For anyone who has been driving for a while, you’ve probably come across a storm, sometimes really bad ones that you have to drive through. This can leave you trying to navigate through buckets of pelting rain that reduces your visibility to almost nothing. Not to mention the water splashing your vehicle from various passing vehicles. Our team at Manchester Car Glass Repair hope that during this time, you don’t find out that your windscreen or your wipers aren’t able to deal with the inclement weather.
Now that winter is coming to an end and the summer brings a bounty of rain and thunderstorms, this is the perfect time to rainproof your windscreen on your vehicle. It will only take a few steps and you can ensure you stay dry and safe the next time you have to venture out in rainy weather. This is going to help you avoid dangerous situations and accidents.
Carefully Inspect your Windscreen
You should be inspecting your windscreen regularly for any cracks or chips. If left untreated, they can lead to big problems at any moment. Which makes it important to find them and get them fixed as soon as possible. Check the entire windscreen, from corner to corner, from all angles, inside and out to make sure you spot any issues. If you do locate any cracks or chips, you should take your vehicle to get repaired or replaced before it gets worse.
Windscreen Cleanliness
It’s important to always have a clean and clear windscreen when driving. This gives you optimal visibility and allows you to see the road as clear as possible. Unfortunately, a lot of people tend to let their windscreen get very dirty regularly. When it’s sunny, sometimes a dirty windscreen doesn’t seem that bad but that can completely change and get much worse when it gets wet. When there is a lot of dirt build up, when you attempt to clear it with your wipers, it can make visibility almost impossible, as it drags muddy streaks over the entire windscreen, obstructing your vision. Luckily, there is an easy solution; clean your windscreen regularly and for a little extra clean, use water, window cleaning solution, and a cloth on the inside and outside.
Use High Quality Windscreen Wipers
It is absolutely essential to regularly replace your wiper blades. Especially if you are constantly using them and causing significant wear and tear. If this is the case, you should be replacing them every 3-4 months. When assessing if you need new wipers or not, check to see if they are constantly and evenly distributing pressure across your entire windscreen and not leaving moisture or debris behind. If you have damaged, weak, or deteriorating wipers, it will be causing streaking for it failing to make proper and seamless contact with your windscreen.
Use High Quality Rain Repellent
You can find products specifically designed to help bead rainwater and whisk it away. Using these products can also aid your defroster and defogger. As they reduce condensation by decreasing friction on your windscreen, allowing water to move off your windscreen and out of your line of vision quicker and easier.
You can usually get rain repellent as a liquid that you administer directly to your windscreen. Whatever brand you choose to use, always make sure to follow the instructions and recommendations for application and frequency of use.
How To Administer Rain Repellent
Even though most rain repellent is easy to apply, you could get into big problems if it’s not applied properly. Here are 6 steps for proper rain repellent application.
- Take an ammonia-based glass cleaner and make sure the windscreen is thoroughly cleaned
- Before applying the rain repellent, wipe away any remaining ammonia and allow everything to fully evaporate. You can use a microfiber cloth to help with this step.
- Read directions carefully and apply the rain repellent. Some will want you to apply it in a circular motion, while others will want you to apply it with a series of vertical or horizontal passes for even coverage.
- Let the repellent dry as directed by the manufacturer.
- Once dry, buff out your windscreen with a microfiber cloth.
- After it has fully cured (usually after a few hours), spray your windscreen with water and then dry it again with a microfiber cloth.
When you are in between reapplying rain repellent, keep your windscreen clean with just water in order to avoid breaking the waterproof seal. Another bonus when using rain repellent is that it not only helps with wicking rain away, but it also helps remove bird droppings and splattered bugs.
Let Our Team Help
Keeping your windscreen in optimal condition is extremely important. Keeping maximum visibility is also important to avoid dangerous situations and accidents. Our team here at Manchester Car Glass Repair are here to help you, whenever you need it. We have technicians available 24/7! If you ever need a windscreen repair in Manchester, give us a ring at 07856689008!