Will windshield washer fluid be the canary in the coal mine? Check it out! Does your auto parts store have any?

I now only use the RainX brand ( best I have found and makes the water just run off and lots easer than applying Rainx of old) but I know Walmart changes over from the green bottle ( summer above 32F) to the orange ( below 32F ) about this time of year. Over the years I see almost empty shelves right about this time but I'm sure this year is much worse.

I would guess these bottle or something used to make the stuff is in one of those container ships parked off the coast of Long Beach CA...

Last Edited by Soundman on 09/25/2021 06:02 AM

I get the 1/2 gallon bottle of Dollar General glass cleaner ($2.00), mix 50/50 with water and add 1 cup of white vinegar.
Works great removing rural Texas windshield grime.....

Try a little dish soap, rubbing alcohol (if likely to freeze) and water.

Jeepers, you must be a Millennial if you've never experienced shortages in your life.

Fucking wind shield wiper fluid... "Only the expensive stuff available" Grow up.

WWF is cool, but hardly the stuff that will break the camel's back. For decades, there was no such thing. Even when it became a thing, at first it was still a luxury item in higher-end cars. You can drive a vehicle and clean a windshield without an in-built washer fluid tank/sprayer. Inconvenience, but still a luxury.

Madness... Far bigger and expensive danger is frozen water pipes.

Waste pipes, drop the P trap on sinks and bath, put the plug in, use a bucket to catch the water. Bailing the water out of a toilet bowl using a plastic bag as a plug to stop gasses. If a really squeamish Millennial - rubber gloves

If you can afford screen wash fluid to prevent icing then the USA is in bigger trouble than I thought.

Knowing how to shut off water and draining down water storage tanks and checking valve operation would be better advice.

Sprayer for an intercooler - in Autumn / Winter, it must be hot where you live if water and a dash of dish soap won't do it?

People of the USA are going to have to grow up fast when the shit really starts hitting the fan.

alcohol shortages.

If any Gas /Diesel is in short supply then you should be shitting yourself. If driving a "high performance" vehicle, it would be better to learn how to drive economically and how knock is avoided should the use of lower grade fuel become necessary.

If running a diesel, stock up on engine oil and read up how much oil is needed to be added to Gas (petrol) to lubricate injectors. At least then your diesel truck won't become a boat anchor if diesel runs out or starts to wax in cold weather.

Sum got thirsty and bought some Xtra koolaid.
Duh.

If necessary keep a squirter bottle with dish soap and alcohol by the front door and carry to the car in case of washers being frozen.

Keep the vehicle washer bottle low on fluid but with concentrated alcohol in very cold weather, carry more to top up. The location of many washer bottles (near the bumper) is ridiculous.

In the early 60s General Motors cars came with a glass bottle of concentrate clipped onto a bracket under the hood. Just dump some of the concentrate in the reservoir and add water. Pick up a new (triangular shaped bottle) at the dealer next trip to town.

[link to www.ebay.com (secure)]

Last Edited by rccola on 09/25/2021 07:51 AM

Yeh right, if premium / high grade fuel is unavailable, just see how quick regular runs out. Octane booster will be the least of your worries.

Vinegar is very acidic, if left in a washer system, it may cause corrosion problems with washer pump. Dish soap would be better.

Concentrated detergent (floor cleaner works well) in a spray bottle.

I can't believe people pay money for this juice.

It's just windex and water.

I call BS. Just go to autozone.com
Maybe windshield wiper fluid is not a big think is a desert climate at the end of summer. Procurement specialists order by geographic location and season.

This is a dumb post. Washer fluid is available everywhere by me, and if not, it's literally alcohol + water. It's a non essential..

I wouldn't want anything with ammonia on my car. For one...ammonia will strip wax.

And you don't want it freezing in the winter.

Oven cleaner based on Coustic Soda (Sodium hydroxide) is by far away the best oven cleaner for getting the brown gunk from enamel. Paint on or spray on.

Use it in a well ventilated area. Paint on (nylon paint brush, bristle dissolves) or even better foaming spray on. Give it repeated coats over a week. Seal up door or wrap in plastic.

Then the nasty bit - lots of coarse wire wool, water and long rubber gloves. Comes of easy, oven will look like new with not too much effort.

This ^^^^

Windscreen washer fluid is a small quantity of detergent (similar to floor cleaner) and water. Winter grade has some wood alcohol. But it's mostly water.

Can't think there is any magic ingredient. Cleaners with hydrophobic additives, used in bathroom cleaners ("Rain-X") prevents proper cleaning when wipers pass over.

Cleaning globs of tree sap and other pollution from wiper blades (using rubbing alcohol) will restore their effectiveness (prevent streaking).

Buying screen washing fluid (mostly water) is madness of people with too much money.

Removing pollution from glass (inside and out) can be done using water based rubbing (buffing) compound - the stuff used after wet sanding a freshly painted car to finish the paint job. 10 minutes inside and out will make the glass like new.

Pfft... They have that shit at the dollar stores.

Decent oven cleaners - that actually work, are basically Caustic Soda in water (AKA Sodium hydroxide).

Caustic Soda was once a very commonly used parts and house-hold cleaner. Companies used it in large (heated) dip tanks.

Caustic Soda is a pretty horrible chemical that started to be banned 40 years ago. It require similar precautions to Muriatic Acid (AKA hydrochloric acid) - this too is a great cleaner.

Obviously Millennials will have no idea how to take sensible precautions when using such effective cleaning compounds, such as eye and splash protection, rubber gloves and good ventilation.

Are people so ignorant about incredibly effective once commonly used chemical. Fuck this cotton wool world.

This thread was supposed to be about windshield washer fluid and it ended up with stuff about caustic cleaners etc. etc. WTF

The non-fogging all season stuff is worth it, though. I was able to find a gallon but it's good to know these hacks.

Oops... I wasn't logged in yet.

I don't mind. These are good hacks for the upcoming shortages

panic i think not, data yes information is good.
I wonder if it is the bottle or plastic's or the chemical's or the shipping or distribution?

We have short supply's and large price increases on almost everything fuel lumber labor transport.

What will come?
Will men labor all day for a measure of wheat?

smells to much when i use it, smell comes in the air vents

even when i recycle their air in the dash settings