Never use Rainx???

BossHogg · Sep 4, 2024

Kickboxer said:
RainX is a bad thing in my experience. Just a smearing streaky
mess. Don't put anything on your windshield glass.

I have found, at times, Rain-X very difficult to get all the streaking off. I read, and this was a long time ago, clay bar the windshield first, and Rain-X will apply without the streaking difficulty. I tried it and had much better success. After a couple of Rain-X applications, the streaking difficulties went away. I do clay bar my windshield twice a year, it is amazing how gritty the glass gets, like a fine grade of sandpaper.

BossHogg · Sep 4, 2024

Treburkulosis said:
Its like rain x on steroids. Rain x was good I guess for a time. There are just so much more better options out there now.

What are the other options? What do you use on your vehicle?

jejb · Sep 4, 2024

I'd guess the small number of folks that didn't like RainX had some sort of application error. Didn't let it dry enough, weather too cold, etc.

DanAR · Sep 4, 2024

I use a slightly dampened towel to wipe the windshield off after buffing RainX and that takes care of most of the streaking. Since I usually apply after washing the vehicle, the damp towel is usually lying there anyway. However the clay bay application sounds like a good idea. Probably good for windshield wiper blade life too.

DanAR · Sep 4, 2024

Docwagon1776 said:
That may be it. I've never seen wax Rainx. There's no way the liquid makes anyone's windshield wipers *less* efficient.

Can’t believe I still had this sitting on my shelf as it’s at least 35 years old. If you ever picked up a bottle of this RainX product by mistake as I did, yes, it’s a real pain. It doesn’t buff off, streaks bad, leaves a lot of residue. A real mess. No wonder it wasn’t on the shelves for long.

I looked into windshield covering when I bought my truck but from what I could find out, they generally had a 1 year service life before they started to fail. Maybe a Garage Queen like mine might make 2 years, who knows. Too expensive for that. I remember one video by an installer who after 1 year had to scrape and razor blade it off the windshield in little pieces as it could not be heated and pulled off.

Treburkulosis · Sep 4, 2024

BossHogg said:
What are the other options? What do you use on your vehicle?

I just use a coating. I use this and it will last twice if not 3x as long and that bottle will get you multiple windshields. It is what all car detailers will use if you have your car ceramic coated. They will use something just like this. I am just being honest with everyone and spilling a usually closely guarded secret in the detailing world.

Undrdog Pro

Experience advanced hydrophobic protection with Undrdog Pro, a leap beyond traditional ceramic coatings. Our innovative formula ensures your vehicle stays cleaner, glossier, and more protected, without the need for ceramic myths.

getundrdog.com

Or they just developed this and you could use this same thing applies with my above statement.

Window Coating: Ultimate Clarity & Protection

Discover Undrdog Window Coating: the premier solution for enhancing glass clarity and protection. Ideal for cars and homes, our coating offers hydrophobicity, UV shielding, and reduces water spots for safer, clearer views. Experience the ultimate in glass care technology.

getundrdog.com

I am running the Pro+ on both of my cars, but you have to be a business to buy it last time I checked. I have ran Pro tho and it went 6 months on 1 coating in my wifes Jeep and she is windshield washer fluid happy, and it went a little over 9 months on my Ram.

Treburkulosis · Sep 4, 2024

Docwagon1776 said:
I'm not saying it's the best. I'm just saying "hard for my wiper blades to wipe the rain off" is something I've never heard anyone complain about before. As the poster above mentioned, maybe you tried the wax?

I honestly don't care how long it lasts. Every time I use my wiper fluid it reapplies, so NBD. The ease to effectiveness ratio is a win for me.

Like I said I was a kid when I did it. The car was 11 years old. Maybe I did it wrong? I don't know. My dad used the same bottle and said the same thing. Thats when he said I just always waxed mine and so that's what I did until I got into the detailing world and discovered how great coatings are.

Docwagon1776 · Sep 4, 2024

DanAR said:
Can’t believe I still had this sitting on my shelf as it’s at least 35 years old. If you ever picked up a bottle of this RainX product by mistake as I did, yes, it’s a real pain. It doesn’t buff off, streaks bad, leaves a lot of residue. A real mess. No wonder it wasn’t on the shelves for long.
View attachment 550074

I looked into windshield covering when I bought my truck but from what I could find out, they generally had a 1 year service life before they started to fail. Maybe a Garage Queen like mine might make 2 years, who knows. Too expensive for that. I remember one video by an installer who after 1 year had to scrape and razor blade it off the windshield in little pieces as it could not be heated and pulled off.

As far as I remember, I've never seen that style. For probably 15 years or so I've just used: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rain-X-...over-Windshield-Washer-Fluid-113645/313473438

$4 or so for a gallon, reapplies whenever you hit the washer fluid, and effective enough I don't need the wipers at all during moderate to light rains.

skates15 · Sep 4, 2024

Anyone have tips of a product which can be used on glass shower doors, besides a squeegee?

DanAR · Sep 4, 2024

Actually I just read a tip a couple weeks ago suggesting to use RainX on shower glass to assist drying and staying clean. I don’t remember where - may have been the home section of our newspaper or may have been a home tips, radio call in show I listen to on the radio sometimes.

DanAR · Sep 4, 2024

Treburkulosis said:
I just use a coating. I use this and it will last twice if not 3x as long and that bottle will get you multiple windshields. It is what all car detailers will use if you have your car ceramic coated. They will use something just like this. I am just being honest with everyone and spilling a usually closely guarded secret in the detailing world.

Undrdog Pro

Experience advanced hydrophobic protection with Undrdog Pro, a leap beyond traditional ceramic coatings. Our innovative formula ensures your vehicle stays cleaner, glossier, and more protected, without the need for ceramic myths.

getundrdog.com

Or they just developed this and you could use this same thing applies with my above statement.

Window Coating: Ultimate Clarity & Protection

Discover Undrdog Window Coating: the premier solution for enhancing glass clarity and protection. Ideal for cars and homes, our coating offers hydrophobicity, UV shielding, and reduces water spots for safer, clearer views. Experience the ultimate in glass care technology.

getundrdog.com

I am running the Pro+ on both of my cars, but you have to be a business to buy it last time I checked. I have ran Pro tho and it went 6 months on 1 coating in my wifes Jeep and she is windshield washer fluid happy, and it went a little over 9 months on my Ram.

RainX works well and is easy to apply (at least for me) but it probably is 50+ year old technology, or at least Im unaware of any updated technology. And it would not surprise me that even better products have come along. Todays ceramic waxes are several times better than what I used in the 70s and 80s. I’m always looking for something better so I’ll look into these and if not to expensive or limited to professional use, probably give them a try.

Thanks

BossHogg · Sep 5, 2024

Treburkulosis said:
I just use a coating. I use this and it will last twice if not 3x as long and that bottle will get you multiple windshields. It is what all car detailers will use if you have your car ceramic coated. They will use something just like this. I am just being honest with everyone and spilling a usually closely guarded secret in the detailing world.

I'm laughing, not at you, but because I sense your sincerity in your statement while thinking about the sea of car detailing secrets revealed by car detailing content providers on YouTube. I do appreciate your recommendations, I'm looking for a Rain-X work-a-like that is easier to apply.

Project Farm, a YT content provider analyzes many products and recently did one on windshield coatings. It is reasonable to argue his testing isn't scientific but is undeniably real-world.

Best Windshield Rain Repellent? Let's Find Out!

Brands: Rain-X, Invisible Glass, Gtechniq, Aquapel, GYEON, Adams, CERAKOTE, Chemical Guys, 3D, Debaishi. Windshield water repellents tested for efficiency at...

www.youtube.com

jejb · Sep 5, 2024

skates15 said:
Anyone have tips of a product which can be used on glass shower doors, besides a squeegee?

RainX makes products specifically for shower doors too. One cleaner and one to resist buildup. I applied both recently to the newer shower doors in the master bathroom. Worked great.

Treburkulosis · Sep 5, 2024

BossHogg said:
I'm laughing, not at you, but because I sense your sincerity in your statement while thinking about the sea of car detailing secrets revealed by car detailing content providers on YouTube. I do appreciate your recommendations, I'm looking for a Rain-X work-a-like that is easier to apply.

Project Farm, a YT content provider analyzes many products and recently did one on windshield coatings. It is reasonable to argue his testing isn't scientific but is undeniably real-world.

Best Windshield Rain Repellent? Let's Find Out!

Brands: Rain-X, Invisible Glass, Gtechniq, Aquapel, GYEON, Adams, CERAKOTE, Chemical Guys, 3D, Debaishi. Windshield water repellents tested for efficiency at...

www.youtube.com

Interesting thing couple of tests we did. So we did half a hood of a very off-road used Tacoma in Undrdog Pro and Cquartz Professional. Undrdog lasted a full year longer than the more expensive Cquatrz Professional. Another test that we did when testing the durability of Undrdog Pro, we ran it through drive through car washes. We all know what that does to any coating. I have watched a Modesta BC04 coating "Modesta coatings are the hardest coatings to obtain a licenses to buy and install and they are the most expensive" I had a client insist on it and went through drive through car washes and it lasted 18 months. Undrdog went 3 years lol. So if that tells you anything about this product. I am just hear to educate. Im not out to sell you that ceramic coatings are better than Undrdog. It all just depends on the person and most of the Ram owners here use them and they aren't garage queens so Undrdog is a great option for them. I have a few threads about it and my own vehicles in the detailing forum.

DanAR · Sep 5, 2024

BossHogg said:
I'm laughing, not at you, but because I sense your sincerity in your statement while thinking about the sea of car detailing secrets revealed by car detailing content providers on YouTube. I do appreciate your recommendations, I'm looking for a Rain-X work-a-like that is easier to apply.

Project Farm, a YT content provider analyzes many products and recently did one on windshield coatings. It is reasonable to argue his testing isn't scientific but is undeniably real-world.

Best Windshield Rain Repellent? Let's Find Out!

Brands: Rain-X, Invisible Glass, Gtechniq, Aquapel, GYEON, Adams, CERAKOTE, Chemical Guys, 3D, Debaishi. Windshield water repellents tested for efficiency at...

www.youtube.com

RainX came out looking pretty good in that testing so I guess it’s holding its own against newer products. Kind of hard to beat for the price.

mcv1 · Sep 9, 2024

I've never heard of RainX softening glass. About 15 years ago I secured a patent to coat silica-based and ceramic proppants with various siloxanes including RainX and we did an enormous amount of lab testing. Never did we see any reduction in particle strength or crush resistance. In my case, the purpose of the RainX coating was to alter performance under multiphase flow. But I have enough data to indicate it did not harm the strength of the glassy phases of typical silica particles. I've never performed strength testing on tempered or laminated glass, but can't see any mechanism that would cause it to behave differently. I do use RainX periodically on windshields and like it.

Fatitud · Sep 9, 2024

joelmic said:
I had to get a chip filled, and my windshield is getting kinda "sparkly" with mico chips I guess...
The Windshield guy told me RainX is the worst thing for a windshield because it softens the glass? Lets even the smallest particle will leave a chip?
I dunno...
I'm about to use Glass Stripper to get a deep clean anyway.
BUT, my question: so is it okay to use a ceramic glass coating afterwards?
Is Glass stripper's Ceramic Kit okay to use?
Anything else instead?

I know this is probably "another windshield thread" but I just wanna do the right thing

I don't know about RainX softening the glass of a windshield. What I do know is that RainX gums up the windshield washer pump, tubing, and spray nozzles. I had to replace the pump in my 2012 RAM Hemi 4X4 Quad cab about not too long ago and now, according to the RAM dealer, the tubing and nozzles are plugged up. They want $365 to replace the tubing and nozzles. I just ordered a package of hood insulation retainer clips and a removal tool and will tackle it myself. I held off ordering the nozzles to see if I can clear them of the slimy gunk before spending the $56 each to replace them as well. RainX is bad and I'll never use it again.

Regcabguy · Sep 9, 2024

joelmic said:
I had to get a chip filled, and my windshield is getting kinda "sparkly" with mico chips I guess...
The Windshield guy told me RainX is the worst thing for a windshield because it softens the glass? Lets even the smallest particle will leave a chip?
I dunno...
I'm about to use Glass Stripper to get a deep clean anyway.
BUT, my question: so is it okay to use a ceramic glass coating afterwards?
Is Glass stripper's Ceramic Kit okay to use?
Anything else instead?

I know this is probably "another windshield thread" but I just wanna do the right thing

I use Costco's Spray away and two microfiber cloths. One is for scrubbing, the other for polishing. To clear the outside windshield I use 000 steel wool and straight vinegar. Rain-X cannot penetrate glass.

Marshall · Sep 9, 2024

my windshield is still the original and it is getting quite sand blasted from fine crap on the road.
while the city does not use salt in the winter, they spread sand on the streets in winter, sometimes it may be may- june before its cleaned up, and on the highways there is always bits of dirt, gravel on them , I usally stay well back, but you are always passing trucks.
Never got a rock yet, and I usally use the cheap blue water in summer or what ever the dealer sticks in when doing the oil, as I don't do it any more.
Really notice it when the sun is low and in your face. I do have extra glass insurance, so that is why I have never got a rock, I guess . It has the rain sensors in the glass .
I just use soap, or window cleaner on it.
Soft glass, LOL, sounds like a politician. Right up with " the budget will balance itself"
You Ca. guy will get that.

bborzell · Sep 9, 2024

I actually recall reading something in the manual for my 2014 JGC that warned against using Rain-X in the windshield system. Pretty sure the concern was fouling up the pump/system rather than eating through the windshield glass.

But, that got me to looking at sensible windshield washing fluid and I stumbled upon the product in the picture. Cleans windshield nicely, does not clog the pump and no soft windshield.

And, the best part is that it will cut through bugs who dry out before you get around to trying to clean them with the washer fluid/wiper blades. Actually very impressive.

Never use Rainx???

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