I've done this a few times. When I'm feeling cheap I'll buy the cheapest jug of blue winter washer fluid and sometimes dump some dollar store windex into the washer fluid tank first then top it off with the blue washer fluid. Bad idea, good idea?
Mixing washer fluid with windex?
- Thread starter 55Test
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A 4l bottle of -35C washer fluid is $ 2.88 in my area of Ontario, I don't think Windex is that cheap?
They will mix fine, but I don't know why you'd bother nor do I know what temperature Windex turns to slush?
They will mix fine, but I don't know why you'd bother nor do I know what temperature Windex turns to slush?
Freeze would be my only concern... 2 January's ago, when I bought my car, we were in the middle of " the polar vortex", and temps here stayed subzero for nearly a month(very rare here), with strong winds. It's reservoir was both full, and frozen solid with the cheap diluted [censored] they dispense in bulk. It was nearly a month before it was warm enough, long enough to thaw enough I could siphon the [censored] out.
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Windex = ammonia, about 20%, + water to fill, plus two drops (not more, not less) of liquid dish soap per quart/litre.
Windshield Washer Fluid (basic recipe) is alcohol diluted enough with water to maintain the ability to refrain from freezing. For -40F/C protection, that's 50:50.
They are both cheap to buy, but WWF is cheaper than Windex. Not to mention that if you just buy the household ammonia you can mix up the equivalent of about 20 bottles of Windex. "Real" Windex smells better but that's a lot of money to pay for a drop of water-soluable perfume.
Also, you can substitute vinegar for ammonia, for an even less expensive home-made mixture. Ammonia is slightly more aggressive a degreaser, but most of the time, it's overkill if your windows are not completely neglected.
You lose the cold weather protection, though, vs WWF.
You can get "fancy" Windshield Washer Fluids, but I suggest care here ... some of the "advanced" fluids leave a film in cold weather which is the opposite of what you want when the mercury drops.
I have used the Rain-X version, but only because sometimes all I can find is WWF good to -35F (40% alcohol mixture), when I actually do need the extra five degrees freeze protection (most of North America does not, though).
Windshield Washer Fluid (basic recipe) is alcohol diluted enough with water to maintain the ability to refrain from freezing. For -40F/C protection, that's 50:50.
They are both cheap to buy, but WWF is cheaper than Windex. Not to mention that if you just buy the household ammonia you can mix up the equivalent of about 20 bottles of Windex. "Real" Windex smells better but that's a lot of money to pay for a drop of water-soluable perfume.
Also, you can substitute vinegar for ammonia, for an even less expensive home-made mixture. Ammonia is slightly more aggressive a degreaser, but most of the time, it's overkill if your windows are not completely neglected.
You lose the cold weather protection, though, vs WWF.
You can get "fancy" Windshield Washer Fluids, but I suggest care here ... some of the "advanced" fluids leave a film in cold weather which is the opposite of what you want when the mercury drops.
I have used the Rain-X version, but only because sometimes all I can find is WWF good to -35F (40% alcohol mixture), when I actually do need the extra five degrees freeze protection (most of North America does not, though).
Nick1994
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Don't do it, I did it to the Trailblazer and the washer pump turned it into foam and blew white foam all over the windshield and made it smeary, then it dried in a few seconds and was clear, could be dangerous. Also, it clogged up the washer nozzles and I had to pick up some new ones at the dealership.
Originally Posted By: 55Test
I've done this a few times. When I'm feeling cheap I'll buy the cheapest jug of blue winter washer fluid and sometimes dump some dollar store windex into the washer fluid tank first then top it off with the blue washer fluid. Bad idea, good idea?
I don't understand your goal, so I can't judge whether it's a good or bad idea
I've done this a few times. When I'm feeling cheap I'll buy the cheapest jug of blue winter washer fluid and sometimes dump some dollar store windex into the washer fluid tank first then top it off with the blue washer fluid. Bad idea, good idea?
I don't understand your goal, so I can't judge whether it's a good or bad idea
I can get a standard sized 26 ounce bottle for a buck, I figure half of that then top off the rest with cheapo blue washer fluid would make a decent cleaner and probably not freeze too much
Given that Winder makes WWF available at Walmart, I hardly see the point of this.
I hear bmw has some good smelling washer fluid. I buy either the orange rain X or purple windex WWF and they both smell terrible.
gathermewool
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Is the washer fluid ammonia-based?
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Is the "windex" ammonia-based?
Is the "windex" ammonia-based?
Actual washer fluid is $1.58 per gallon at my local Walmart. As others have noted, there is no logical reason to mix it with the glass cleaner. If it's really costing you $1.00 for 26 ounces of the cleaner, you're paying almost $5.00 per gallon for it.
If you're "feeling cheap" you're better off sticking with the washer fluid and skipping the glass cleaner.
If you're "feeling cheap" you're better off sticking with the washer fluid and skipping the glass cleaner.
Originally Posted By: earlyre
Freeze would be my only concern... 2 January's ago, when I bought my car, we were in the middle of " the polar vortex", and temps here stayed subzero for nearly a month(very rare here), with strong winds. It's reservoir was both full, and frozen solid with the cheap diluted [censored] they dispense in bulk. It was nearly a month before it was warm enough, long enough to thaw enough I could siphon the [censored] out.
earlyre just today I siphoned the diluted blue washer fluid out of the 2006 Ford Five Hundred (on the same Volvo S80 chassis as your Sable I read). I put in some Prestone washer fluid good to -27F degrees and is to help with snow/ice removal. It was not fun driving in slush with frozen nozzles. I covered both and pumped the new yellow fluid until it turned from blue to yellow.
Freeze would be my only concern... 2 January's ago, when I bought my car, we were in the middle of " the polar vortex", and temps here stayed subzero for nearly a month(very rare here), with strong winds. It's reservoir was both full, and frozen solid with the cheap diluted [censored] they dispense in bulk. It was nearly a month before it was warm enough, long enough to thaw enough I could siphon the [censored] out.
earlyre just today I siphoned the diluted blue washer fluid out of the 2006 Ford Five Hundred (on the same Volvo S80 chassis as your Sable I read). I put in some Prestone washer fluid good to -27F degrees and is to help with snow/ice removal. It was not fun driving in slush with frozen nozzles. I covered both and pumped the new yellow fluid until it turned from blue to yellow.
Originally Posted By: GaleHawkins
Originally Posted By: earlyre
Freeze would be my only concern... 2 January's ago, when I bought my car, we were in the middle of " the polar vortex", and temps here stayed subzero for nearly a month(very rare here), with strong winds. It's reservoir was both full, and frozen solid with the cheap diluted [censored] they dispense in bulk. It was nearly a month before it was warm enough, long enough to thaw enough I could siphon the [censored] out.
earlyre just today I siphoned the diluted blue washer fluid out of the 2006 Ford Five Hundred (on the same Volvo S80 chassis as your Sable I read). I put in some Prestone washer fluid good to -27F degrees and is to help with snow/ice removal. It was not fun driving in slush with frozen nozzles. I covered both and pumped the new yellow fluid until it turned from blue to yellow.
yeah, it was the sable, and when i say it was frozen solid, i mean solid. as a rock. and instead of just running the pump until dry, i stuck some aquarium airline tubing as far down into the reservoir as i could, sucked on the other end, until flowing, and let it drain into a bucket.
that was what i always hated about my pre-bitog days, if i didn't have my washer bottle full to the top, the quickie lube would use their bulk junk, which would promptly freeze in the lines...
used to always use the orange rain-x, now, i stick to the Purple stuff at Meijer(something Maxxx).it's cheaper than the Rain-x, protects down to -40, rain/bug repellent, and it's purple.
I like purple.
Originally Posted By: earlyre
Freeze would be my only concern... 2 January's ago, when I bought my car, we were in the middle of " the polar vortex", and temps here stayed subzero for nearly a month(very rare here), with strong winds. It's reservoir was both full, and frozen solid with the cheap diluted [censored] they dispense in bulk. It was nearly a month before it was warm enough, long enough to thaw enough I could siphon the [censored] out.
earlyre just today I siphoned the diluted blue washer fluid out of the 2006 Ford Five Hundred (on the same Volvo S80 chassis as your Sable I read). I put in some Prestone washer fluid good to -27F degrees and is to help with snow/ice removal. It was not fun driving in slush with frozen nozzles. I covered both and pumped the new yellow fluid until it turned from blue to yellow.
yeah, it was the sable, and when i say it was frozen solid, i mean solid. as a rock. and instead of just running the pump until dry, i stuck some aquarium airline tubing as far down into the reservoir as i could, sucked on the other end, until flowing, and let it drain into a bucket.
that was what i always hated about my pre-bitog days, if i didn't have my washer bottle full to the top, the quickie lube would use their bulk junk, which would promptly freeze in the lines...
used to always use the orange rain-x, now, i stick to the Purple stuff at Meijer(something Maxxx).it's cheaper than the Rain-x, protects down to -40, rain/bug repellent, and it's purple.
I like purple.
Most of the car detailing sites do not recommend ammonia products to clean automotive glass, claiming that it is bad for rubber and vinyl (trim, etc.). Anyone know if this is true?
From Autopia: http://www.autopia-carcare.com/inf-glass.html
"I highly discourage the use of ammonia-based glass cleaners on your car. While ammonia is a great glass cleaner for the home, ammonia is harmful to many car surfaces, including vinyl, rubber and leather."
From Autopia: http://www.autopia-carcare.com/inf-glass.html
"I highly discourage the use of ammonia-based glass cleaners on your car. While ammonia is a great glass cleaner for the home, ammonia is harmful to many car surfaces, including vinyl, rubber and leather."
I don't. With Petro-Points or Esso Extra points, it's pretty easy to get "free" premium washer fluid. In the taxis, we just used water in the summer, for obvious reasons, and the cheaper blue stuff in the winter.
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