Visibility will be your number one priority if applying a rain repellent to a car. In the same way that visibility is no.1 when applying some de-icer. After all, the sole job of a rain repellent is road safety, keeping water from congregating on your windscreen. A good rain repellent will see rain beading straight off the windscreen, leaving the road ahead clear. A poor rain repellent may, however, leave a smear on the glass, particularly in sunny or low-light conditions. This hampers visibility when it’s not raining and is a fairly irritating thing to deal with. Of course after cleaning and prepping the glass with X-Treme Clean, I then apply Rain-X to the surface. I use both products on all exterior glass surfaces on my car- windshield, side windows, rear, sunroof- everything. It not only improves visibility dramatically in rain, but also helps prevent ice formation in winter. While ice will still form to the glass at times, it won't have the tenacity on treated glass that it will on untreated glass.

Glass Cleaners of 2023 - The Spruce The 11 Best Glass Cleaners of 2023 - The Spruce

To find which product best cleans windows, we assembled 10 different cleaners and got to work. As we ran them through the Gear Team testing gauntlet, we determined which ones work best. Our Test Vehicles However, be aware that you might need some extra effort as you wipe. We had to perform two spray-and-wipe cycles with some heavy-handed pressure to get true clarity. In the picture below, you can see some slight haze to the left side after the first cycle. The oddly shaped spray bottle is ergonomically a little funky, which could get annoying after extended use. The ceramic coating felt smoother than non-ceramics, but not as glossy as the Rain-X ceramic above. It also required a second cleaning cycle to achieve perfect clarity.Cleaning your car windows might seem like an afterthought—after all, that's what wiper blades are for, right? Sort of. While keeping the outside of your windshield clean and clear is essential, you shouldn't forget about the side windows, the rear window, and the inside of the glass all around the car. Registered office: Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing, Company number: LP003328; Directions: Spray the product on the glass in small sections. Wipe away with a clean towel to remove dirt and grime. Wipe with the dry side of the towel to leave a streak-free water-beading coating. Allow at least an hour before exposure to rain or water. Application is also worth paying attention to. There are three options; spray-on, roll-on and applicator-applied examples. Each has its pros and cons, with spray-on options the easiest to apply but least durable and applicator examples vice versa. Rain repellents are similar to car waxes in many ways, sometimes featuring minimum temperatures and directions to apply out of direct sunlight. Longer-lasting options may also feature a curing time. Once you’ve finished, you can embrace a moist-free car interior if you decide to opt for an in-car dehumidifier. What about durability? Use this product if you have a hard time seeing through rain and snow. But I recommend using a different product to clean your windshield before applying Rain X.

Rain-X 5071268 Glass Cleaner + Rain Repellent, 23 oz., Pack of 1 Rain-X 5071268 Glass Cleaner + Rain Repellent, 23 oz., Pack of 1

Enhance driving visibility during rain, sleet, snow or ice with RainX 2-in-1 Glass Cleaner + Rain Repellent. It provides a streak-free clean for automotive glass and prevents sleet, snow, ice, bugs and road spray from building up and inhibiting your view. Improved water beading technology allows water to bead up and roll away. Just spray onto external vehicle glass and wipe away. Primarily designed to clean and protect motorcycle helmets, Vision + from Autobrite Direct is our top choice for combining a glass cleaner with a hydrophobic layer of protection. Vision + promotes some serious water beading and is perfectly safe to apply to most translucent materials, including glass, acrylic and Perspex. Do a final wipe with the dry side of the towel to leave a steak-free, water-beading coating. For best results, allow an hour before exposing to rain/water. A seriously impressive option for total windscreen protection, Gtechniq's G1 features an almost tediously long and complex application process. There are two stages to the application process, the G1 Smart Glass (which requires three layers for the best results) followed by a curing time and then some G2 Residue Remover.

Why are rain repellents worth considering? Given Britain’s famously moist weather, driving around in the wet is something we’re all used to. But driving in damp and rainy conditions with blurred, smeared, and dirty windscreens can be very dangerous. These conditions get especially bad during the months where you may be carrying a few winter driving products. So, being able to see out clearly is a top priority. If you live in an area with frequent rain, snow, or ice, you know how difficult seeing the road can be while driving. When it was eventually sunny enough to apply, the process was straightforward but took the most time here. You’re provided with four applicator pads and really need to apply three layers to get the absolute best protection possible. You then need to apply the G2 Residue Remover (also included) to prevent streaking before leaving the whole thing to set for at least three hours. This stuff contains Rain-X's famous water-beading technology found on its wiper blades. It's not a ceramic coating, but it's close. We were impressed by the dry feel and price point, but it took some extra time to eliminate all of the haze. Meguiar's Perfect Clarity Glass Cleaner comes in second in our test and is a fantastic option if aerosol cans aren't your thing. We noted the streak-free cleaning performance and bottle ergonomics as the top perks.

Products - Rain-X Products - Rain-X

You'll also see ceramic glass cleaners pop up when searching around. These leave a hydrophobic film on your windshield that allows water droplets to slide right off, even to the degree where you don't need to use your wipers. While that sounds great, we found that it takes a bit more effort to properly apply, and there's no sense in using it on your other windows.

Tested Ryan Gilmore: An absolute pain to apply, Gtechniq G1 requires a good half days’ worth of sunshine to properly cure on the car’s windscreen. With the British weather the way it is, the application was delayed on no less than two occasions owing to approaching rain. It’s best to have a garage or at least a gazebo if you’re planning to apply this. Bauer Media Group consists of : Bauer Consumer Media Ltd, Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited, Company number: 1394141; Rain X 2in1 Glass Cleaner claims to clean your windows and leave a protective topcoat that repels water, improving visibility. We tested this product and rated it on how well it cleaned and repelled water. Tested Ryan Gilmore: Following the Gtechniq, using the Lotus was a real breath of fresh air. There was no need to prepare the glass or wait for it to cure, it was simply a case of spraying it on and wiping it up with a microfibre towel. The trigger was comfortable and delivered an even misting across the windscreen which was both easy to see and easy to wipe away using a microfibre towel. A small, barely visible film was left by the Lotus at first, easily removed with a touch more buffing.

Glass Cleaner - Rain-X

An exercise in excellent innovation, Soft99 Glaco Roll-On combines the repellent and applicator in one product, a great time saver and a way of ensuring that the glass is fully coated.We were impressed by the dry feel; it felt impeccably smooth without any grip, allowing water to bead right off. It's at a nice price point too. The product goes on like a polish, and is rubbed in by hand. Best results are obtained by circular motions applying the product in a thin film which dries to a haze. Like wax or polish, it is then removed by polishing with a dry cloth, terrycloth or microfiber providing the best results. For older or neglected glass I've found a second application really gives amazing results. Where the glass before treatment may not have seemed "dirty," after completing the process you'll likely be amazed by the clarity and complete transparency of the glass. It cleaned very well, as you can see from the before and after pictures, I waited over a week to see if it would last, and it did! I also tried it on my Honda Fit which was just starting to get discolored - same results. On to the ceramics: This Rain-X Cerami-X Glass Cleaner features the twin aspects you want in a ceramic glass cleaner. It lifts and removes dirt and grime while leaving behind a hydrophobic ceramic coating to repel water droplets.