takes less than five minutes and can be done on the hard shoulder if absolutely necessary. Now, if Rain-X treatment breaks down you need more Rain-X. I understand that properly applying this stuff (assuming that you carry some with you at all times) is painstaking. You must apply and then buff it correctly, otherwise you have permanent smears, and (crucially) I understand you can't apply the stuff in the rain!

So, even if Rain-X does what it says on the tin, it can (and as I found out, does) break down at the most inopportune times, when it become a dangerous liability.

With that said, if I can't get the wretched stuff off my screen, I'll be forced to use Rain-X myself (either that or replace the windscreen).

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Will

Good Housekeeping style tip: whatever you use try it out somewhere where you aren't going to have to look directly through very often, like over and around the tax disc or something. That way if it gets worse or turns the glass opaque or something you won't be any worse off. As for what to use, I'd give lighter petrol a go, or at a pinch bog standard unleaded. I used ordinary petrol once to get glue off my windscreen after some idiot traffic warden stuck a parking ticket halfway up the driver's side of the windscreen instead of on the side window. Worked pretty well on the glue, but I don't know about your stuff. If all else fails, assuming you've got windscreen cover on your insurance, "hope" for an unrepairable stone chip.

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I give you my word that I have used T-Cut on a modern laminated windscreen with absolutely no side effects or damage - and believe me I'm fussy. It did however remove contamination.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Thanks Paul. I do believe you but I'll use Gatsobait's suggestion of trying it somewhere it won't matter first! My windscreen may have a different degree of hardness to yours, and so may scratch a little more easily.

@Gatsobait: I'd thought of replacing the windscreen (other than invoking insurance), but my windscreen has wiper de-icers that are not available in UK-spec cars. From that I infer that Autoglass etc. are unlikely to stock the correct part, that one would need to be imported, and replacing it will involve a long wait and much expense

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Will

I'm not a big fan of Rain-X, but I will say that it is absolutely invaluable in the summer months when I do my European tour - it makes shifting fly-squash off the screen and headlamps an absolute doddle in hot weather.

Whereas I'd have to use detergent and a rough cloth or sponge to remove the bugs, a good coat of Rain-X first means they can be shifted with just plain water and a light rub!

I've also found metallic grade T-Cut is perfect for removing it afterwards - not nearly as harsh as the ordinary stuff.

Have used RainX for years, on last 3 cars, and never had any problem with smearing or wipers.

I also clean windows and lights each day with warm water, and find this much easier and quicker with RainX applied - splatted insects shift with less effort.

Did try their AntiFog ( not sure of name ) product to stop inside of windows misting up, and found that just smeared, could not get clear screen without a lot of effort and didn't seem to make any difference.

A slight aside... RainX is WELL worth putting on headlight glass - nothing whatever to lose.