Windscreen Smeared

[G and C Johnstone]

I had cleaned the window with all the stuff available. Including acetone, alcohol isopropyl and meths, 5% ammonia, various patent soaps and kitchen chemicals including acetic and citrus acids so I was sure that it was clean. Even tried potatoe and lemon skin. When it was dry there was no problem. If it was raining the wipers cleared the water but there was a smear in the bone dry behind the wipe. At night this was more than an optical imperfection, it was a dangerous situation. On a wet night so much light that you usually get back from your lights to see with is lost to your eyes because it is reflected away into the distance by the wet surfaces. Similarly the lights in front of you are more intense reflecting in the wet surfaces. Add the smear to that and it was necessary to do something.

I resorted to buffing the window with toothpaste. By hand. Always quite wet. At least 20 minutes of quite vigorous circular rubbing with a soft cloth.

This worked. My hands looked nice and shiny for a couple of days too.

I suspect that my car might have been loaded into a container with a damp windscreen for export shipping from Singapore. A bromide fumigation is often used. This may have etched the glass causing the smear that was seen after the wipers. There may be other things that could spoil the optical clarity but I can not think of any from my place.

[jay swinger]

A little bit of abrasive was needed. A few years back there was a product called Glass Wax that included a very fine abrasive. When it was first issued the solvent in it was ammonia, later petroleum distillate. It would work for nearly every case.

I heard that the Plexiglas? canopies in fighter planes needed to be repolished every so often. It could be someone with this experience could tell us.

[SKperformance]

Clean the windsheild with glass stripper then apply rainx for amazing results

I never even use my wipers in the rain anymore ,it truly is amazing ,get it and you don;t know why you never had it before

[bartkat]

Aquapel beats RainX and last for 4 to 6 months.

[amf1932]

I use Bon Ami Cleanser first, and then give the windshield a coating of RainX. This lasts for many months and like SK said.....it's great, and I very rarely need the wipers......the rain just flows right off. :D

[SKperformance]

had rainx on for 2 months with no change so far

after i finish this bottle i will try the aqualpel in a couple of years