Windshield washer fluid? Will it harm paint?

L

logan2z

New member
I just spent a lot of time washing my car and decided to take it out for a quick spin to try off the brake rotors, etc. I'm not out for two seconds when someone in front of me decides to clean their windshield with several sprays of windshield washer fluid, which oversprayed onto my windshield, and I have to assume my hood, roof, etc. Is this stuff dangerous if it sits on the paint for a while? Should I rewash my car immediately to get this stuff off or will leaving it overnight be ok? Will a simple hose down with water get rid of it or will I need to do a full wash again?
 
Well I certainly hope windshield washer fluid doesn't do anything to paint because even using it from your own car there will be overspray onto the hood, roof, and maybe more.
 
If you just washed your car, you should be able to QD off anything that hasn't already evaporated. Possibly the alcohol in the washer fluid could compromise your sealant/wax, but you haven't indicated that you have any on there, and likely it was a fine mist that simply evaporated without causing any harm.
 
For whatever it is worth, alot of the cars I work on have trails along the sides of the doors and mirrors where there are stains and etching consistent with trails of fluid running from the windshield(think windshield washer and wiper action at speed). Soft paints and BMW Jet Black have been the worst for obvious reasons. All have taken various degrees of polishing to remove.



I never ever use windshield washer fluid..
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Yeah, it really takes a lot for me to push that button. I'd say about once a year, maybe less.
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i will second that ... even if my car has a weeks worth of dust .. i still wont push it .. only time i will push it is if i have minor bugs and its pouring rain outside ...



one day my gf (at the time) and i were driving and my windshield was dirty .. so she reached over and hit the arm .. i looked at her like she just scrached my car .. i dont think she will ever do it again
 
Thanks for the responses. Too late to re-wash the car tonight, but I think I'll give it a quick wash in the morning to get rid of any residue that may be left over. I hate when people spray a gallon of that stuff onto their windows - and everyone else's! :furious:
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Yeah, it really takes a lot for me to push that button. I'd say about once a year, maybe less.
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I dont even mess around, I carry a gallon of water in a jug and 1oz of ONR in a small flip top in the trunk in a sealed bucket with a grout sponge and a 32oz bottle of ONR QD with some MFs. This is obviously for bird bombs but sometimes if its that bad Ill ONR the windshield.



My car is an 06 and the entire time I've owned it its never seen windshield washer fluid and probably only 30 total swipes of the wipers. Needless to say my glass is marr free of any sort:woot2:
 
Anybody tried ONR as WW fluid? Interesting idea...but like most other decent WW solutions, you have to play the get-it-out-before-it-freezes game. Well, in many areas.
 
getcha said:
My car is an 06 and the entire time I've owned it its never seen windshield washer fluid and probably only 30 total swipes of the wipers. Needless to say my glass is marr free of any sort:woot2:
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Yeah, that's the reason I try really hard not to use windshield washer is the idea of starting up the wipers on a dry windshield covered with grit...of course there is always the time you leave the wipers on when you shut the car off in the rain and forget...and start the car up two days later when it's all dry and covered with stuff...:(
 
In my opinion this stuff will eat right threw your paint in the right concentration. I was on a X-country road trip last year (winter) and had to pull a few passes going threw idaho montana and wyoming so I used the washers quite a bit. I also washed my headlights at the fuel stations. I dribbled a bit on my bumper and my hood and didn't relized it. It satayed there till I was able to wash it a week later. Big mistake. It etched into the paint so bad it looked like it puffed up and it was stained blue on my oxford white. It took some wet sanding to get it out. Since then i don't use the stuff at all.
 
Noting that I hardly ever use my washers unless it's really necessary either (think "hideous winter weather"...there are conditions where you'd be pulling off the road every five minutes without washers), I've never had *any* problems with the wiper fluid causing damage. Never even stripped the LSP. But I do keep the LSPs very fresh on the vehicles that get used in the winter.



This reminds me that I need to take D Tailor's info in to my Audi tech sometime and get the headlight washers deactivated on the A8/S8...
 
getcha said:
I dont even mess around, I carry a gallon of water in a jug and 1oz of ONR in a small flip top in the trunk in a sealed bucket with a grout sponge and a 32oz bottle of ONR QD with some MFs. This is obviously for bird bombs but sometimes if its that bad Ill ONR the windshield.



My car is an 06 and the entire time I've owned it its never seen windshield washer fluid and probably only 30 total swipes of the wipers. Needless to say my glass is marr free of any sort:woot2:
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Mar free windshield? Someone's got OCD :D :nervous: That's a new one.
 
AcuraYYZ said:
Mar free windshield? .. That's a new one.
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Well, I'm pretty concerned about that too. Seems like every used vehicle I've *ever* bought had more wiper-related marring than any vehicles I've had since new. I can't claim to keep mine perfect though..but they get used pretty hard, even the "garage queens" (scare-quotes intentional as they go through their share of really nasty weather; even the Jag has been so filthy and salt-encrusted you couldn't tell what color it is). It's easy to *say* you'll never run your wipers unless the windshield is properly lubricated with washer fluid, but it's not so easy to have it always work out that way IRL.
 
This winter, while I was buying gas at a gas station, I saw someone deliberately taking the squeegee with windshield washer fluid I believe (its very dirty) and using it to scrub his car's paint and windows to remove all the salt and dirt.



Horrifying experience to see someone doing that.



Of course I could not take pictures but I hope you can imagine something like that.
 
corrswitch said:
This winter, while I was buying gas at a gas station, I saw someone deliberately taking the squeegee with windshield washer fluid I believe (its very dirty) and using it to scrub his car's paint and windows to remove all the salt and dirt.



Horrifying experience to see someone doing that.



Of course I could not take pictures but I hope you can imagine something like that.
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ive seen it done MANY times.....ive also seen mud covered trucks wash their windows with those....COVER the scrubber thing in mud/sand/gravel what have you then stick it back in the container.....talk about a good way to mark up your windows!
 
TBH, I've never put much thought into window marring. I've never really noticed it. The only thing that I see is the small pits caused by rocks/road debris when light hits the windshield at a perfect angle. I clean my windows inside and out and they look clear but I will use my wipers/fluid in the winter or if its raining with no thoughts about marring.
 
I have to use my wipers in the morning from dew. I try not to since I hate the look a clean window with a dirty area surrounding it.
 
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