Is Rain-x any good?
April 21st, 2006 by Danny the web stig
Some people think not - they complain about it leaving smears which are very difficult to remove.
If you have never heard of Rain-x (Rainex), it’s a water repellant. It makes water bead up and roll off of your windscreen. It works so well that at speeds above 30mph you may not even need to use your windscreen wipers.
Rain-x can be tricky to apply, it’s not something I have ever found a problem with but it can be hardwork. It can also be trick to source. Luckily it’s not the only product on the market. You can get them from most motor accessory shops for under £2.50, although some people import expensive products such as Aquapel from America, which could end up costing you quite a bit more.
All these products are pretty much alike, some last longer than others and some are easier to apply but they all do pretty much the same thing which is repel water. They will also aid demisting and prevent ice and frost from sticking to your glass. There are even special formula versions for these specifc jobs.
Products like Rain-X are often used on tower blocks because as they repel water, they also repel dirty water which helps keep them clean (cutting down on cleaning bills). The airforce use them on the glass of fighter aircraft to aid visibility… And I use them on my spectacles and my bathroom mirror! In my experience all rain repellants are good.
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Rain x applied to my windscreen is a disaster.
As soon as I switch on wiper all I see is frosted glass smeered across my vision, and worse it is nigh impossible to get it off!
It can be removed with alcohol if you really need to, but I suggest you give it another go first.
A couple of coating seems to make it work better, and if you can leave it an hour after application before removing it, this seems to make all the difference.
If the wiper blades drag water across your screen, then you can also apply it to the wiper blade and this should stop it.
It depends on the shape of your car, but on my Golf, traveling at over 40mph I don’t need to use the windscreen wipers at all… the heavier the rain, the more it just rolls off.