Being able to see ahead without any smears or dirt catching your eye is always important, whether you’re driving hard or just cruising. So, here’s some of the best windscreen washer fluid around.
Windscreen washer fluid is one of those things that you probably don’t spend too much time thinking about. And if you do, maybe that call with the therapist is a bit overdue. Either way, at the end of the day, it’s an important thing for car owners to keep on top of during their routine car maintenance. I’m sure we’ve all at some stage experienced what it’s like to drive a dirty car with no screen wash in it – and it’s not fun!
So, never fear dirt smears again by topping up your car’s reservoir with some of the stuff we’ve got listed for you below. I’ve been maintaining cars for years, and during that time have learned which brands you can trust, and which you’d be better off avoiding. Here’s the best windscreen washer fluid on the market today.
Best Windscreen Washer Fluid
Rain-X All-Season 2-in-1
RRP: from $3.97, buy now. Not available in the UK.
Rain-X All-Season 2-in-1 really is a master of all trades. As well as being strong enough to remove road grime and bug debris, Rain-X has also infused this formula with water-beading chemicals that help to repel road spray. So, it’s not only cleaning your windshield, but helping to prevent it from getting dirty too.
If that wasn’t enough from your windscreen washer fluid, Rain-X 2-in-1 also is even strong enough to remove light snow and ice on cold wintery mornings.
Prestone Deluxe 2-in-1
RRP: from $16.02, buy now / £16.99, buy now.
Prestone’s Deluxe 2-in-1 windscreen washer fluid has similar performance credentials to that of the Rain-X product listed above. It also claims to be the perfect tough cleaner and de-icer in one, boasting water-beading repellent technology and the ability to melt light snow and ice fast.
So, the choice is yours really. Whether it be the Rain-X option or this Prestone windscreen washer fluid, either of these two options will give you all the performance you could possibly want from a bottle of screen wash.
Ultra Rosso Total Care
RRP: $12.99, buy now / £11.00, buy now.
Ultra Rosso might not be a brand you’ve heard of before, but that shouldn’t put you off. This windscreen washer fluid still contains plenty of cleaning chemicals to keep your vision crystal clear. However, it doesn’t have the same ability to melt frost as the options listed above. So, if that’s an important attribute to you, this might not be the choice to opt for.
Still, it’s got easily the sleekest packaging if that’s something you care about, and if you live in a warmer climate or just need to quickly grab some emergency screen wash, then the Ultra Rosso Total Care fluid will do the job.
CarPlan All-Seasons Screen Wash
RRP: £6.89, buy now. Not available in the US.
If it’s bang for buck that you want, CarPlan All-Seasons Screen Wash is the sort of option you should go after. Depending on your retailer, you could grab yourself a 5-liter bottle or pre-mixed fluid for less than $10! This is hardly a knock-off product either – CarPlan has a reputation that you can trust.
Again, while it may not offer the anti-frost tech that more premium options have up their sleeve, it’ll still do a perfectly fine job of actually washing your car’s windshield.
AutoGlym Ultimate Screen Wash
RRP: £5.99, buy now. Not available in the US.
UK-favorite car detailing company AutoGlym also supplies a pretty handy windscreen washer fluid. Most commonly found in a 500ml bottle, you can dilute the solution to give yourself as much as 8 liters of product – not bad for less than a tenner, eh?
This windscreen washer fluid can operate successfully in temperatures up to -45 degrees Celsius, but unfortunately it’s not designed to actually melt snow or frost. As for its cleaning credentials, it’ll have no problem scything through all sorts of muck.
Triple QX All-Seasons Concentrate
Price: £5.29, buy now. Not available in the US.
Triple QX screen wash is far from fancy, but if you thought the CarPlan and AutoGlym options were good value for money, then wait until you get a load of this. For the low price listed above, you could get this 5-liter bottle of windscreen washer fluid, which when diluted, amasses a total of 20 liters of product!
As you’d expect, it’ll have no trouble cutting through regular road dirt, but don’t expect any anti-snow/frost or beading technology.
How to buy the best windscreen fluid
If you’re thinking that any old windscreen washer fluid will do, you’d be wrong. For instance, on some BMWs, they require you to use a specific product. Using another could end up in a becoming congealed within the system. It’s always worth checking your car’s owner’s manual for any specific requirements.
Generally, though, you’re looking for a product that’s capable of doing a few things. First of all, and most importantly, it needs to be tough enough to eat through road grime, bugs and the sort. Without any cleaning prowess, you rely on your windscreen wipers removing dirt, which doesn’t always work without smearing it across the screen. Speaking of which, you want a product that doesn’t leave smear marks on the screen. If you’re mixing an undiluted product, stick to the manufacturers’ instructions to ensure the volume from product to water is correct. Finally, and this is a bonus, a product that can survive harsh temperatures. The last thing you want is frozen washer fluid.
How we picked the products
While the products above haven’t been extensively tested, they’re recommendations based on Fast Car’s experience and expertise. We’ve been at the cutting edge of the automotive scene since 1987, so we’ve become very familiar with the brands that are worth getting to know. As such, all the ones listed here are ones which we’d happily use on our own cars.
