Anti-rain with your own hands: 4 recipes for windows and car body
Every driver is trying to ensure maximum comfort while driving, as well as minimize the time and financial costs of car maintenance. Severe weather conditions, especially in spring and autumn, as well as driving on “domestic” road surfaces is accompanied by fast contamination of windows and car body. Driving in rain or sleet has a significant impact not only on comfort, but also on driving safety, as driving in such conditions is accompanied by reduced visibility due to water droplets on the windows and their rapid contamination. In such conditions, it is necessary to protect car windows with the use of anti-rain system.
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Automotive windshield wiping equipment
Glass wipers are already provided for cleaning glasses on cars, but in the process of operation their effectiveness decreases due to the appearance of scratches and microcracks on the glass, which may not even be seen without special equipment. These defects make the glass rough, which prevents the flow of water droplets from it. In addition, the service life of automotive wipers is small, with time the effectiveness of their work decreases.
It is also worth noting that windshield wipers do not clean all of the glass, especially they are provided only for the windshield. Side windows are not cleaned at all, and the rear window – even with a wiper – has a small cleaning area.
Anti-rain for glasses
There are special means to protect auto glass, in addition to protective system anti-rain can be made with your own hands. Such means will greatly facilitate the life of any driver. Special compositions for glass processing have good water-repellent properties, they are popularly known as “anti-rain for windows. According to the manufacturers, after the agent is applied to the glass, it creates a thin transparent layer with hydrophobic properties. This layer prevents water droplets from being trapped on the glass and helps the windshield wipers and the air flow evacuate the water from the window surface quickly and easily. Anti-rain when applied to the glass fills all the scratches, creating the most even surface, and water droplets have nothing to catch, and included hydrophobic substances repel water, reducing the area of interaction of water droplets with the glass surface, which also contributes to the rapid flow of water.
Comparison of glass surfaces, treated with anti-rain and not treated them
In today’s market there are many water-repellent compositions from different manufacturers and price ranges. Virtually all anti-rain chemical formulations include silicone polymers and a solvent, and the formulation may also include a fixer, which provides wear resistance to the composition. The protective layer on the glass may last up to six months after the composition is applied.
The benefits of applying antifog to car windows:
- Improved visibility during rain and wet snow;
- At speeds over 60 km/h the wipers can be turned off – they are not needed;
- Convenient cleaning of windows, they are easily removed from them stains from flies, hoarfrost, etc;
- Extension of the resource of wipers;
- Reducing the consumption of “antifreeze”;
- Reducing the glare of headlights from oncoming cars.
- Some inexpensive products have a pungent, unpleasant odor
- Cheap products have a short-term effect: from a few days to a couple of weeks (or until the first wash).
Anti-Rain for Bodies
There is also an anti-rain solution for the body of the car. Although the presence of water droplets and dirt on the body does not affect driving safety, but spoils its appearance. In its principle, anti-rain for bodywork performs the same functions as for glass, but has a different chemical composition.
Comparison of the car body before and after treatment with anti-rain
This is due to the fact that the composition of the means for glass includes a solvent, which has a negative impact on the paint coating of the car. In addition to silicone polymers, antifreeze for bodywork contains wax and a solvent, which does not harm the paintwork.
Silicone Grease as Anti-Rain Lubricant
It costs a pretty penny to buy a brand-name product, and its effectiveness is unknown. If you carefully study the chemical composition of the product, you can make it yourself. The base element of the product is a silicone polymer. In auto stores there is a remedy for eliminating squeaks in the car interior – liquid silicone in the form of a spray. When studying the composition of the substance, you can find that it contains the same silicone polymers. The spray costs an order of magnitude cheaper than the antifreeze. The product is suitable for application to car windows, the effect will be the same as after using the defroster. The disadvantages of choosing a remedy are:
- short service life, due to the lack of a fixer in the composition of the spray;
- The product is undesirable for use on the car body.
Silicone grease spray is applied to glasses and rubbed in thoroughly.
The product has no cleaning properties, therefore the windows must be washed and dried thoroughly before spraying. After spraying, the composition is thoroughly rubbed into the glass surface with a sponge, cloths or cotton pads. Afterwards the glass is polished to full transparency with a cloth, paper or tissue.
Anti-rain of paraffin and mineral spirits.
For the most economical, you can use a composition that is suitable for the treatment of both glass and car body. It is easy and inexpensive to make the composition with your own hands. To make it, you need only two ingredients – paraffin and white spirit solvent. These ingredients are cheap and easy to find. Paraffin in the mixture is designed to create a hydrophobic layer. A paraffin candle or liquid paraffin – a liquid for kindling a charcoal grill – is suitable for the composition.
In the case of a paraffin candle, for the preparation of the solution it should be crushed to speed up the dissolution process. To do this, you can use a kitchen grater, meat grinder or knife. Prepared paraffin shavings should be poured with “White spirit”. When dissolving, it is important to observe the proportion – 1:20. For one part of paraffin there are 20 parts of the solvent. After the paraffin is completely dissolved, the composition is ready for use.
Anti-rain of paraffin and mineral spirits.
After making the self-made anti-rain must be applied to a completely clean glass surface and, if desired, a car body, which should be previously washed with car shampoo and detergent with ammonia alcohol. After the surface of the windows should be wiped with wipes until perfectly transparent.
Apply the anti-rain only after the surface is completely dry. It is best to apply with a soft sponge, cloth, cotton pads or wipes. After applying the mixture, you should allow time for the solvent to evaporate. Then the surface should be polished with paper towels.
Applying Anti-Rain from Paraffin and White Spirits on a Car
The composition is quite simple to prepare and copes well with its task. The disadvantage is that the composition is relatively short-lived, about 2 months or even less, depending on the intensity of rain and the number of car washes.
Do not use other solvents instead of white spirit. Do not use other solvents instead of “White spirit”, as they have a negative impact on the paintwork elements of the car body.
More details about the process of making and applying such an antifreeze can be seen in the video:
WD-40 rust-preventive water-repellent grease
A whole range of useful properties of WD-40 grease has been known for a long time, the main ones are:
- moisture displacement;
- protection against moisture and prevention of corrosion;
- Cleaning the surface of glue, grease and asphalt stains;
- lubrication of metal parts.
The main elements included in the chemical composition of WD-40:
- “White spirit” solvent;
- ferromones;
- Carbon dioxide which is necessary for spraying.
WD-40 can also be used as an anti-rain treatment for windows and bodywork
The chemical composition and properties of WD-40 have predetermined its use as an anti-rain spray. The aerosol can be used on both the windows and the car body. The application process is similar to the one for wax antifog. Surfaces should be washed, degreased and dried before application. After the spray is applied to the surface, it is rubbed in thoroughly and the treated surfaces are polished. The disadvantage of using the product is the relative lack of durability.
Lenore Superconcentrate as an anti-rain solution
Superconcentrate can be purchased at any hardware store. Artisans recommend diluting a measuring jug of this substance with 2 to 3 liters of water and simply pouring it into a windshield washer reservoir. The effect will be evident – the water will roll off the glass surface even without windshield wipers turning on. The advantage of this method is the simple preparation of the mixture.
Anti-rain with your own hands on the basis of Lenor
Popular manufacturers of antifreeze
If you do not want to make anti-rain with your own hands or there is no time, you can resort to specialized means. To the most famous and widespread brands of anti-rain include the following:
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Aquapel Ampoules. Applied with a special applicator, the “vitality” and workability of the composition is 3 – 5 months;
Liqui Moly
Conclusion
The use of factory-made defroster helps to considerably ease the driver’s life while driving, as well as to lighten his wallet. Buying branded products is not a cheap pleasure. Is it worth overpaying? The choice is yours. You may practically for free be satisfied with the same effect of anti-dazzle, made by your own hands. The disadvantage of choosing such means will be their relatively short lifespan.
It is also worth paying attention to the fact that the use of anti-rain has a negative impact on the rubber products of the car . Therefore, when applying the remedy, car rubbers need to prevent the antifreeze from getting on them.
