Natural? Windshield Wiper Fluid

[amolibertas]

So this hasn't happened yet, but someday my car window washing fluid will run out

Comments

[9thmoon]

Wouldn't hurt your windshield, but your paint is another story.

Valid Point Brought up

[amolibertas]

Another rumor is that vinegar poured onto a car can cause discoloration. This is not true. Unless the vinegar is very acidic and left on the car in the sun for a very time, it will not destroy car paint.

Read more: Best Way - Ways to Destroy Car Paint | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/way_5175848_ways-destroy-car-paint.html#ixzz0s00BeVVn

though I suppose they could be wrong

Re: Valid Point Brought up

[9thmoon]

Repeated use without washing it off promptly would certainly damage the clear coat if it maxes it through the wax. If you're one of those people that washes twice a week and waxes once a month, then probably no problem, but I think it would be problematic for people like me who wash twice a year and wax every four years. :)

Re: Valid Point Brought up

[amolibertas]

Very true! I was by no means saying you were wrong-- that was only the first google link that showed up

I usually take my car through a car wash once a month due to frequent traveling and thick bug build up- a car wash is supposed to dispose of the run off properly as opposed to my home stuff soaking into the ground.

[stupidforyou]

isn't wiper fluid made not to freeze in below zero temperatures? sounds like a bad idea to me and if it did freeze it could cause damage to your car.

A Truth!

[amolibertas]

A typical commercial vinegar with a 5% acetic acid content will have a freezing point of about -2 degrees Celsius (28 F).

http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/properties-of-vinegar.html

hadn't even thought of that - well bummer. I guess there went that idea ^_^

Re: A Truth!

[rasputin_fish]

I agree with the paint issues but my windshield cleaner definitely freezes.

Re: A Truth!

[summonerluna]

Do you live in a place where that will be a very big issue? I generally just use plain water for my wiper fluid and find that unless it is on some of the *really* cold days the heat from my engine is generally enough to keep my washer well from freezing. If you are in a place that is really cold, though, I'm not sure there are a lot of good natural methods. I read where some people have used detergents to help, and we all know there are various brands of detergent that are more earth-friendly than others. :)

[oxymoron02]

Personally, I just use water. The ambient tempurature drops below freezing a handful of days here in winter, so I make sure to let the reservoir run low towards the winter to allow plenty of expansion room. When the windshield gets grimmy or covered in bug splatter (since no washer fluid will do a good job getting this stuff anyway), I grab a cloth and use what I use on my home windows to get it clean.

For everyday use, plain water works fine.

[jennifer0246]

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/15/report-water-as-windshield-wiper-fluid-causes-20-of-legionnair/

[shalora]

My folks use diluted Simple Green to help with bug splatter and stuff, since Simple Green is non-toxic to the environment.

[saru_kage]

Vinegar shouldn't hurt anything in the system that sprays your washer fluid. Saying what will or won't hurt the paint is harder, the way cars get painted has changed a lot, and changed several times, over the past twenty or so years, so what will hurt the finish on one car may not affect the finish on another. If you're worried about it, you could try a test patch somewhere that doesn't show, like the inside of your door frame

[kioskgirl]

Or it sprays fine but freezes on contact with your windshield, resulting in a windshield you can no longer see through, which in turn could very well result in an accident. Anti-freeze in washer fluid is not there only to prevent damage to the washer dispensing system.