How can I clean fallout from my car's windshied?

Shirl
by Shirl

I find myself staying home on snowy and rainy nights due to the greasy film on my car's windshield. I took it to the dealer, they identified it as fallout and told me what to do. They recommended very fine steel wool and lots of elbow grease. It didn't work. Apparently I am not the only one with this issue. While Googling around for answers, folks have suggested vinegar, Goo Gone, Dawn dish detergent, degreaser and etc. I have tried them all!

It is not safe to drive my vehicle, especially if it is raining, dark or I'm driving with oncoming traffic with their headlights on.

Has anyone out there had a similar problem and found a solution?

  5 answers
  • Kelli L. Milligan Kelli L. Milligan on Jan 20, 2019

    At this point is take it to a car detailing co and tell them that's a must to be fixed. Surely they have an answer. Never heard of this . Is it a new car? What kind, want to avoid it.

    • Shirl Shirl on Jan 21, 2019

      Thanks for suggesting the detailing guys, but I have already been there. The glass is crystal clear during the day, making it hard to show the true issue when I arrive at the auto service centers. The detailing owner told me he has the same problem and it's just an enviromental factor and said vinegar would cut through it. While on a road trip with my sister and her husband we drove into heavy rain. I couldn't see through the windshield so I stopped at a convenient store to buy vinegar. I poured it on straight from the quart size bottle and saw no difference.

      I bought the Subaru from a dealer a few years ago. It had almost four thousand miles on the odometer while being used as a demo.

  • V Smith V Smith on Jan 20, 2019

    If it is greasy then you need to use a detergent that will degrease the glass and the wiper blades, maybe Simple Green? After you get it clean treat the glass with something that will make the glass slick like RainX. I imagine that this fallout is also on the hood of the vehicle and it seems like it would blow up onto the windshield if you don't address the hood as well. If this fallout is coming from a local source you may have help available from the source. If not contact the EPA.

    • Shirl Shirl on Jan 21, 2019

      For many years, my rural area has dealt with fallout from whiskey distilleries and the EPA that protects them. As much as I would like to blame them, I can't, as the windshield was greasy when I bought it at a dealer that had used it as a demo. Their service center told me the issue was the result of wax and spot-free rinses applied at drive thru car washes.

  • Shirl Shirl on Jan 21, 2019

    I live across the street from one of Kentucky's largest bourbon distilleries. There is no doubt their fallout has contributed to the issue, however, the greasy film was on the windshield when I bought the car in a like new condition.

    • Buy a new windshield and see what happens. They aren't that expensive. I had to replace my windshield on a 2 year old car because it got smashed in my some hoodlums. I did NOT use one of the nationally recognized windshield replacement services as they wanted me to wait 2 weeks and were about $200 more for a factory windshield. I used a local company who came out the next day. He came out to check my mess same day, cleaned it out and prepped it and called in the order for my new windshield. The guy was absolutely fantastic and did more than I expected.

  • Kelli L. Milligan Kelli L. Milligan on Jan 21, 2019

    At this point is get a new windshield. Drive the Gene Snyder expressway , those trucks throw rocks up all the time, I lost my last windshield there. Cracked it good, scared me to death.