Windshield washer fluid and paint?

"TheTurbochargedSquirrel" (thatsquirrel) 10/18/2016 at 16:17 • Filed to: None

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So this GIF from the front page has me wondering: does windshield washer fluid have any effect on paint? I feel like I was told at one point to not get the stuff at the gas station on the paint but what about the stuff you use normally?

Edit: Also why does it go in and out twice? My Mini does the same thing. Just put it out and spray twice before going back in!

Urambo Tauro > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 10/18/2016 at 16:21

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If there were any adverse effects, we probably would have heard about it by now within the context of normal windshield sprayers.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Urambo Tauro 10/18/2016 at 16:22

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But windshields are surrounded by rubber which contains most of the spray. What about here where it might as well be spraying right onto the paint?

CalzoneGolem > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 10/18/2016 at 16:23

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The washer fluid gets on the paint every time you wash your windshield.

CaptDale - is secretly British > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 10/18/2016 at 16:23

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Well I think the stuff at the gas station you really don’t want on your paint because people use the scrubber end of the squeegee to get bugs off their car, which just scratches the hell out of your paint.

Besides that, the concentrate we have a work is both flammable and an irritant, so my guess is it isn’t good for it, but probably not that bad once diluted with water. Also most of us keep our cars pretty well cleaned and waxed, so may not be a problem.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > CalzoneGolem 10/18/2016 at 16:24

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Yes but most of it is contained by the windshield rubber. What about when it is basically sprayed onto the paint?

MonkeePuzzle > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 10/18/2016 at 16:24

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yes/no

no: it should just clean right off with no impact

yes: if you don’t clean it off right away gunk sticks to it and that cna be hard to clean off. my washer dribbles, and this has happened. true story #facts

Monkey B > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 10/18/2016 at 16:24

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Some years ago an oil change place put some in my 86 300ZX, it was concentrate and they didn’t put water in it so it stained the white paint. It’s the only time I’ve ever seen it happen, and I’ve worked in the refinish industry for quite some time.

Modern clear coat all but eliminates this issue, it’s extremely durable.

Ike > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 10/18/2016 at 16:25

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A lot of cars (my challengers were good examples) spray from the hood and the spray kind of sits on the hood after you use it (like if you didn’t shake after you pee) so if it were to cause anything I think challengers and other like cars would be the first to show it

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Ike 10/18/2016 at 16:28

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My old outback had them on the hood and you could see the spray on the hood. Though that might just be where it was cleaner as the dark green, though it looked good, got super dirty really quick. My Mini also has them on the hood (as well as the lights) but they are like 4 little super soakers and 50% of the fluid just goes right over the car.

Textured Soy Protein > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 10/18/2016 at 16:29

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Your typical windshield washer fluid is not exactly corrosive stuff.

The reason they say not to use the squeegee at the gas station on your paint is because the water collects all the grit and grime from all the cars it gets used on, and that grit can scratch your paint. It’s not the chemicals in it that are the problem.

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 10/18/2016 at 16:30

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No bad results. My jeep has fresh paint and used washer fluid several times. No damaged to clear coat either.

Jayhawk Jake > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 10/18/2016 at 16:42

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It’s not the fluid at the gas station that’s the problem, it’s the dirt and crap in it and the crappy brush that is. That’ll scratch your paint.

Mercedes Streeter > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 10/18/2016 at 17:45

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To reflect what everyone else is saying...it shouldn’t be an issue with a modern paint job. The solution contained in washer fluid is probably about as harmful to your paint as a good car wash.

The stuff you’ll want to be worried about is the brushes. The brushes at the gas station are some hardcore stuff. Plus guaranteed they’ll have some gas on them and other contaminates that you don’t want on your paint.

As for the sprayers...it’s my understanding that they do that for better coverage? Instead of just laying on a flood of fluid, do a couple short quick bursts? When my mum’s Envoy XL’s headlight washers worked, they did the same thing...spray once, spray 2 seconds later.

Leon711 > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 10/18/2016 at 17:57

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mine coats a lot of the hood when I do it, the paint is bad but not because of the fluid, it’s the stone chips.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Leon711 10/18/2016 at 18:00

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So many stone chips.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 10/18/2016 at 18:08

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Some of the more aggressive anti-freeze or bug-removing (or both) washer fluids might have a bit of an effect on waxes and such, if left exposed for a while, but for the most part it’ll bead and run off, or get blown dry almost immediately. It is designed to leave no residue on glass, after all.

As far as the washer things at the gas station, that’s more because the squeegee’s brush will likely have grit and stuff trapped in it, which will scratch the paint (mechanical not chemical damage) if you use it on a painted surface.

And if you’ve ever squirted washer fluid while on the move, you’ll see that it is not contained at all by anything around the windshield. It goes literally everywhere.

Nauraushaun > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 10/19/2016 at 06:56

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It also doesn’t seem to get very good coverage of the light it’s cleaning. And for what? Have you ever actually noticed a headlight becoming less useful because it’s dirty? This is the sort of over-engineered gimmicky bullshit that could only come from the Germans.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Nauraushaun 10/19/2016 at 09:27

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Volvo gives theirs wipers.

Nauraushaun > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 10/19/2016 at 17:27

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At least it’s not as complicated!