rain sticking to windows

[harryg]

I got a detailing shop to do a protection package on my rogue a few months backundercoating, rust proofing, scotch guard, leather protector, and paint sealer

well i think something theres some sort of wax stuck on them and the rain droplets wont "run" off..even on the highway.....i think it might even be paint sealer (dont know if they may have sprayed some on the windows and windshield)

is there anything i can do to get this wax off???

[AZhitman]

Clean the glass well with vinegar, then glass cleaner. Apply Rain-X (several coats).

[Elton Noway]

Clean the glass well with vinegar, then glass cleaner. Apply Rain-X (several coats).

Good advice. However... depending on the crap they applied to his windows... Vinegar may not remove it. My guess is its probably Spray-on-Wax! However... I'd certainly give the vinegar a shot!

Rub down a section of your window with vinegar then rinse and dry. Then spray it with water. If the product / wax (whatever it is) still causes the water to stick to the glass... I recommend an old window cleaning trick.

Denatured Alcohol. (not rubbing alcohol)

Yep.. many years ago I was a sign painter (painted shop windows, hours of operation, names etc.) Now window signs are all done with computer cut vinyl. Anyway, Denatured Alcohol is great for removing grease, graffiti, sharpie permanent marker ink, etc., from glass... as well as your cars paint job! Its also good for removing bumper sticker residue. Don't worry... its safe. Its not like Lacquer Thinner or other products that can dull or soften a paints finish. You can get it in the paint department at Home Depot, Lowes, hardware stores etc. I guarantee whatever they put on your windows... it will come right off. Then as wash and rinse the windows and then... as recommended by AZhitman... follow it up with two coats of Rain-X (its good stuff!)

[bboard]

If it's spray on wax...shouldn't the rain come off easier?? I know some ppl deliberately put wax on glass (as a cheap alternative to Rain-X)...

By teh way, my previous experience of Rain-X was no good compare to the old STP Vision Blade...now I use Aqua-pel and it's assume... 1 application will last a whole year (or more if you don't park outside)

[ncsu]

I have talked about how good Liquid Glass is before - but I also put it on the window and it acts similar to Rain Ex, with one major advantage, when Rain ex starts to break down it gets greesy and blurs the vision. LG does not act this way. I have been using it on the paint and glass of my cars for over a year now with great results.

That is just my $0.02.

Also Claying the glass should remove whatever is on there as well - if you already have clay.

[AZhitman]

LG... Is this the old-school stuff in the metal can?

Man, I used to use that in the late 80's when I was doing up a car for the World of Wheels!

Never considered using it on glass tho.

[sileung]

I've used both and do agree the the STP vision blade is very good. What I don't like about it is that it can get very messy when applying it.

Currently I'm using Rain - X and haven't had any problems. I find the product to work very well though I do find myself reapplying it more often (once every 3-4 months?)

[harryg]

ok so should i wash it first with soap and water to get it clean then rub the windows with vinegar...glass cleaner, and apply rain-x

[Elton Noway]

ok so should i wash it first with soap and water to get it clean then rub the windows with vinegar...glass cleaner, and apply rain-x

Hi Harry... (also happens to be my middle name )

No... hold off on the Rain-X until you know you've resolved the initial problem. If the detailers applied a wax type product to your windows (which is pretty evident) soap and water alone won't remove it. ( As alluded to in my earlier reply... I've cleaned "tens of thousands" square feet of glass and consider myself a expert and getting glass squeaky clean!)

STEPS: With your windows dry, just take a cloth soaked with vinegar and give your windows a good rub down. Then, if you want, you can follow up with soap and water to rinse off the smell of the vinegar. Next...take a clean dry cloth and dry the window. Now... test it. Spray the window with water and see if the water still beads up and sticks. If it does... the vinegar wasn't strong enough to cut the wax product and the problem still exists. Therefore... you'll have to move on to the next remedy. (i.e. Denatured Alcohol) - Just FYI... yesterday I installed some new pleated window blinds/shades, in my office. The header / trim was a piece of white textured plastic. There was sticker applied to the header warning parents of the cords and a possible choking hazard. Anyway, when I peeled off the sticker it left a gummy residue behind. I went to the garage, and got my can of Denatured Alcohol. It removed the reside in a heartbeat. BUT did not harm the thin cheap plastic header in any way. Moral of the story: If Denatured Alcohol won't harm the cheap curtain harm plastic its certainly not going to harm your window glass or paint finish. (trust me)

NET: Save yourself a lot of time and aggravation. Denatured alcohol is only a couple bucks a can and it WILL solve your problem. You can have all your Rogue windows squeaky clean in 10 minutes.

1) Buy a can of denatured alcohol. 2) With the windows dry, wet a cloth with the alcohol and give the windows a good rubbing to cut thru and dissolve all the wax. 3) Wash the windows with soap and water to rinse away the residue of alcohol and emulsified wax4) Dry the windows 5) Spray one window with water to test / verify the wax was been removed and the water no longer "sticks"6) Dry any windows 7) Apply the Rain-X per the manufactures instruction on the bottle.

Just FYI... When Rain-X first came out years ago it was revolutionary but it was a pain to apply and could cause streaking as it reached the end of its life cycle. However, it has since been reformulated. The new improved product now available applies much easier

[harryg]

just an update i tried the vinegar but it didnt do anything, i also tried rubbing alcohol and that made it worst

btw i think the term is called windshield haze, ive been trying to use dish soap, windex, and other glass cleaners but nothing seems to have gotten it off

for some reason i cant find denatured alcohol canadian tire, or rona doesnt have it

will a scrubbing/scouring pad work..if so do i run the risk of scratching the glass???

thanks

[philipa_240sx]

I did a bit of research on denatured alcohol....

It's actually very difficult to buy it Canada unless you are a lab or industrial user. Even then, there are a lot of regulations tied to it's sale and use. There are many reasons why this is... and I don't understand many of them. In the US, denatured alcohol is readily available at big box stores, etc.

Our closest alternative in Canada that is readily available is Methyl Hydrate (methyl alcohol in solution), more commonly known as gas line antifreeze! I would be careful using methyl alcohol as it's toxic. Wear heavy rubber gloves, safety glasses, and use it in a well ventilated area. It's really no more dangerous than handling other solvents or chemicals if you take precautions.

[ncsu]

Clay bar - for claying paint should remove the "wax".

[mpattdu]

Have you tried using a razor to scrape the windows? I had some body work done a few months back and noticed some sort of overspray ended up on my rear passenger side window. I was able to use a combination of regular window cleaner and a razor scraper to remove the residue.

[kerrton]

I did a bit of research on denatured alcohol....

It's actually very difficult to buy it Canada unless you are a lab or industrial user. Even then, there are a lot of regulations tied to it's sale and use. There are many reasons why this is... and I don't understand many of them. In the US, denatured alcohol is readily available at big box stores, etc.

Our closest alternative in Canada that is readily available is Methyl Hydrate (methyl alcohol in solution), more commonly known as gas line antifreeze! I would be careful using methyl alcohol as it's toxic. Wear heavy rubber gloves, safety glasses, and use it in a well ventilated area. It's really no more dangerous than handling other solvents or chemicals if you take precautions.

A little off topic, but this is actually a really interesting topic, and finally my chemistry background has an application on the Rogue forum!!

It's a pretty complex issue, but basically denatured alchohol is a category covering hundreds of substances used for commercial and industrial activities because of political will - denatured alchohol is poisionous by design so that humans are not tempted to consume it and as a result it is much easier to control and regulate. If regular ethanol were used in common commercial processes, it would make it's way into black market human consumptive purposes, it wouldn't be able to be sold in regular department stores, and the list goes on and on. Without Government regulations this stuff wouldn't even exist, and there would be a few less poisonous substances to worry about, but you can imagine the alternative health effects of having consumable highly concentrated alchohol on every store shelf.....

A common example in Canada and US is rubbing alchohol, which is denatured ethanol....it has additives to make it poisonous and taste terrible, regular ethanol would work just as well but then of course people would chug it for the buzz. Another example is camp stove fuel.

Anyway, the point is be very careful with any solvents, all too often we take these substances for granted because of their ready access, but most are highly poisonous and even carcinogenic, so just follow good safety procedures.