Rain-X

oregontrail

oregontrail

Learning Fast
It's fall and in the Northwestern U.S. that means lots and lots of rain. I recently put silicone treated wiper blades on my cars and noticed a big improvement in visibility. Wipers only work on front and (some) rear windows though, so here's my question: What do you think of Rain-X for the side windows? Also, how long does it last?
 
I use RainX on all the glass and it works great. It lasts longer on the side windows than the front just because the wipers aren't there to rub it off, but it still is better than not having it on at all. I just reapply it on all the glass when I put it on the windshield, so I really don't know how long it would last on the sides. I'm sure it would be a long time. Something like 5 or 6 months probably just because nothing is there to wipe it off.
 
I know this is off the subject but Steve at PB said that he puts on hios EX and that repells the watr big time. I have not tried this but I would think it would do a great job. I'm going to clean my cars this weekend and give it a try
 
The only thing I worry about putting a paint product on my glass is that it may distort the image. If it enhances the look of the paint on your car, then it has to be doing something with the light and I don't know that I want that on my windshield.
 
That's a good point I was jsut repeating what Steve and talked about.I'm going to try it and see who it works
 
I've never seen it cause a problem. I tried AIO on my windshield once and I can't say that it caused any problems. I can say that RainX worked better though. Its just a concern that I would have about using a paint product on something you have to see clearly through.
 
I used Rain-X for many years (windshields, rear windows, side windows, mirrors, headlamps, etc.). I liked the product very much. These days, I use mild paint polishes for these surfaces. My current products of choice are Vanilla Moose, Pro Polish, and SSR1. When Rain-X started wearing off (2-3 months) it resulted in a lot of wiper chatter for me. The paint polish route seems to avoid this side effect.
 
Well, I once tried a bunch of sealants on my windows to see which repelled water the best. Supprisingly, FMJ worked as well as rain-x. So, I tried the FMJ on my winshield and it honestly lasted over a year! I recently applied another coat just to replenish it, but it hadn't stopped beading water. Funny thing is, I also used it on my dad's Corvette and it was gone in a week. I think it had trouble bonding to his windshield, so I will be cleaning it and reapplying it soon.

The advantages I find with FMJ over rain-x is that it lasts longer and it doesn't make the wipers chatter as much as rain-x does (although they do still chatter somewhat). Jngrbrdman, I don't notice ANY reduction in the clarity of the windshield with FMJ. Maybe there is some change, but I certainly can't see it. Lastly, I find the windshield is easier to clean and make streak free with FMJ on it.

Final tip on wiper chatter - I'm sure many of you know this but putting 303 on the wiper blades will reduce the amount of chatter. It only lasts a few weeks but its so easy to apply it that I find it to be worth while...
 
I've had excellent results using a product that's similar to Rain-X called Rain Block that's available in a spritz bottle. I clean the glass with Stoner's Invisible Glass, apply Rain Block to the windshield & sideglass and I've never had a problem with hazing or wiper chatter.

I also clean the wiperblades by spraying some Rain Block on a cloth & wipe the cleaning edge of the blades, perhaps this contributes to the lack of chattering.

Results on the windshield depend on how often the wipers are used but it'll last for months on the side glass.
 
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