windscreen/cannot see properly

castle96

since buying a new (to me) car, the screen has never been clear (in rain). The wipers are fine, and I use a strong scrrenwash, but it is always 'smeary'.
What would you try to 'clean' it ? Something with alcohol ? Someone has even said - petrol !! It is quite dangerous sometimes. There must be something to completely clean it. (vinegar and newspaper ? like Mum used to use on the house windows ??) Any ideas please

SailorSam

The best thing to clean windows is, scrunched up newspaper.

Iceweasel

Once you've done the white vinegar and newspaper trick - you can keep the screen properly clean by using Autoglym Fast Glass - brilliant stuff for all glass, lights, and mirrors.

Just don't let the wife get her hands on it or you'll need to buy another one.

How do you know that the wipers are fine, by the way?

If / when you do need to replace them get the Bosch one piece aero-blade type - loads of 'lookee-likee' ones from the land of chop-sticks are complete rubbish, and will barely see you though the winter - the Bosch will work perfectly for at least 2 years.

As for windscreen wash - the best /most effective is the Halfords own brand berry flavour, sorry -aroma.

In the winter get the Lidl stuff that works right down to -70°C - but of course it can be diluted a little if it doesn't actually get that cold where you live.

castle96

will get some Autoglym then (Halfords ?). IS/WAS it WHITE viegar, or alt. WOULD that do any good (to try first)

phill99

I always use Mer Windscreen Cleaner. Expensive but superb.

You also need to remember to clean the rubbers on your wipers as well as the screen.

daveyjp

If the car is more than 3 years old change the wipers. It will make a huge difference.

neilmcl

AG Fast Glass is good but the best product I've used on windscreens is Stoner's Invisible Glass. Plenty of recommendations in the forums over on detailingworld.co.uk

Also, forget all the microfibre cloths etc, nothing imho beats using scrunched up newspaper to leave a completely streak free finish.

JustinR1979

Get a claybar, like you'd use on the paint. Instead of polishing over the top of dirt, it will pull it out of any low points.

Iceweasel

ChumpusRex wrote: »

Smeary wiping is usually due to worn out wipers. However, it could be dirty wipers, or some type of deposit on the glass. I usually find that after 18 months the wipers are degrading noticeably and by 2-3 years its time to replace them.

Some rain repellent coatings (rain-x or duxback) when mostly worn out can also do the same sort of thing.

Getting new rubbers for the wipers is probably the cheapest thing. Or you can get new wiper blades, but that is a more expensive option. My experience is that the old-fashioned type wipers wipe a bit better than the new "aero flat" type wipers.

If you're feeling a bit flush, then you could get some silicone wiper blades. Ridiculously overpriced, but they're basically the last blades you'll ever buy. Nothing wipes like them, plus when they wipe, they put a rain repellent coating on the screen. Unlike rubber, the silicone doesn't go off with sunlight, age, pollution; they last for years and years.

I tried Rain-X and hated it - gave the horrible stuff away and spent ages cleaning the screen afterwards to get rid.

I can see a use for it on light aircraft - but at low speed in towns it's a joke.

The first couple of wipes are smeary - it says so on the bottle - useless with auto-wipers or with intermittent delay.

Silicone wiper-blades - the same - horrible - binned them.

Bosch Aero-blades are great - but all the copies are just rubbish.

Tesco's flat aero-blades for example - complete waste of time - could possibly put people off aero-blades for ever and make them think they were all like that.

Expensive experiments that I wont be repeating.

Don't buy cheap wiper-blades.

anotherbaldrick

JustinR1979 wrote: »

Get a claybar, like you'd use on the paint. Instead of polishing over the top of dirt, it will pull it out of any low points.

Agreed this what I have recently done. A bar of car detailers clay , mold it in your fingers till it is pliable and then work across the screen in circular pattern lubricating screen with soapy water.
It removes all the smeary film nothing else gets to .
wash screen well with clean water after

JustinR1979

Glad someone agrees with me!


Also, rain-x is a pain on the screen (as already said).
Wiper blades, I use bosch superplus, don't like these aero type.
Eurocarparts often have sales, be cheap enough; or gsf.