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How Windshield Water Repellent Products Work

Bad weather is the nightmare of every driver out there, although we must admit that we feel a guilty pleasure when we’re forced to drive under heavy rain.

As you know, each car out there must, or at least should, be equipped with the almighty trio that should help them stay on the side side in 99 percent of the cases: a clean windshield, an effective set of wipers and windscreen washer fluid.

However, as all drivers out there probably know by now, the remaining 1 percent makes all the above a waste of money, so car makers and part manufacturers alike have tried to find a solution for years. Some of them managed to find it, in the form of a water repellent windshield, but the final costs of the products remain the biggest problem.

That’s why it all came down to simple watter repellent products that are, in essence, a very simple substance which needs to be applied on a windshield in order to improve visibility and thus do the same thing as a stand-alone windscreen tweaked in this regard.

Well, the biggest problem concerns the comfort, as all these products need to be applied manually, which is quite a nightmare for women and, let’s face it, for many men out there.


Water repellent products are very helpful during heavy rain as they force the water to bead and shed off the glass.

Obviously, using such a product is piece of cake and you have nothing more to do than to spray it over the entire surface of windshield to make sure it’s protected against water, snow and sleet. But how does it work? What makes it so special that it manages in the end to keep water away?

It’s pretty simple actually and although there are so many similar products on the market, they all rely on the same principle.

Basically, the whole process comes down to dispersing water and snow as soon as it touches the surface of windshield protected by the repellent substance, which obviously improves visibility and sometimes makes wipers almost useless.

While some products are based on bio compounds with no volatile organic compounds or hazardous solvents, others are using silicone to protect the windshield, but they pretty much have the same effect.

The only difference is that some last longer than others.

All these substances try to form a chemical bond with the windscreen it is applied onto, and since it’s based on fluorinated compounds, it increases the overall water repellency of the windshield.

The results are pretty much obvious, and besides the fact that the applied substance repells rain and snow, it also increases visibility at night by reducing glare.

There are however some concerns when it comes to this kind of products. The manufacturers strongly recommend drivers to avoid applying it on paint, as it may damage the surface pretty quickly. However, there are people who complain that windshield wipers are vulnerable too, pointing to a bunch of products that are nothing more than dimethal oil. And the whole equation is pretty simple: if you apply such a substance on a windshield, not only that the chemical bond we were talking about is weaker and could be washed away fairly quick, but it also damages the rubber blades of the wipers.

There are however biodegradable products that claim they do no harm to wiper blades, while also remaining very friendly with drivers, as they are completely no toxic and do not contain chlorine.


Although not recommended, you can even drive with no wipers in difficult weather conditions.

If you’re wondering about how much it lasts, it again varies by product. Some of them could go for more than a month, while others are able to force the water to bead and shed off the glass only for a couple of weeks. And yes, you can still wash your car and use any type of washing fluid, chances are that the water repeller won’t be affected.

Having a look on the ingredients used by a windshield water repellent product proves that it’s pretty easy to create your very own substance at home. Of course, you may reduce its efficiency, and it’s almost impossible to make it last as much as a commercial product, but it’s still worth a try.

In most cases, all you need is filtered water and rubbing alcohol, but you can also add ethanol, silicone oil or castor oil. Of course, the overall quantity of each ingredient may vary, so since the water repellent products are so cheap, it’s better to buy one from the closest store.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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