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.:How to use Rain-X without streaking:.

33K views 13 replies 10 participants last post by  1FranchiZe 
#1 ·
Well, through the years I have been using Rain-X, I have tried many different methods, but most resulted in a 'hazing' of the windows from certain angles. Through trial and error, I have found a solid, simple method to apply Rain-X and have it last a WHILE.

Here's what ya do:

Wash your car (this is my method):

What you will need
-(2) 2 Gal. Wash Buckets (Wal-Mart)
-Mother's Gold Car Wash or Meguiar's NXT Car Wash (Wal-Mart)
-2 Soft Cotton Chenille Wash Mitts (Wal-Mart)
-Waffle Weave Microfiber Towel (www.pakshak.com)
-Hose with a multi-nozzle pressure head

What to do
-Hose down your car from top to bottom with moderate pressure. Do not forget to hose down all inside your wheel wells and the underbody as well.
-Use a two bucket method (#1 bucket of water, #2 bucket with roughly 2-3 oz car wash and the rest of water). Begin with both mitts in the soapy water.
-Soap the car up with mitt #1 going from FRoNT to BACK (the way the wind flows over the car) about 3-5 strokes, then flip the mitt and do another 3-5 strokes. Make sure you do 1 panel at a time.
-Throw the dirty mitt into bucket #1 (all water) and let it submerge
.
-Repeat the washing step with the second mitt, throw the mitt in bucket #1, then take the first mitt out, put in the soapy water and repeat the washing step.
-After everything is soaped up, let the water run free (no nozzle attachment on) to remove the soap. Letting the water run free allows it to flood the surface and it will sheet off, allowing it to be easier to dry.


Notes
-Doing this 2 bucket/2 mitt method, you allow almost no dirt/contaminents to drag across the surface. The dirt/contaminents get trapped in the pores of the mitt.
-Sponges are terrible because they have very small pores. These pores trap the dirt, then build up as the sponge goes over the surface. Ultimatally causing it to act as a fine grit sand paper over your surface.
-I would personally either buy an extra mitt, or use the mitt AFTER you do the entire car for the rims/wheel wells.
-When you wash these mitts, wash with other "car" towels on warm/reg. detergent and DO NOT dry by machine (just allow to hang dry). I like to wash the mitts after EVERY use, just to make sure all the crap is out of them.
-If you don't want to wait for your WW MF to get there, you CAN use 100% Cotton Terry Towels (Wal-Mart). I would only reccomend using brand new ones for your car and designate them for washing (so nothing else gets in them). I reccomend washing the towels before using (warm water w/ detergent wash and medium machine dry, NO FABRIC SOFTENER).



Anyways, rather than going to directly drying the whole car. You want to just dry all the glass (windows, windsheild, and side mirrors). You can use a WW MF or a 100% Cotton Terry Towel.

When completely dry, take your Rain-X (Wal-Mart for $2.88 - 16oz spray bottle...which is an AMAZING deal) and spray a couple sprays (per piece of glass...repeat is necessary for front and rear windshield and only 1 squirt for the side mirrors) on a cotton applicator pad (also available at Wal-Mart).

Work the dampened applicator into the windows with moderate pressure in tight circles and make sure you overlap your strokes.

After doing all the windows, I usually repeat the same cycle over it to make sure full coverage was achieved.

Allow the windows to dry to a haze for about 10-15 mins. When they are drying, I usually go over the wheel wells with a SEPARATE wash mitt and bucket o' soapy water. Also, this is a good time to get any collected grime off the front end with a little Bug and Tar Remover and wash mitt. You may just want to sit back and crack open a beer/soda.

Before I go to the next step of removing the Rain-X, I take the wash mitt I used on the car's paint and make sure it is clean. Then, I proceed to soap up underneath each piece of glass (windows, windshield, and side mirrors) with the soapy mitt. The reason being it because Rain-X has some properties to it that are not good for your paint. I learned this from a bad experience. While you CAN get it off, this step allows the Rain-X to dilute into the soapy mixture on your paint and safely wash away.

Next, you will want to hose down your vehicle from top to bottom with moderate pressured water. Spend a little extra time on the windows (top to bottom) to allow the excess Rain-X to wash away. Then go over again with the nozzle off to flood the surface which allows the water to sheet off for easier drying.

once hosed down, I take a separate towel and dry the windows off. The water should be tightly beaded from the Rain-X and come off very nicely. once I do the initial dry on the glass, I go over it once more with a dry cloth to buff any excess Rain-X that could cause it to haze.

Now it is safe to go over your entire surface from top to bottom with your Waffle Weave Microfiber or however you like drying your car.


Like I said, this method was developed from trial and error over the years. Try to keep the Rain-X away from paint and plastic/vinyl/rubber pieces. Remember to do this in the SHADE. Many will post..."What about water spots forming over those 10-15 mins". If your car is properly protected (wax or sealant) in the shade, you will have NO PROBLEM. If not, then your next step should be detailing
. Good Luck and post any questions or comments you have...right here





All threads should have pics
 
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#6 ·
Excellent. That is exactly how I apply it. I don't know why people complaing about RainX streaking and all that. If you apply it right then there isn't a problem.

Whatever you do, don't get the RainX in the spray bottle. There aren't words to say how much that stuff sucks. Its like it sort of wants to be RainX, but it fails miserably. It is not good stuff at all. Get the RainX in the box that you squirt on the glass. Do not get the spray bottle. It does not work and it is a massive waste of a couple bucks. I don't know why they even sell it.
 
#7 ·
Jngrbrdman on Feb/19/04 said:
Whatever you do, don't get the RainX in the spray bottle. There aren't words to say how much that stuff sucks. Its like it sort of wants to be RainX, but it fails miserably. It is not good stuff at all. Get the RainX in the box that you squirt on the glass. Do not get the spray bottle. It does not work and it is a massive waste of a couple bucks. I don't know why they even sell it.
Wow. Had no idea. I've never directly compared the two, but what do you think is different? Mine seems to work fine, but I could be wrong?
 
#8 ·
I don't know, man. I posted it on Autopia when I first noticed it just to find out if maybe I just got a bum bottle. The opinion of everybody who posted was the same. That spray RainX sucks. It is nothing like the kind in the normal bottle. I don't even know why I still have that spray bottle on my shelf. I should throw it away for sure.

I put it on my windows on the very same day that it rained. You know how awesome RainX works when its freshly applied? Well, it was like I didn't even have anything on the car. I think maybe that applying it the way we do is the problem. It probably applied just fine but then I washed it off the car or something. If its going to be that fragile then its definitely not worth it. Why buy a version of RainX that washes off right off the bat when you can get the other one that lasts for months?

We are getting into the rainy season here now. Maybe I'll do a half and half comparison so I can give more information. All I can say for now is that I was imediately disappointed in the spray version and so were a few other people who responded on Autopia. Spend the extra dollar and get the bottle. Leave the spray stuff on the shelf.
 
#9 ·
Yeh I'll do that.

Now that you mention it, I did see a VERY VERY short lasting time on my girlfriend's Pathfinder, but my car was fine. I think the reason to this is surface prep (shoulda knowned
). I had polished my windows out with glass polish and #0000 steel wool, while her's I just washed and dried.

Could be, or couldn't be, but I will grab a squirty bottle and test it out in comparison.
 
#10 ·
Jngrbrdman on Feb/19/04 said:
Excellent. That is exactly how I apply it. I don't know why people complaing about RainX streaking and all that. If you apply it right then there isn't a problem.

Whatever you do, don't get the RainX in the spray bottle. There aren't words to say how much that stuff sucks. Its like it sort of wants to be RainX, but it fails miserably. It is not good stuff at all. Get the RainX in the box that you squirt on the glass. Do not get the spray bottle. It does not work and it is a massive waste of a couple bucks. I don't know why they even sell it.
god damn it-- ijust got the bottle (spray) ~what kind did u get?

have you tried the wipes?
 
#11 ·
Yeah, I went to walmart and pepboys, they had aresol, box type, spray, wipes, stuff for the washer fluid....

At pepboys they got this new stuff in a tube, not rain-x though.

It's crazy I tell ya.
 
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