Blurry windshield when it rains

[Jeff Armstrong]

Its actually fine when it rains until I turn on the wipers, then its blurry for about 10 seconds then it clears up.  Thats no good if its raining heavy and I have to keep the wipers on.  Its so blurry that I can't even read the license plate of the car ahead of me.

Think this could be from the soap I use to wash my car (Eagle One)?  Could it be my wipers?  

I think I'll buy some wipers anyways AND look for some sort of outdoor glass cleaner (Windex didn't work last time).  

Can anyone recommend a windshield glass cleaner?  I'm sure others have had this problem or have it right now.  I'd like to get it cleared up before tomorrow... its supposed to rain until I get to the prairies.

[Matt Peschke]

try the product 'rain away' i think it is called...

it's some as seen on tv product that i use and it works very well.

[Travis Merrick]

windshield wipers might be a start...

oh yah and sometimes it gets blurry because the wiper gets lifted a bit from the flow of the bump on the hood.

[Jon Wong]

i'ts from oil/dirt that builds up on ur windshield and wipers clean them both and u should be fine... or just buy new wipers and clean ur windsheild

[David Sutton]

I'm having the EXACT same problem. It's apparently calicum deposits, or something of the sort. What I'm told is, either soap, or water, and steel wool.. My buddy does it all the time, but the surface MUST be lubricated. That apparenltly works pretty well.. Haven't tried it myself yet though.

[John Hartman]

ok, detailer(ex) to the rescue.

What happens is you get crud build up on your windsheild from just driving on roads and in traffic.  Its small amounts of oil, construction, exhaust, ect ect.  And then you wipe your windows and it all acumulates at the bottom of the window where the wipers park.  This gunge is dragged across your window every time it wipes.  And when oily crud and water mix, you get blurry rainbows.

What you need to do is lift your wipers up, and THOUROUGLY clean the window, especially that last 4 inches or so along the bottom.  Use laquer thinner.  Get a clean rag and pour some on it.  Wipe a 1ft by 1ft spot really well, get a clean spot on the rag, do it again, till the whole window is clean.  Then do it again, and see if any more crap comes off the glass.  Keep going till its clean.  Then either do the wiper blades or buy new ones.

Keeping the wipers up, clean your glass with normal glass cleaner, and let it and the wipers sit for a few.  Put em down and pray for rain

This is also a good time to apply Rain X or similar products to your windshield.  Both inside and out, its an anti fog as well.

[Jeff Armstrong]

For the record, it was the wipers.  I feel like a cheap idiot too.

I bought one wiper and a can of Rain-Away.  Put the wiper on, sprayed the windshield washer fluid and watched as the new  wiper made a clean pass and the old wiper left the windshield blurry.

Went back to canadian tire and got another wiper.   :roll:  

Thanks everyone.

[John Hartman]

you should clean the window, especially down low there.  Just so it doesn't come back too soon.

[Mike Schmid]

I'm in the same boat... damn car.. it's always something...

[Chris Clark]

Rain X is a good product, I have used it for a couple years now.

[David Dahl]

other thing you can do is clean the windshield really good and wax it, A.M. Ford mechanic taught me that one

[John Hartman]

yep, wax works well too.