Making Your Own Windshield Washer Fluid
With 3 cars, we have to keep 3 windshield washer reservoirs filled during the winter months. I used to see a gallon of fluid for only 99 cents, but now I can’t seem to find it anywhere for under $1.50. Therefore, I made it my mission to find a recipe for my own washer fluid that is still safe to use in my vehicle. I don’t want something that will corrode or deteriorate the fluid lines or spray nozzles, so I’m careful about the acidic nature of some recipes.
Note: the reason you have to use a “special solution” rather than just water is because the solution has chemicals that prevent the fluid from freezing in the lines. You can’t just put regular water in there, at least in the cold months.
When I Googled for a recipe, I found that eHow.com has a 5-step process. You basically water down regular window cleaner. However, it doesn’t calculate the costs of using window cleaner vs just buying the auto solution.
Many of the other results were just reposts of the eHow recipe, so if any of you make your own fluid, please comment with your recipe, your results and your cost breakdown!
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Clever Dude and his bride started with $500k in debt and in just 4 years, it's down to $300k!
Ok, that’s just being cheap. I pay around 3 bucks for mine because it’s rated to -49C, I’m not taking any chance getting slush on my window and then spraying an ice sheet up my window while driving. In fact, I was thinking of even adding a windshield washer fluid heater, I got one for my Dad for Christmas one year and he loves it.
Traciatim, I will forcefully disagree with you. It is frugal, not cheap. I refuse to pay $1.50 for a bottle of blue-colored ammonia and water!
Now recall that I’m in the D.C. area, not the arctic north. I don’t have a need for anything below -10 degrees (even with wind chill). I can understand if you need more than just ammonia and water so that it doesn’t freeze, but making something for yourself rather than buying a premade product is never cheap. It’s inventive, frugal and often gratifying.
I suppose so, if you could save 75 cents when you were 20 and let it compound over 45 years you’d probably have around 10 bucks, what a steal. Why not just use Isopropyl Alcohol and water then, you’d be good to about -20C at a 50/50 mix, and it would be very streak free.
How much is a bottle of distilled water, 99 cents if I remember correctly . . . or are you distilling your own with a solar powered distillery?
Sorry, didn’t know I was up against a rocket scientist. I’ll shut up now. You seem to know it all. Thanks for the comments.
You aren’t putting tap water in your washer fluid are you? I sure wouldn’t trust my city to not have all kinds of weird grime in there that will eventually destroy the pump. At the very least let it settle for 24 hours in a container and then syphon out the top half of the water and use that.
I am not quite sure about the economical side of this, but this might be a good way to “teach” kids about chemistry. If I can get them to love studying and be curious about the things they don’t understand yet, it will be worth my time and effort.
Just my 2 cents.
When I do something frugal, I try to concentrate on the larger items. And when I do concentrate on the smaller items, it’s usually something that is recurring, which would net $100+/year savings. I only need a new container of washer fluid once a year and I but them on sale for a buck.
I’m sure you get a greater return on investment when you produce in bulk. Get a 50 gallon drum and mix the concoction in there. You’ll be set for life!
I might try this. I live in sunny California (though it is sometimes gloomy) so I don’t really need to worry about freezing temps. I try to use natural cleaners, including a natural window cleaner (Clorox makes one now) so I’d much prefer making my own windshield fluid than using the blue dyed ammonia/water jugs they sell at auto stores.
For household cleaners, I buy the natural products or make my own. I make my own laundry detergent and love it! Plus, it’s cheap.
Here is my take on this…
Water: $.66/gallon of distilled water (WalMart, but if you would rather not support this company it might be more or less)
Alcohol: $2.50/16oz of 99% Isopropyl Alcohol (bulk buy 12 @ 2.39/16oz online)
Dish washing liquid soap: $5/38oz DAWN (some of the best degreaser out there).
OPTION: RainX additive: $8/10oz (I have seen this for ~$5)
Mix: 1 gallon water, 8oz Alcohol, 2oz soap (+/- 2oz RainX).
total cost: 2.17 for basic, 3.77 for RainX option.
Benifit? Normal fluids use Methanoyl = poison
I can get the RainX orange fluid at WalllyWorld for ~1.99 (Washington State BTW).
Ken..have you tried this before..and does it freeze..I live in Vermont and I payed 3.20 yesterday for WWF and I was outraged, but needed it. So my questions is but is the lowest temp that u have used this in and how much does it make?
In the Pacific Northwest we get to about 19 F or so on a bad winter. my cars stay in the garage at night too. never froze when out in the parking lot at work, but that doesn’t mean that it won’t. Insulating or heating the WWF tank might be a option to combat freezing. if it freezes then up the alcohol content to the point where it quits freezing… ?? simple ratio tests that you put in your home freezer will give you an idea of the freezing point of the mixture.
I hope you find the formula you seek. Until then I suggest visiting you local walmart when the weather warms and looking for clearance prices on the premixed stuff. Last I picked up a few jugs for 75¢ each and stored them until winter. Needless to say you shouldn’t make a special trip for such things, just look around next time you go.
I know how to make a mix, but you’ll have to contract with a specialty chemicals manufacturer to do it.
ok, do tell….
The primary ingredient in WWF is methanol. Pure methanol is hard to come by, especially since it forms an azeotrope with water.
In any case, 49% methanol, 49% water, and 2% dishwashing detergent will give you a solution that will likely outperform the generic “blue stuff.” It might also be compatible with water injection, I am still looking into that.
I can purchase methanol at the local sprint car racing shop in 5 gallon batches.
How much does it cost, how pure is it, and do they deliver nationwide?
Now in Germany, I found the cost of antifreeze washer to be expensive at over $5+ a pint (to be diluted). Normal washer is cheap at about $2 GAL.
Found that vinegar has both antifog and cleaning properties. It also does keep ice from forming on glass, though only lasts a week or so. (Just wash it again)
Noted that mixing amonia and vinegar will cancel each other.
Also using just some dishwashing soap is fine, but it can streak the windows and the paint.
So I just use 20% vinegar, 75% water and 5% Isopropyl Alcohol. (rubbing alchohol). Can add more rubbing alchohol for better freeze protection, but have not had a freeze problem.
costs:
1 GAL White Vineger $1
16 oz Rubbing (Isopropyl) Alcohol $1
1 GAL distilled water $1
The ingrdients mix well in water, which is a problem with some other additives that can separate in cold or hot conditions.
No problems with Isopropyl Alcohol evaporation, as the washer system is otherwise closed. No RainX except on the glass itself, as it can build up and clog your washer system.
Some note just using 100% Vinegar, but it can etch metal full strength and dissolve car wax.
Feel free to Google these.
lots to think about here
Alcohol will deteriorate hoses.
Vinegar will etch metal and dissolve car wax :O lol
Ammonia, not sure I’ve heard anything bad about that yet…..
I read another blog/post somewhere that mentions just getting the blue (or green) stuff, and just watering it down a little bit
I.E. fill up your reservoir, then fill the jug back up, preferably with distilled water (unless you have access to a reverse osmosis/water filtration system).
Probably would only recommend doing it once or twice, as over-dillution could affect the solutions’ ability to do it’s job, and also affect the freezing point (if that’s an issue, for those in the north).
The only problem I have with vinegar and ammonia are the smell, which last for a long time. Sure, all this is outside the car, but the smell can get inside, and stinks. All the rain-x type products will clog the squirter holes, if not the whole system, eventually. I love Rain-X, but put it on by hand. And half the country runs the risk of freezing windshields, at least part of the year. Those things that prevent freezing also do a good job of cleaning smog type garbage. But watering down the “blue stuff” won’t help the cold states in the winter.
Vinegar and Ammonia neutralize each other, so it is why you can’t buy this combination in a commercial product.
Mix them together and you have cloudy water.
Alcohol is perhaps the only ingredient your washing system is designed to handle. It may dissolve after market hoses and seals, but as long as you didn’t mess with that you should be fine.
Ammonia is probably okay as well, but just be conservative, using the bottle DIRECTION FOR USE
Hey I just recently ran out of washer fluid, and thought about what was so special about washer fluid that I could not make some myself, so I used water and alchohol. A pretty even mixture. So far so good, I’m in Cincinnati it’s about 20 degrees and no freezing because of the alchohol. A guy named Ken posted a comment and said to use dawn dishwashing liquid in the ” Homemade ingredients” Really a bad idea I detail cars for a living so I know a fair amount about painted sufaces and Dawn will strip any wax or protection you have right off the car. Which will eventually cause Permenent discoloration in the paint. Water and Alchohol work just fine. Good luck U.C. In the Orage Bowl. GO BEARCATS!!!!!
My husbad poured water in my winshield washer container because we were out. I live in maine , it is freezing out and now it doesnt work. What do I do to defrost the lines and get it to work again??
Allison
Allison, first reprimand your husband for his idiocy of thinking water won’t freeze in Maine winter. Then park your car for a few hours (maybe longer) in an enclosed parking garage. Perhaps a mall or something nearby has an underground lot? If all else fails, you might have to take it in to a mechanic, or put hot towels around the fluid lines (you’d have to track the lines back from the wiper valves)
Allison, a hair dryer will thaw things out if you don’t mind spending some time out doors or in your garage under the hood with a hair dryer. perhaps a small space heater?either will thaw the lines no problem, the trouble spot is going to be the plastic tank with the
large chunk of frozen water in there. You may want to use some real windshield washer fluid to pour in to help delute the water with something that won’t freeze as you thaw it.
once thawed, you need to get all the water out, the best way I suppose
would be to spray it out through the washer. hopefully the little pumps aren’t damaged. Careful with electric equipment in winter conditions. Be careful not to expose the end of the ext cord to water or snow. Getting shocked sucks.
I live in Canada , Ontario and we are facing around 6 month brudal winter with mostlikly minus temperatures the 6 month long.
I have 2 cars and go through 1 gallon WWF each car each week. Not cheap ? Figure this. average costs / gallon around 3 CAD$, times two cars times 4 weeks, times 6 month. thats $ 144 during a winter season… blown in the wind … just like that…. thats $72 each car. i am not sure about how many cars are here on the road every day but just asume 1.000.000 cars thats whopping $72.000.000 a season blown in the wind… and there is no other affordable, environmently friendly solution to prefent WWF from freezing ??
Greez from Ottawa Canada
I work for a Chemical Distributor in PA, and we make this stuff. The “commercial” version uses Methyl Alcohol (methanol) instead of Alcohol. It is basically Methanol, water and a pinch of dye and a surfactant which takes away the surface tension of the water so it does not just bead up on your windshield.
Commercially, methanol can be bought by the tank truck for about 70 cents per gallon. Considering that a washer mix that would give minus40C protection is a 50/50 methanol/water mix, the cost of the stuff in the jug, not counting labor, is roughly 35 cents. Add the cost of the jug, and you have some idea of the markup on this stuff.
If you want to use isopropyl alcohol, DO NOT USE rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol is designed to rub on peoples skin and also contains oil to prevent the skin from drying out. Isopropyl comes in either 99% or the standard dilution of 70%/30%.
Well the best and cheapest anti fog coating contains alcohol(rubbing). You know two of the best window cleaners used by themselves seperately are white vinegar and rubbing alcohol.
If you smell the windshield washer , you will smell either alcohol or you smell ammonia,
Ammonia traditionally has been used for many many years as an industry standard in the janitorial cleaning trade, diluted of course with water to clean windows. Alcohol does not freeze at 32 degrees, this is why windshield wash contains it. The more ratio of alcohol the less it will freeze in winter as the temperature drops lower and lower.
Missing though is the petroleum based chemical that keeps the window and mirrors from fogging. The oil based solvent will bond with the alcohol to hold up under moisture accummulation and keep windows and mirrors from fogging.
Wow, I can’t believe anybody hasn’t mentioned how toxic and bad for the environment methanol is! There are some green cleaners out there at Walmart and Home Depot and other chain stores that are methanol free. Check ‘em out.
For 50 years successfully living in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Green Bay Wisc, PA, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa: one gallon water, alcohol (any kind) 1/3 bottle, one squirt of dish detergent. Never froze up, never a mess, no streaking, problem. Changing Times Magazine was the resource 50 years ago. Thanks for the interesting reading.
I think I used to pick up loads of washer fluid from Jay and take it to G.M.
ChemCentral Jay? Croyden, Rohm and Hass?
Gas stations ran out I just poured a bottle of cheap rum in worked great
Hah, I can’t top Ryan’s ingenious use of rum, but I suspect that if you want to follow Jay’s guidelines for an alcohol/water mix, you could use a drop or two of Photo-Flo for the surfactant . That is, if you still have that old box of photo chemicals left over from your darkroom. Super concentrated, a little dab will do ‘ya. Don’t figure I’m going to save any money, I just don’t feel like driving to the store in the middle of a snowstorm.
I can’t believe this topic is still going strong! Yesterday I ended up buying some Rain-X fluid, it was orange and about $4 a gallon I think.
At the auto parts store, the blue stuff was $2, the Rain-X (orange) was $4 and there was the clearish Yellow Prestone stuff for like $6 a gallon.
I went with the orange and I’m pretty happy with it.
I fix cell phones in the Washington DC area and I consider myself a pretty “clever dude” but I think in this case it’s worth the $4 to not bother with the hassle!
I am blown away that there are people as cheep as me out there. I don’t even consider myself cheep but when I pour 4 bucks in a tank and then spray it out on the ground it urks me. It’s like going to the car wash on a slushy day. I just made up two different concoctions. One is 1 gal water with 2 cups isopropyl and a 1/2 cup concentrated window fluid from home depot. The other only has one cup of isopropyl in it. Got about a 1$ in one gal. I set them outside for the night see if they freeze. I will update you all on my findings..
Two cup of isopropyl was not enough, still froze in this artic tundra on northern Michigan. I just gave in and spent the 2.50. Maybe I’ll buy it buy the case in the spring when it’s cheep. Then I have to think about the intrest on that money being tied up all summer……… Il get back to you on that… Damn those dirty windows.
I have tried using some home made washer myself, but it did not work well. So, I don;t think spending £1.99 is a lot for something that will last the whole winter months.
I had to literally LOL at some of these comments. I live in Fairbanks, ALASKA where temps get to -40 and coldER! We plug in out vehicles just so they’ll start. If I could get a gallon of WWF for a buck fifty I’d be elated. I just came her looking for the balance of make-your-own stuff (for summer use) simply because I keep forgetting to buy some and figured I’d get it done right now. Instead I found humor =)) Thanks all!
I opt for the store brand WWF w/ antifreeze in the winter time – it still freezes eventually; I use Bug Off in the summer time usually.
@tributor – A HAIR DRIER? Really? Are you kidding me? That’s nuts.
Here is a link to a website that lists freeze points etc for alcohols and water mixtures – none will hold up to 0 freeze point unless at least 20% to 25% alcohol. Dish washer rinse agent (super pure detergent) is good for keeping the water from beading up – that is what it is designed to do – 1 teaspoon max per gallon should be enough. The alcohol provides wetting action but not much cleaning.
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/ethanol-water-d_989.html
Use “Jet Dry” as your surfactant. Thats the stuff you add to your dishwasher and the same surfactant that comes down on your car as the final spray at the carwash. I use one capfull in a 32 oz spray bottle for a great shine on my cars and cycles. . . Just sray it on and rinse it lightly off. One “Jet Dry” capfull in a gallon of homemade windshield solution would be plenty. . . . . . .I tried to get menthanol at Home Depot but they didn’t have any. ..” No I’m not trying to make methamphimine.”