How to make your Own Washer Fluid

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gto78

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PSL, FL
Well I'm trying to find the best home made formula for auto windshield washers. I don't always have time to run to the store when the fluid runs empty. Also, the generic cleaners are weak, and always leave sticky streaks all over my roof. So far I've tried to come up with my own formula of the following ingredients:

-1/3 cup of white distilled vinegar (to prevent streaking, and to clean)
-2 teaspoons of jet dry (probably overkill on the jet dry)
-1 drop of dawn dish soap (I hate this part, it suds up way too much and eventually pulls the wax off)
-pour all ingredients into one gallon bottle and fill with water

I think this formula needs a lot of work, probably a substitute for dish soap, and less jet dry.
 
Ok, not to answer my own topic but... I found a few more better ideas and wanted to add them to the subject. After searching the net it seems as though most washer fluids are only methanol or butoxyolenol or whatever that means. They aren't soap based, they're anti freeze based. They also strip wax that you work so hard to put on the paint.

What I've found to use as the soap/cleaner would be to use a tablespoon of laundry detergent, or a small amount of baby shampoo. Both are very mild and both supposedly don't strip wax.

Luckily at my job we have two 55 gallon drums of Methanol, so making a mixture using that isn't a problem, but I'd rather not.
 
Originally Posted By: MarkC
Why not go pay $.99 for a jug of the cheap blue stuff and relax?


Are you kidding? I'll repeat myself for you...lol First reason was because I don't always have time to go to the store and wait in line, waste two hours round trip etc. Second reason, the stuff I waste my time buying doesn't work, but instead strips wax and leaves sticky blue streaks all over the roof.... I want to make my own stuff that actually cleans the massive amounts of bugs we have in Florida off my windshield, and I don't want to be stuck using whatever happens to be in the bottle (90 percent water).
 
Get yourself some Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine. Dilute it to quick detailer strength and you're all set. Probably the best bang for your bucket.
 
Originally Posted By: gto78
Originally Posted By: MarkC
Why not go pay $.99 for a jug of the cheap blue stuff and relax?


Are you kidding? I'll repeat myself for you...lol First reason was because I don't always have time to go to the store and wait in line, waste two hours round trip etc. Second reason, the stuff I waste my time buying doesn't work, but instead strips wax and leaves sticky blue streaks all over the roof.... I want to make my own stuff that actually cleans the massive amounts of bugs we have in Florida off my windshield, and I don't want to be stuck using whatever happens to be in the bottle (90 percent water).


First, you can buy more than one bottle at once. Second if the stuff your buying doesn't work, then what the heck are you buying?
 
Ok, first question, what is "LC20"? Second question, is "Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine" a car wash concentrate, or maybe a waterless cleaner? 3rd question- Isn't isopropyl alcohol used to strip wax just before applying new wax?

I haven't tried it yet, but I think the laundry detergent sounds like a good low sudsing cleaner, and is mild enough to leave my wax on the paint.

One comment for the few people who replied with not one bit of positive advice-(i.e.: telling me to buy more than one bottle, or just go buy the cheap stuff & relax...) please don't comment unless your interested in making your own windshield washer fluid. I don't go around interrupting everyone else's threads and telling them their idea is stupid.
 
in the past i've used the following formula:

-fill up a clean 1 gallon with water, leaving enough room for 1 pint

-1 pint of rubbing alcohol

-1 squirt of dishwashing liquid

works well but probably not worth the effort when you can buy the stuff so cheaply.
 
Originally Posted By: gto78
Isn't isopropyl alcohol used to strip wax just before applying new wax?


The formula contains less than 50% isopropyl alcohol by volume, so I don't think it will strip wax. However, not ever having used wax on my car, I don't know for sure. The mix does not seem to affect the acrylic coating that I use in lieu of a wax.

The formula that I listed is said to be a very close copy of an OEM (VW/Audi) washer fluid.
 
Originally Posted By: tom slick
here is a crazy idea, use car wash soap! it doesn't strip wax, in fact its designed to clean your wax job.


Good point, and I've tried this before with decent results. My problem was and still is that I'm guessing at the correct mixture. For some reason I thought it was some behind the scenes common knowledge for washer fluid ingredients.... guess I was wrong. I've searched the net and found 50 different "recipes". Several of you have the same thoughts as what I've found on the net- alcohol based fluid. One thing I'm definitely going to maintain in my mixture is to always use distilled water, since it's one less cause for spots on the glass.
 
I had always thought the alcohol was only there to prevent the fluid from freezing in cold climates. Does it do anything other than that?
 
Doesn't Home Depot sell a one gallon container of the concentrated window cleaner? I think it sells for under $10/gallon, and you dilute it to turn it into normal window cleaner.

Wouldn't this be suitable for use as washer fluid in the summer or year round (if your area does not experience below freezing temperatures)?
 
I dunno, Wan, I use Dr Wack's CW 1:100 concentrate. A 250 ml bottle makes 50 liters solution. Cost is about $7 at any Porsche dealer or online.
 
Originally Posted By: moribundman
I dunno, Wan, I use Dr Wack's CW 1:100 concentrate. A 250 ml bottle makes 50 liters solution. Cost is about $7 at any Porsche dealer or online.

What's CW?
 
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