Windscreen Smearing

[F i F]

My windscreen is smearing worse than a No10 spin doctor at the moment.

I have tried various products and methods to clean it, even including newspapers and other old wives remedies.

It's fine for a bit and then after a short while it starts smearing again. Although admittedly after each elbow grease attack on the screen and wiper blades it gets a bit better.

It all started after I was following something that was dropping diesel or some other crappy chemical on the road, put the car through a car wash and the screen was completely buggered after that. It's definitely some sort of film type thing.

Any recommendations on products / techniques that do work??

My next thought is some sort of mildy abrasive domestic cleaner eh Astonish, hate to think what that will do though. What about some sort of lemon juice / vinegar concoction? Any suggestions?

btw fyi I hate Rain-X. OK on mirrors and sides, but not front windscreen. Obviously I have to fix both front and rear screens.

[snotrag]

You need some new wiper blades.

[OnTheOverrun]

Large lump of kitchen roll, moisten but do not soak and squash into a dense pad. Squirt neat washing up liquid on the pad and scrub windscreen hard for several minutes. Rinse.

[Muntu]

Newspaper + Meths.

[F i F]

snotrag said:

You need some new wiper blades.

That's exactly what I first thought and wasn't the correct answer unfortunately.

[F i F]

OnTheOverrun said:

Large lump of kitchen roll, moisten but do not soak and squash into a dense pad. Squirt neat washing up liquid on the pad and scrub windscreen hard for several minutes. Rinse.

Done that, also with one of those green scoury things, now off to try the meths suggestion.

[OnTheOverrun]

F i F said:

snotrag said:

You need some new wiper blades.

That's exactly what I first thought and wasn't the correct answer unfortunately.

When you've done what I suggested, get these:

http://www.piaa.co.uk/wipers/wipers.asp

[freakynessless]

White vinegar seems to work wonders on most things I've ever used it for. Might be worth a bash.

[Tallbut Buxomly]

Or get yourself a lemon cut in half rub all over windscreen and then soak windscreen and car thoroughly to get all lemon juice of car as will be fairly corrosive. Bear in mind i advise this as a last ditch suggestion.

[dylan0451]

OnTheOverrun said:

F i F said:

snotrag said:

You need some new wiper blades.

That's exactly what I first thought and wasn't the correct answer unfortunately.

When you've done what I suggested, get these:

http://www.piaa.co.uk/wipers/wipers.asp

+1

rain-x is great stuff, but i'm too lazy to re apply it every couple of weeks. silicone wipers are the best thing since best of both bread.

i'd go for something like vinegar but even diesel/oil comes off the windscreen with washer fluid if your blades are in good condition

[bazking69]

Vinegar or meths.

[Pigeon]

F i F said:

OnTheOverrun said:

Large lump of kitchen roll, moisten but do not soak and squash into a dense pad. Squirt neat washing up liquid on the pad and scrub windscreen hard for several minutes. Rinse.

Done that, also with one of those green scoury things, now off to try the meths suggestion.

Those would be the options I'd try too.

Also don't forget to clean the blades again as they'll have picked up some of the crud off the screen. :teachgransmiley:

And put washing up liquid in the washer bottle instead of that fking useless expensive blue crap. Not only is it hugely cheaper, it does a much better job. (Awaits screams of horror from people who have somehow got the weird and completely false idea into their heads that your car will dissolve instantly if you let washing up liquid anywhere near it.)

Another thing which is not generally realised is that washer bottles need to be washed out thoroughly with boiling water every now and then to get rid of things growing in them. Modern car manufacturers unfortunately tend to make this as hard as possible by mounting the bottle in such a way that you can't get it out without an angle grinder, which is another piece of modern-car incomprehensible stupidity, what's wrong with having it in an easily-accessible bracket like they always used to be?

[Mars]

Blowtorch.

[Fastra]

Pigeon said:

And put washing up liquid in the washer bottle instead of that fking useless expensive blue crap. Not only is it hugely cheaper, it does a much better job.

+1

I don't use it on its own, but just put a couple of drops in, along with some concentrate stuff, and it works great!

[Spudler]

dylan0451 said:

OnTheOverrun said:

F i F said:

snotrag said:

You need some new wiper blades.

That's exactly what I first thought and wasn't the correct answer unfortunately.

When you've done what I suggested, get these:

http://www.piaa.co.uk/wipers/wipers.asp

+1

rain-x is great stuff, but i'm too lazy to re apply it every couple of weeks. silicone wipers are the best thing since best of both bread.

i'd go for something like vinegar but even diesel/oil comes off the windscreen with washer fluid if your blades are in good condition

And another 1.


Wonder Wipes for cleaning

ETA...those wipers come with a cleaning wipe.

Edited by Spudler on Saturday 3rd April 15:32

[Vidal Baboon]

Do you put your car through a *shudder, car wash?

The wax that gets sprayed over the car seems to turn the windscreen opaque in rain.

What type of car is it? Have you got an oil leak or a really dirty engine bay that's being blown up onto the windscreen?

Maybe try a panel wipe? Then apply Rain-X.

Edited by Vidal Baboon on Saturday 3rd April 15:47

[redtwin]

Nothing greasy or filmy will resist a good wipe down with Acetone. Have a new pair or wiper blades ready to fit after cleaning the screen.

Just don't get too much Acetone on your bare skin. It works equally as well remove skin surface oils.

[Rich_W]

I will suggest Autoglym (or equivilent) "Tar and Glue Remover"

[El Guapo]

freakynessless said:

Might be worth a bash.

I don´t see how that would help.

[M-J-B]

bazking69 said:

Vinegar or meths.

+1