Rain-X on home windows

[Ad Astra]

Windex makes a great product, a blue spray bottle you hook up to a garden hose. It's filled with soap/surfactant that can reach the second floor.

However, it's like $11. A bit pricey for what it is. But the spray bottle is really good!

So I refilled it with Rain-X car windshield fluid ($4/gal) just to see what would happen.

Welp. Even sceptical wife admitted that the windows got clean. Now today it's thunderstorming and I'm laughing. The water's beading up and running off...

Turns out this is a minor cleaning hack I never heard of. Company info just says avoid aluminum and vinyl with it, but that could apply to the full strength stuff in the small bottle.

Should help keep normal window grime off too. We'll see.


AA

 

[Jmp63]

Windex makes a great product, a blue spray bottle you hook up to a garden hose. It's filled with soap/surfactant that can reach the second floor.

However, it's like $11. A bit pricey for what it is. But the spray bottle is really good!

So I refilled it with Rain-X car windshield fluid ($4/gal) just to see what would happen.

Welp. Even sceptical wife admitted that the windows got clean. Now today it's thunderstorming and I'm laughing. The water's beading up and running off...

Turns out this is a minor cleaning hack I never heard of. Company info just says avoid aluminum and vinyl with it, but that could apply to the full strength stuff in the small bottle.

Should help keep normal window grime off too. We'll see.


AA

Brilliant! I love it!

 

[Wishoot]

I hear it works well on shower walls and doors too.

 

[RayClem]

Most windshield washer fluids contain methanol (wood alcohol) which is poisonous. Thus, it is probably best to avoid using them for cleaning indoors unless you can provide a lot of ventilation.

For outdoors use, it would be fine.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Most windshield washer fluids contain methanol

Rain-X doesn't though, at least not the "Original." It's listed as ethanol, isopropanol, and acetone. I didn't bother pulling the MSDS for the rest of their line.

 

[RayClem]

Rain-X doesn't though, at least not the "Original." It's listed as ethanol, isopropanol, and acetone. I didn't bother pulling the MSDS for the rest of their line.

You probably do not want acetone in your home either, so good ventilation is needed.

 

[Ad Astra]

This is what the bottle looks like ... the sprayer was too good to throw away!

And when your wife admits it works ... win!


AA

 

[ctr]

I use Dawn dish detergent on the first floor windows outside. Upper windows are cleaned from the inside with Windex.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

You probably do not want acetone in your home either, so good ventilation is needed.

I have a wife and three daughters who like to paint their nails. I have acetone in my home whether I like it or not.

 

[Ad Astra]

I have a wife and three daughters who like to paint their nails. I have acetone in my home whether I like it or not.

Tell me about it! Wife is scrubbing nail polish off with that headache-inducing stuff all the time.

AA

 

[RayClem]

I have a wife and three daughters who like to paint their nails. I have acetone in my home whether I like it or not.

Be sure there are no open flames if all three do it at the same time.

 

[ColtRevolver]

Good to know about the Rain-X. I have lived in my house 28 years and have never washed the outside of the windows. Maybe it's time to consider it...lol.

 

[Ad Astra]

Good to know about the Rain-X. I have lived in my house 28 years and have never washed the outside of the windows. Maybe it's time to consider it...lol.

In that case, spend the $11 on the original Windex bottle... Maybe get to a maintenance level with the Rain-X refill!


AA