Windscreen cleaning

I use Rainex, a denatured alcohol, which applied and spead with paper towel to screen and then buffed off until clear will provide a skiddy film on the screen. Most insects and grasshoppers etc, simply skid off while driving with minimal residue. Later wash off is easy. Application lasts for quite a while. Rainex
also provides water beading on screen and water disappears and I rarely use wipers even in the heaviest rain. Maybe wipers at slow speed. Water just disappears at speed over 60km.

You can get it from any of the auto shops like Super Cheap, Repco, It is good gear.

I've used a multitude of products over the years, John, but one of the best cleaning items to use, regardless of all these new ubeaut microfibre offerings, is a good supply of cotton singlets, Chesty Bond ones of course. Cleaning products are a personal choice, though I've found the creamy or foam products don't appear to clean quite as well as the liquid stuff.
I've tried the Bowden's "Naked Glass" a couple of times & it did a good job.



Cleaning when the screen is cool, with little or no wind(might be difficult on the Nullarbor) helps to get a good finish. There's cleaning pads available that have a mesh side, that makes removing dried insects much easier. If you're going to travel late until sundown, might pay to clean it at some stage through the day too. Grasshoppers are one of the worst to encounter because of their ability to deposit large quantities of guts, usually in the driver's line of sight.

Enjoy the trip,
Bob

Nothing better

Windscreen cleaner.

splattered on burgs n guts I find a scourer pad for non stick frypans works a treat add bit of detergent and water for moisture cleans up quite nicely

and before anybody shudders and screams saying it will scratch the windscreen it won't head light restorers use much aggressive gritsto remove the dull yellow haze from poly carbonate headlights in a number of stages

Bars Bugs in the washer bottle

I just use a bottle of water, dishwashing liquid and a dustpan brush

Hi Johnhelen,

For cleaning, I find good old “windex” and paper towels seems to work pretty well. As for RMD’s suggestion regarding “Rainex”, sounds like that might be a good idea as a preventative treatment.

Macca.

I carry two 500ml spray bottles in the car - one with dishwashing liquid added and the other with plain water and they have many uses.
Use them for cleaning the windscreen (with scourer and chamois), washing teacups, glasses and the odd plate during the day, washing greasy hands, and even my wife's hair in the morning.
Started doing this in years gone by when we needed a spray bottle to detect tyre punctures on desert trips. Can be used for detecting gas leaks.
Also a great way to clean when water is scarce.
Here's a photo confirming my OCD :-)

I've found that for cleaning I've always reverted back to good old Windex when at home but have just used dish washing liquid when travelling and have put it in the windscreen washer bottle and give the screen a squirt while driving and before the squashed bug has baked dry. I think the bars bugs windscreen cleaner probably works just the same. Great suggestion above of the two squirt bottles in the car, I think I'll start doing the same.
After you have cleaned the windscreen, I swear by using Rainx. Remember Rainx isn't for cleaning but its a glass treatment that makes the rain bead off and not so many bugs stick. I started using Rainx for my motorbike helmet (no wiper blades of course) and couldn't believe the difference. As said above, you hardly need to use wipers on a car.

On the Nullarbor run I have always found it easier to clean the bugs off in the morning before hitting the road. In many cases (depending on the time of the year) the windscreen will have a layer of condensation on it in the morning, and the bugs have softened. I also use vehicle wash (about 10%) and water in a spray bottle.
Cheers
Greg

Every year is different but in a few Nullarbor trips in different seasons I don't remember bugs being that much of a problem that couldn't be be solved with water and a soft scourer and finish off with Windex.

Locusts in the wheatbelt (in a bad year) a different matter entirely.

Enjoy the trip. I might do it again this year.

I had the good fortune to be driving the Marlborough stretch after dark just after that last cyclone. We didn’t make 30-40 minutes at a time before having to stop and do heavy duty cleaning. A cotton tea towel (big rag) doused in fresh water worked as good as anything. If you aren’t cooking them on they rehydrate and come off easily.

Agree with others re RainX John. Great for beading rain and helps to make insect cleaning a tad easier. Needs to be regularly re-applied. For on-the-go windscreen cleaning, water plus or minus a soft, non-scratch scourer works for me. The sooner bug strikes are removed from glass and duco the easier the job in my experience.

Personally I don't put household detergent anywhere near my car. Ammonia-free Windex is probably okay for windscreens, but there are plenty of better glass care products for inside and outside your vehicle. Search detailers forums if you want the good oil.

Many thanks for all your replies. I really didn't think that I'd get such a response.

G'day All

Views:840 Replies:15 FollowUps:7 for a topic on cleaning a windscreen !

Sorry guys I just couldn't resist - and not having a go at John at all but how did the travelling Aussie cope with this everyday event around the country before the internet and forums ???

With well over 3 million k's travelling this big brown land under my belt I've had insects, locust's, beetles, birds, cockatoo's, magpies, pigeons, roos, emus and numerous other things splattered on my windscreen.

Cleaned it off with whatever I had available at the time and kept driving - simple really !


Have a safe and enjoyable trip John ( with hopefully a very clean windscreen lol )

Cheers
Gazz

Not near one of my spray can’s at the moment.
But go to a John Deere dealership and get a can of I think it’s call “classic glass cleaner” I swear by it . If the bugs are dry like everything let it soak a bit.
Wipe of with paper towel , best stuff I’ve found .
On tractors and trucks it doesn’t attract dust after either.
Cheers