I recommend this to anyone with older wiper blades - to get a little more use out of them (if it is inconvenient to replace at the time) wipe them with a paper towel or cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol. The alcohol cuts the film on the rubber wiper and makes old wipers work nearly new again.

Greetings Michael,

I think the number of positive and negative responses portray a crapshoot with the traditional Rain-X product. There is nothing in the formula (silicon oils suspended in alcohol) that translates into smearing or hazardous conditions. Many of the complaints can be traced to improper application.

You need to really, really clean the windshield using isopropyl alcohol or vinegar prior to application. Apply it on a warm day or inside a heated garage, and use a soft cloth to finish it off. Apply too much without polishing, and you end up with smearing problems.

Not much different than any other wax, is it? I do not hear as many complaints about the effort from owners who regularly wax and buff their paint to perfection ;-)

The windshield wiper fluid is less prone to application issues, in my opinion. My wife's Audi never had Rain-X applied to it until the wiper fluid this winter. We have driven it through two snowstorms with sleet in the past two weeks, once at night and once during the day. Experienced zero visibility problems whatsoever. As a de-icer, it worked fabulously after sleet accumulated on the car in a parking lot.

Here's another opinion from someone in Florida:
http://www.epinions.com/content_167507234436

Bottom line -- the windshield wiper fluid is the "easiest" way to try Rain-X in my opinion. If you do not like it, you can always drain the reservoir and wait a couple days for the coating to wear off.

-DM

Wow!

Never knew this was a passionate topic. No one has come back with, for me, a workable answer, though... where to get the official MB stuff for $0.99 per gallon.

Thank you all for your input. That Rain-X stuff sounds really cool, but I'm not going to try it. I had the old fashion, buff on kind about 15 years ago on a Honda and it worked great!!! It was like magic. I rarely had to run my wipers. The problem was, if I got lazy and did not reapply it, it wore off. Realistically, wearing off is not big problem (and, if you have the time, a non issue), but I don't want to risk smearing. Today, if I have time to even wash the cars, it's a total luxury.

I ran the Dawn-tainted fluid through (and had a rinse off in today's balmy weather), and put a few drops of Meguire car wash soap, mixed with the $0.99 blue stuff, into the tank and so far so good. Next time it rains good, I'll let you all know.

Best regards and enjoy,

I'm a believer in Rain-X window treatment. Living in very freezing to very wet part of the country it is a welcomed treat. From drizzle to torrential or snowing to frozen ice it can be a lifesaver if not just a bonus.
One of my favorite benefits is it allows me to use the wipers much less which I really do not enjoy do not like when active.
The other benefit is it acts like a wax for your car, so it is much easier to clean, or keep things (ice) from sticking.
Used for many years on many cars, I've even applied to Ferrari's, Bently's and Porsche's