Home made windshield washer fluid

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Just curious to see who all makes their own fluid and what do you use? I change oil for a few individuals and top off there WWF. Granted a gallon at Walmart is $1.68 but was wondering if it would be just as easy to make my own. I Googled it to find all kinds of ways to make it, question is who does it and how do you like it. Also freezing issues? Here in NC it doesn't get cold for long but we did get down into the single digits this winter. Thanks.
 
Water from a filtered (not necessarily distilled) source + a bit of windex. Maybe 1/4 of the normal sized spray bottle per half gallon of water. It works 10x better than any wiper fluid.
 
For summer fluid I use only water with soap. I make sure it's not blue so I don't get confused and leave it into the winter season.

It doesn't pay to buy the alcohol to make your own. I stock up when it's cheap. Can't remember exactly how much I paid for my stash, but I think it was close to a dollar a gallon for the winter fluid.
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
I get mine at Dollar Tree for $1 a gallon + 8 cents tax.


Dollar Trees in Ohio only carry 1/2 gallons and I seldom see it. Surprised they have gallon bottles in CA because of the drought.
If you have hard water, your own cocktail will leave spots where your wipers don't touch the glass.
 
Seriously?

I mean this with the utmost respect BUT do you not have better things to do?

This just seems so crazy to me when you can find a whole gallon of it for less than $5, way less as far as that goes. I go through less than a gallon per year, I'd pay even $20 for a gallon of something I don't go through in an entire year.

I don't know, I just can't wrap my head around this one. Between classes, work and interning the last thing I have time for is making a readily accessible and cheap cheap cheap product.

But, to each his own. Hope you find a mixture that works effectively.
 
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Originally Posted By: horse123
Water from a filtered (not necessarily distilled) source + a bit of windex. Maybe 1/4 of the normal sized spray bottle per half gallon of water. It works 10x better than any wiper fluid.
I do the same but just use tap water. Been doing it this way for the past 20+ years.
 
I mixed Windex with water once and it clogged up the washer nozzles, had to get new ones from the dealership. I think they were $18 each.
 
Would not using a regular washer fluid deteriorate the washer pump? I remember reading in my manual to only use off the shelf washer fluid.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
I mixed Windex with water once and it clogged up the washer nozzles, had to get new ones from the dealership. I think they were $18 each.
Sounds like you had other issues.
 
Originally Posted By: donnyj08
only Rain-X for me. It's worth the $3 at walmart to be able to see extremely well in the rain.



I use the Rain-X fluid as well and it's great. Though in the summer time when I don't have to worry about it freezing, I'll grab the generic store brand windshield washer fluid that usually has some type of rain repellant mixed with it. It's half the price, and in the spring/summer I'm just trying to get pollen off my windshield. I'll go through a gallon pretty quickly during peak pollen season.
 
Wurth used to sell little bottles of additive which could be added to water for summer use. (no antifreeze action, though) Hard to find now. Rain X is a buck 89 at the local Wally. Hey, how 'bout making your own air filters?
 
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Throt,

Maybe some folks are just beginning in engineering and want to get their feet wet on something that cant be to disasterous. Some folks make their own oil blends, put panyhose as prefilters, mix ATF and acetone- all with perfectly good off-the-shelf products available.

So, please refrain from badmouthing someone on a family-friendly forum for asking a legitimate question.




Rat407, for a fluid I would be sure it is safe on glass (duh), safe on paint and the rubber components of the system.
 
Can't you just dilute the existing windshield washer fluid? If you use distilled water, that eliminates any savings. I use windshield washer fluid all the time. It's usually dusty after sitting outside for a day or two so it's usually several gallons a year. Winter is typically worse, full strength for at least 3-4 gallons. There's some chart out there that shows how low it will go, I forget what it is, but if you took -20F windshield washer fluid and mixed half of with water, you might reduce it down to something like -5 or 0, can't remember what the chart said and don't feel like looking it up.
 
Wouldn't say I make my own but I use it a lot. I too also buy $1 windshield washer fluid but I also buy a falling of rainx brand and add 25% to each $1 gallon.

Works well enough if I didn't use it so often I wouldn't care but living on a long dirt road I pretty much have to clear it every morning and every day to work.

My car isn't very efficient with it tho.
 
i don't understand the goal.

Are you just trying to save money?
Are you also making your oil too out of like used fryer oil or something or paying for your motor oil? Because that "cost" is like 20x the cost of the wiper fluid and you're optimizing your effort on the wrong thing.

Just chalk up the extra $1 as cost of doing the change.

If you're doing this as a "favor" for a friend, why wouldn't you want to also spend the extra $1 to do the job right with store bought wiper fluid (since you're already giving them oil and filter and labor for free already).
 
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