# Does anyone make their own screen wash?



## 318

I was wondering if anyone made their own screenwash as it's quite expensive but should be fairly simple to throw together?

Cheers,

318


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## Kerr

Keep your eye on Lidl for their car offers. Every season they sell -60° screenwash for £6 for 5l. 

You'll be able to dilute that down to make it last without freezing. 

Not sure it's worth the risk of trying to make you own.


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## fatdazza

Is it really that expensive? It might seem so, but how much do you get through? I bought two litres of car chem screenwash (dilute 1 part screenwash to 3 parts water recommended) which made 8 litres, and had lasted me 3 winters.


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## Luke M

Closest I come to making my own is when I mix it with the correct amount of water from my tap.
Seriously though, it's not expensive and given what most on here spend on the things we do why would you even try to skimp on something that let's you see out of your window?


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## chrisc

fatdazza said:


> Is it really that expensive? It might seem so, but how much do you get through? I bought two litres of car chem screenwash (dilute 1 part screenwash to 3 parts water recommended) which made 8 litres, and had lasted me 3 winters.


3 winters have used that in a day before when i was driveing down somerset every week


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## hobbs182

I like sonax xtreme clear view 1:100
25 litres for £9 ish plus delivery


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## GleemSpray

you need a liquid that wont freeze, wont evaporate, wont leave deposits in small tubes and nozzles, yet at the same time will clean effectively at below freezing. I think that there is more science and chemistry involved than might first appear.


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## Car Key

Guinea pig urine, you can't beat it.


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## Kimo

Why bother when it's so cheap to buy? 

I use sonax and it's highly concentrated. Had the same tiny bottle for years now


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## danwel

Kimo said:


> Why bother when it's so cheap to buy?
> 
> I use sonax and it's highly concentrated. Had the same tiny bottle for years now


Yeah I'm the same, love the sonax screen wash. Plus the bit tie is small and doesn't take up lads of space


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## Car Key

Car Key said:


> Guinea pig urine, you can't beat it.


 And when your Guinea Pigs sadly pass away (not before) you can attach them to your wiper arms with cable ties and you've got fantastic wipers too.


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## fatdazza

chrisc said:


> 3 winters have used that in a day before when i was driveing down somerset every week


A tip is to put it in your washer bottle and not drink the stuff


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## pantypoos

Car Key said:


> And when your Guinea Pigs sadly pass away (not before) you can attach them to your wiper arms with cable ties and you've got fantastic wipers too.


When mine die I insert a handle and use them as wheel woollies.


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## adjones

hobbs182 said:


> I like sonax xtreme clear view 1:100
> 25 litres for £9 ish plus delivery


I guarantee you that this won't do you any good once we get to freezing temperatures. There isn't a chemical in the world which will give you useful freezing point depression at that dilution.


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## Kimo

adjones said:


> I guarantee you that this won't do you any good once we get to freezing temperatures. There isn't a chemical in the world which will give you useful freezing point depression at that dilution.


Why?

It's worked fine for me the last 4 years and a lot better than any other brand

All the other 5l concentrates are just expensive water and already heavily diluted, sonax is a very effective screen wash


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## Hufty

pantypoos said:


> When mine die I insert a handle and use them as wheel woollies.


Ouch, reminds me of a wookies fist.:lol:


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## fatdazza

Kimo said:


> Why?
> 
> It's worked fine for me the last 4 years and a lot better than any other brand
> 
> All the other 5l concentrates are just expensive water and already heavily diluted, sonax is a very effective screen wash


Sonax clear view is marketed by Sonax as a summer screenwash:

"Highly concentrated cleaning additive for the windscreen washer unit during summer. Just 25 ml of the concentrate give 2.5 litres of cleaning fluid."
(from Sonax website)

When diluted at 100:1 it will not be much use during sub zero temperatures unless you have a heated washer bottle


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## hobbs182

adjones said:


> I guarantee you that this won't do you any good once we get to freezing temperatures. There isn't a chemical in the world which will give you useful freezing point depression at that dilution.


Didn't see me any trouble last year. 
I use car chem pre icer and deicer if needs be anyway, that's if we actually get to the point where they are needed.

What screenwash would you propose which gives you good cleaning, good ratios, anti freezing if that's a necessity and doesn't cost a bomb?


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## Kimo

fatdazza said:


> Sonax clear view is marketed by Sonax as a summer screenwash:
> 
> "Highly concentrated cleaning additive for the windscreen washer unit during summer. Just 25 ml of the concentrate give 2.5 litres of cleaning fluid."
> (from Sonax website)
> 
> When diluted at 100:1 it will not be much use during sub zero temperatures unless you have a heated washer bottle


Yeah but even compared to shoddy winter washes it still outperforms them lol

Another good one is comma, they have one that's highly dilutable, not as much as sonax but still a lot more than most others


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## hobbs182

OP; are you fussed about a 'season' or would just prefer a cheaper alternative to the ones you have used?


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## Kimo

hobbs182 said:


> OP; are you fussed about a 'season' or would just prefer a cheaper alternative to the ones you have used?


Nice point

He never even mentioned what weather he used it in 🙊


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## Norton

Why hasn't this turned into the... "uses for Guinea pigs - dead or alive" ...... thread ?


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## 318

TBH it's just more out of curiosity! I live in southern Italy so below freezing is somewhat rare... :thumb:

Plus I have three cars that I look after and am OCD about clean windscreens so much so that people have commented whilst in the car with me :doublesho

Thanks for the replies! Will look into the Sonax stuff.


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## Bero

OP - it's never crossed my mind to make my own, just buy stuff with a low freezing point and dilute it as appropriate.

Prestone (the decent brew, not the -5 or whatever they sell in an amazingly similar bottle!) or Lidl is my preference.



adjones said:


> I guarantee you that this won't do you any good once we get to freezing temperatures. There isn't a chemical in the world which will give you useful freezing point depression at that dilution.
> 
> 
> Kimo said:
> 
> 
> 
> Why?
Click to expand...

Physics, that why :tumbleweed:

Even the liquid with the lowest freezing point in the world (apparently N,N-diethylmethylamine, at -196DegC) diluted 100-1 with water would freeze just above -2 degC. Anything that would be sold for car windscreens would freeze between 0 and -0.7degC at that dilution ratio.


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## 318

As I said, it's mainly out of curiosity! But great to see the wealth of knowledge on here! 

318


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## adjones

Kimo said:


> Why?
> 
> It's worked fine for me the last 4 years and a lot better than any other brand
> 
> All the other 5l concentrates are just expensive water and already heavily diluted, sonax is a very effective screen wash


Simple science. Look at the chemicals which are used for depression of freezing point. At 1 percent, as you indicated, you will be lucky to depress by 1 degree. Something like IPA at 10 percent will only achieve the region of minus 5. If you have not had issues with a 1 percent dilution, you simply have not had it cold. For winter protection you should be looking at absolute minimum 5 percent alcohol, that just isn't possible with a 1 percent dilution.


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## Bod42

As we both live in countries that dont really require the antifreeze, what Ive been doing is filling the washer bottle and then adding one squirt of AF Avalanche. It cleans well and we know its LSP safe but its probably more expensive then standard screen wash.


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## adjones

Bod42 said:


> As we both live in countries that dont really require the antifreeze, what Ive been doing is filling the washer bottle and then adding one squirt of AF Avalanche. It cleans well and we know its LSP safe but its probably more expensive then standard screen wash.


If freeze protection is not a thing, it really is worth getting a decent screenwash (it dilutes massively so is very economical). There are all sorts of considerations but avalanche is going to be bunged full of all sorts of things which are neither necessary or desirable. For starters, it is a pretty strongly alkaline product. For my money, a squirt of fairy liquid would be a better bet.


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## alan hanson

anyone tried angelwax clarity? i use h2go and this contains that too so win win if its any good during winter?


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## Bero

adjones said:


> For winter protection you should be looking at absolute minimum 5 percent alcohol, that just isn't possible with a 1 percent dilution.


I have the same target for blood alcohol levels during cold snaps just incase!

You can't have much mixer and still maintain 5% :lol:


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## angelw

Clarity won the Auto express screen wash test,this year


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## fethead

318 said:


> I was wondering if anyone made their own screenwash as it's quite expensive but should be fairly simple to throw together?
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> 318


I use diluted Megs Express rinseless wash

Works a treat.

Richard


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## 11redrex

Morrisons concentrated screen wash does the trick for me, and I can get it on my fuel card as it goes through the till as an oil. Usually around £2 for 2 litres, lasts as long as it lasts, never known it to freeze, and it works. I can't imagine any way of making your own safe and effective screen wash cheaper.


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## DJ X-Ray

VAG Screen wash concentrate and deionised water.


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## Bod42

adjones said:


> If freeze protection is not a thing, it really is worth getting a decent screenwash (it dilutes massively so is very economical). There are all sorts of considerations but avalanche is going to be bunged full of all sorts of things which are neither necessary or desirable. For starters, it is a pretty strongly alkaline product. For my money, a squirt of fairy liquid would be a better bet.


My thinking was I would rather use something I know is safe for paintwork than something that is just designed to clean glass well and cheaply but not necessarily be paint safe.


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## nick_mcuk

Kimo said:


> Why bother when it's so cheap to buy?
> 
> I use sonax and it's highly concentrated. Had the same tiny bottle for years now


Exactly I get the AutoGlym one in 5L tubs....bought a new one (last tub was running low) start of this year....havent even opened it yet and I have 4 cars!! (I decant into 2 smaller retail size AG screenwash bottles 500ml)

Just buy it and save yourself the faf!


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## YDBridlington

Sonax Clearview blows away any of the other screenwashes I've tried so far. the Apple scented one is even better


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## who.am.i

At winter i put whole bottle of any brand -20 fluid.because if i add water,it freezes nozzles.
At summer am looking for somethink alcoholfree fluid.because it ruins my nano coat on windscreen.so far rain-x last longest on front windscreen.
If have any alcohol-free suggestions,feel free to add


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## steelghost

who.am.i said:


> At winter i put whole bottle of any brand -20 fluid.because if i add water,it freezes nozzles.
> At summer am looking for somethink alcoholfree fluid.because it ruins my nano coat on windscreen.so far rain-x last longest on front windscreen.
> If have any alcohol-free suggestions,feel free to add


Very difficult to lower freezing points without using an alcohol of some sort (and still have the viscosity low enough to squirt out of a nozzle).


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## C9hpro

318 said:


> I was wondering if anyone made their own screenwash as it's quite expensive but should be fairly simple to throw together?
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> 318


It's easy just ceramic coat your windscreen 4 coats , then use just water and vodka


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## siffonen

Mixed just water and alcohol, worked fine but must be better mixes


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