Can car wash shampoo liquid be used to top up windscreen resevoir?

[boonfei80]

Hi All,

Am new to the forum hence not sure if its the correct thread.(Apologies if so)

I would like to ask can i use car shampoo, dilute it and pour into the windscreen resevoir?

My understanding is this:-If car shampoo can be used to wash windscreen, logically it should be able to be used for windscreen resevoir.

Please kindly advise.

If not, what is the difference between car shampoo & windscreen wash? ( is it that windscreen wash is low foaming?)

Thank you.

Owner of Mitsubishi Lancer & Ardent Car Detailer

[jfelbab]

Re: Can car wash shampoo liquid be used to top up windscreen resevoir?

Would you really want to let soap dry on your car? When you wash your car you rinse the soap off, right?

[AllenB]

Re: Can car wash shampoo liquid be used to top up windscreen resevoir?

Don't try it. The car wash soap is going to foam as it goes through the pump I think. It will leave a film if you let it dry on the glass or paint. It may also freeze if you are in a cold climate and crack your fluid tank. Is it hard to get windshield fluid were you are? Over here it is very cheap.

[rst08tierney]

Re: Can car wash shampoo liquid be used to top up windscreen resevoir?

why?

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Can car wash shampoo liquid be used to top up windscreen resevoir?

We would strongly urge you NOT to do this, for all the reasons given above.

[PPLd]

Re: Can car wash shampoo liquid be used to top up windscreen resevoir?

Hi All,

I would like to ask can i use car shampoo, dilute it and pour into the windscreen resevoir?

boonfei80,

I live in Hong Kong and I have been to Singapore a few times so I understand the climate of Asia. Sometimes the air get greasy and wipers will not be able to take out all the oils and dirt from air pollution. Wipers just smear all those things around...

While Meguiar's recommend us not to do so (sorry Meguiar's! people really like to play around and experiment with products), I have been pouring diluted car wash shampoo into my windscreen wiper watertank for years on many cars with no observable ill effect (on paint, wipers, pump of wash fluid). The soap I use is the very low foaming Autoglym Bodywork Shampoo. I believe it has to be a soap that is low/no foaming and contains no wax. Alternatives to Autoglym shall include products like Optimum No Rinse ONR.

Results? For sure it is not going to be good-looking when you have car wash soap mixed with dirt and grease drying on your windscreen and some of your paint, but it does a very good job in cleaning up the "windscreen wiper area" (if you get what I mean), as well as prevent jumping of the wipers. It makes my vision crystal clear throughout the journey.

As you are reading this forum, I assume all of you care about your car(s). Give it a proper wash afterwards when you can. Avoid using your windscreen wash fluid unless it get really dirty. I hope you found it useful.