Did Rain-X make my windshield fog up?

[Springthing]

I'd squirted the windshield with Rain-X recently, the spray on and wipe type. Well, it worked fine, as it should when we hit some rain. Water beaded up and all.

On the way home, it was 2am and we hit a patch of humid air on one of our country roads. Those that have hit those will know exactly what I mean - your windshield starts to fog up on the outside something bad all of a sudden. It's like fog sticking.

Well, I tried the defroster, I tried doing the windows down, and with the wipers on it was all I could do to keep up with the fogginess. After meeting another car head-on it was actually difficult to see out the front window.

I pulled over and grabbed some napkins we had and 'cleaned' both sides and was able to keep it clear for the rest of the way home.

What are the chances this is due to the Rain-X? Has this ever happened to anyone else? If so, do you recall if you've ever used a windshield product like Rain-X?

Now that I look at the glass in the light it's all smeared with where I wiped it up with the napkins.

What's the best way to clean the glass inside and out? I picked up a spray bottle of automotive windex that I'm going to take to all the windows soon - wanted to check with everyone here first.

Thanks!

[Mean_Green_95]

use some window cleaner and some good shop towels. I always use rain-x and I've never had any adverse effects. Might just have been a freak accident...

[Crawdaddy]

are you sure that the fog was on the outsite? 99% of the time I get a fogged windshield it's on the inside bacause the cab is colder that outside. Otherwise, when it sticks, I wipe this windoshield and the wipers only smear it around.


Please excuse my bad typing this evening, my fingers aren't working with me tonigt I'm so tired.

[Springthing]

Positive that it's the outside. Like I said I wiped it up with some napkins as much as I could. The wipers just kind of stopped working in cleaning it up and when a car came in the other direction I was practically blind.

[TroyT]

i use rain x all the time personal and work truck. it's great cause u can drive 75 in the rain without using your wipers. you may have not buffed it off completely when you applied it. i usually apply the wipe on wipe off wax type, then for my washer fluid use the rain x brand washer fluid. sometimes if you leave a tiny streak water will stop on it.

[Springthing]

I'll try to do the applying and then 'removing'... maybe that was the problem - too much rain-x goop on the windshield.

[adampaul1964]

x2 on the application, I've found that you should buff the rain-x quite firmly for the best results.

[zubbiez]

Im lazy I just use the rain X washer fluid I find it works great though Ive never had the problems being described,could the smearing be from bug guts?

[Springthing]

Im lazy I just use the rain X washer fluid I find it works great though Ive never had the problems being described,could the smearing be from bug guts?


I'm not quite sure, to tell you the truth. I'll have to clean the windshield well, reapply the rain-x and see what happens in the future.

[Crakums_GT]

Rain-X is a bad deal out here in ND when it's not summer. As soon as the temp changes people get all kinds of bad fog ups where they put the rain-x. I forget what a lot of people use around here but most everybody one base here stopped using rain-x because of the problems they had with it in the winter. Probably the same time of issue with the temp/humidity change in the fog. I'm glad to hear that it turned out ok though and that you all are safe.

-Greg

[JennaBear]

Was your windshield clean when you applied it? Try clay barring your windsheild to remove all the contaminants, then apply the RainX.

[Springthing]

Thanks Greg! I'm glad I'm not the only one that knows what I'm talking about then! We'll see how things go.

JennaBear- The windshield was clean - I'd just finished doing the whole detailing treatment to the whole truck. I did not, however, clay bar the windshield. I thought about it but then figured it might not be a bright idea to brush clay to the windshield. But if it's done before with no adverse effects then I'm all for doing it. Love the feel of the paint after the claying... so nice and smooth! Woooot!!

[Darknesss23]

Use Car wax on your windshield... same effect as rain-x, minus the fog effect..

[TRPLXL2]

Yep I also use car wax on my windshield, I won't use Rain-X on my truck after what happened to my dad's car. He smeared some of it his 57' Chevy when we went down to Columbus, and it started raining and it smeared his windows horribly! He cussed and sweared so bad, because we ended up waiting the rain out under a bridge for 3 hours.

Pn a side not today I bought some Rain-X brand car wash that I am going to use tomorrow, I will post a review to see how it works out o the Silverado. It is supposed to be no water marks and it's supposed to be a foaming soap, so we will see how that goes. :money:

[Darknesss23]

i've used that rain-x carwash before... never saw a difference... and i've had 2 black trucks and a dark gray acura TL where water marks are the worst...

[Springthing]

Ya, I just had some of the quick dry stuff and all it gave me was nasty water spots everywhere.

Hard water is NOT my friend...!

I'll have to try a few different products to see what does best with severely hard water like we have here. I may as well mix in two tablespoons of talcum powder in my washer's soap bottle.

[Mean_Green_95]

Hard water is NOT my friend...!



I know what you mean. When I go out to Bandera, Texas, the little ranch house I stay in doesn't have a water softener, and it SUX! I don't want to even think about washing my truck with it.:eek:

[JennaBear]

There is a portable water softener that folks use to wash their boats. I think they run around $250, might not be a bad investment for some.

[Springthing]

I've got a house water softener but the hose outlet at the shop isn't hooked up to the system. Grr!! It's all good - I've been given the what's what by one of our vendors and I've since found a solution for the hard water marks.

[Darknesss23]

Get a power washer just keep a reasonable distance from the paint. get the one with the little tube for a soap bucket... put in some good quality car wash as well as some dish washer detergent.. about a cap full...