What’s the consensus re Rain-X? It seems to work well if reapplied regularly, but if not it gets hazy. Still, I love it, my wife hates it, and right now we’re sharing a Buick Rendezvous!
Silicone. Be sure to polish it out on a totally clean windshield so there isn’t any residual liquid there. It should look totally clean, not hazy after you polish it out.
Taking nothing from your wife, but have you been in the car when it is “hazy?” Maybe she forgot to turn the defroster on? Does it get hazy when you drive and it just doesn’t bother you?
I used Rain-X a few years ago, but didn’t like the hazy, filmy residue it left. No matter how much I buffed after applying it, the windshield still managed to ‘haze’ after a few days. No longer use it now.
I always thought it worked great, but a bit of a pain to apply and fully polish. I have not used it for years, but am now using the Rain-X windshield washer fluid. I rarely turn on the wipers as the rain blows off quite well.
I’ve been using it for years. Sure it takes some work to properly buff it, but here in the great northwest where misty rain is the norm, I couldn’t drive without it.
Tried it a few years ago but didn’t like it. Couldn’t wait until it finally wore off the windshield and I could see clearly again. It seems like too much work for very little (if any) benefit.
Give me a good set of wiper blades and I’m happy.
I think it makes the windsheid (and the rear window)much more clear. It keeps the dirt off as well as the rain. With a sedan with no rear wiper it is a must.
Rain-X - When I used it, it did not seem to last that long.
Rain-X Windshield fluid (orange) - I liked it better however I did not like that fact it made my wipers drag and skip more often, annoying.
Aquapel - This is what I like the best. The pros of Rain-x without the cons I experienced. Plus it comes in a plastic, terry cloth applicator contraption for a simpler application process.
I think it is very good and worthwhile. Care must be used in applying and buffing it out. There should be no clouding if it is buffed out properly. It also makes for safer driving because it will keep your windshield cleaner when it rains and it definately improves visibility.
I’m sold on it, mainly because it gives you much clearer vision down the road when raining. I have a lot of trouble seeing out the windshield of any car without it in the rain. I find it is easy to apply if you use Brawny Paper Towels and do a final buff with a damp Brawny. It never hazes after that.
I tried it and ditched it after a few months. Contrary to what a few others have said, it hazes even if you buff it well – it just takes a little longer to haze. The one advantage was that I built up my arm muscles for those few months. Too little benefit for all the work, IMO.
Russ
Apply Rain-X with a wadded paper towel and rub until the droplets are gone. Let the windshield dry for a while and then polish the haze away with a clean towel.
I used it on a previous car and loved it, though the constant renewing got old. It worked good in snow up to a point, then the snow stuck and I had to stop and clean the windshield by hand.
They sell containers of wipes for your car now. Just pull one out and rub it on the window after you’ve cleaned it off, don’t hafta worry about too much or too little like when you use the bottle of liquid.
I meant Bounty paper towels, not Brawney.
One other thing, I always apply it twice before buffing it with the damp paper towel. Other brands of paper towels probably work as well, I just use Bounty. It never hazes with time, the haze is always just after application, thats why the damp paper towel. It does wear off after a few months and then visibility in the rain decreases, but takes about six months for the visibility to decrease to the point where it was before it was used.
For me, this is a safety issue.
Love it!
If you are having a hazing problem, perhaps you are not applying it correctly. I have never had this happen to me. I apply it with a dry clean wax applicator. Rub it in until all the droplets are gone, let it dry, then reapply. After it is dry wipe off as much as you can with a paper towel. You will still have a little bit of haze. To get this off, use a damp paper towel, then, a final buff with another dry paper towel.
Same here on the windshield wash. It works quite well and the water just beads right off. No application necessary.
That method will help minimize haze, but it does not eliminate it and it’s an awful lot of work for the supposed advantages it offers. You will still get haze – it will just take longer for it to happen – and then you’ll have to go through the same procedure all over again to re-treat the window. As I said before, it just didn’t seem worth it to me, despite the workout my arms were getting.
Russ