Home Made Windshield Washer Fluid

[fsdork]

Practically speaking, I don't ride a bicycle to walmart so have the ability to haul 100X that load, and it's pretty easy to recycle a plastic jug along with everything else I recycle.

It's far more practical to make other kinds of expensive cleaners but inexpensive windshield fluid, not so much.

Sounds like a lot more work than dropping a tablet in a jug and filling it with water. But whatever makes you happy.

 

[Dave9]

Sounds like a lot more work than dropping a tablet in a jug and filling it with water. But whatever makes you happy.

Doesn't address freeze protection, plus the alcohol itself also provides cleaning abilities. The only other way to achieve freeze protection (that I'm aware of, without leaving intolerable residue on the window) is load it up with salt, which I don't care to spray all over the vehicle, nor have dry on the windshield because that also leaves residue.

It's not a matter of happy, rather getting the job done instead of having mental blocks preventing choosing best solution. Okay, I'd be very unhappy choosing some far less effective solution to suit the whims of someone else for faux-reasons.

However i have to take issue with your statement at face value too. No, it is less work to just grab a jug of washer fluid than be mixing it up at home with some random vessel saved to do so. I'm well aware of the amount of work to brew your own cleaner since I do, do this for most other cleaners (that cost a lot more).

What you propose, means storing that jug to reuse, still acquiring distilled water that you still have to haul home with associated container issues, unless you just use tap water with minerals in it that cause deposits and clog the sprayers, then you have to clean the system out too.

Marketing tricked you and you then chose not to accept the preponderance of evidence that causes most people to buy ready made washer fluid. If you live in a warm climate where that works, and very soft water, good for you, but it is not the normal situation so the opposite of a solution that could be universally recommended.

The ironic thing is when someone sees some small minority adoption of a product and thinks they found some secret thing, as if the group collective experience of many millions of people over a century, wouldn't have thought of that. There are a lot of things that recent tech has provided solutions for but chemistry to clean and melt, has been established for a very, very, long time.

 

[A_User55555]

This summer I tried diluted Optimum no-rinse as washer fluid. This soap is meant for washing your car, but it also makes a decent windshield washer fluid.

This soap is unique because it doesn't make bubbles or foam. It just looks like colored water. It uses polymers to trap dirt.

https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-NR2010Q-Rinse-Wash-Shine/dp/B00D8DR0AO?th=1

Mix 4 or 6 capfuls of this with a gallon of distilled water and you're good to go.

However, this won't work in freezing weather. I did mix this with some Rain X booster to keep it from freezing until it runs out.

 

[yagciogullari]

i think shell's screenwash is a good washer fluid; since it contains ethyl alcohol rather than methyl (less damage to paint).
https://shellcarcareproducts.com/fi...l-winter-screenwash-concentrate-sds-tr(2).pdf

here be the ingredients if you wanna home make it :

water, ethyl alcohol, Alcohols, C12-14, ethoxylated, sulfates, sodium salts, DISODIUM EDTA, ACID BLUE 62

...or you can just buy it

 

[kschachn]

i think shell's screenwash is a good washer fluid; since it contains ethyl alcohol rather than methyl (less damage to paint).
https://shellcarcareproducts.com/fi...l-winter-screenwash-concentrate-sds-tr(2).pdf

here be the ingredients if you wanna home make it :

water, ethyl alcohol, Alcohols, C12-14, ethoxylated, sulfates, sodium salts, DISODIUM EDTA, ACID BLUE 62

...or you can just buy it

A little hard to buy undenatured ethanol for a reasonable price

 

[yagciogullari]

A little hard to buy undenatured ethanol for a reasonable price

That's why I would imagine it's best one buys a ready made product like shell's Screenwash.

İf one does not much care about the paint then sure...DIY all the way with isopropyl or methyl alcohol mixtures

 

[GrumpyCat]

I buy the orange colored Peak brand "All-In-One" at Napa with the -30 F rating. Then I remove a few ounces from each container and add some full strength 409 from the white and blue bottles. Then shake it to see that it will foam up on top to confirm that it has enough 409 in it. If it does not foam up some, I add more 409 until it does. The 409 will really cut through oil if you get splashed with a puddle that has some oil in it. It is really good stuff. Cleans well and leaves no streaks if the wipers are decent. The 409 sometimes has a slightly noticeable smell, but it is not that bad, and does not last long. Usually I do not even smell it, but every once in a while when I use the wiper fluid I can smell it.

We used to use Formula 409 to etch glass. I would read the bottle very carefully before using on my windshield. The fine print used to caution against using on glass.

 

[Owen Lucas]

Just buy the RainX 2 pack when Costco carries it again in the spring. I stock up like 4 boxes (8 bottles) and it lasts me all year including winter. It's not an official winter mix but never had one freeze up even in occasional -5* weather. No need to be a chemist and mix up formulas that will melt your cowl / windshield and paint.

 

[Zee09]

Dyno-tab

 

[kschachn]

That's why I would imagine it's best one buys a ready made product like shell's Screenwash.

İf one does not much care about the paint then sure...DIY all the way with isopropyl or methyl alcohol mixtures

I find it amazing that one carbon in the chain can make such a difference.

 

[RavenTai]

In Florida I used just a bit of dawn and hose water, worked great for decades no issues (will strip wax if you wax your car) now i live at 45 degrees lattitude, I need the alcohol and that kills much of the advantage of making your own.

 

[RitcheyRch]

I use Optimum No Rinse in my wiper tank.

 

[MoneyJohn]

I use Optimum No Rinse in my wiper tank.

At what dilution? I usually use Rain-X liquid, but have been considering adding some soapy stuff or glass cleaner concentrate. I have not tried dishwashing liquid yet

 

[sk_pete]

makes sense, rinseless have lube and cleaning power.
i bought winter fluid canister, but it does freeze..

 

[RitcheyRch]

At what dilution? I usually use Rain-X liquid, but have been considering adding some soapy stuff or glass cleaner concentrate. I have not tried dishwashing liquid yet

I dilute to the same for a quick detail spray which is 16:1.






Optimum No Rinse can be diluted to 16:1 (16 parts water, 1 part ONR) to produce a much more lubricated, and hence safer quick detailer spray.

 

[borgward]

Why bother, the WM stuff is cheap enough.
View attachment 64670

$7 now

 

[kschachn]

$7 now

Holy cow it’s $3.66 here and that’s the winter formula with more alcohol.

 

[Bullwinkle007]

Is anyone using a homemade washer fluid? I've seen a few different formulas and am not sure what might work best in my situation. I was thinking of distilled water, vinegar, and a drop or three of dish soap.

Get some P&S waterless wash. Called P&S absolute. Mix 1 oz per gallon, use only distilled water. Winter time. Add some rubbing alcohol to keep it from freezing. About 1oz p/gal

 

[Sumboodie]

Since when is winter mixonly -20*? We have -40* or -60* here.

 

[blufeb95]

Since when is winter mixonly -20*? We have -40* or -60* here.

In the midwest and most of the northern contiguous states -20 is the norm, although some more expensive products the claim to be "deicers" can be anywhere from -25 to -35, the only thing I don't like is that the -20 stuff attains it's rating with just methanol which evaporates readily, but the lower rated stuff contains ethylene glycol.