Windshield washer fluid - Commercial brand or DIY ?

[Andrei_ierdnA]

What do you guys think about store bought products vs DIY mixes when it comes to windshield washer fluid ?

The Internet is full of DIY / home-made recipes for making your own mix of windshield washer fluid:
* distilled water
* splash of dish detergent
* some white vinegar / liquid ammonia / isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) in % by volume according to outside temperatures - more in winter, less in summer.

With my old 98' Interpid, rust spots + stickers everywhere, faded paint, etc I didn't mind experimenting with DIY concoctions for washer fluid. Even found pills/tablets at the Dollar-store which you just added to water - they were great!

With my 2013 Honda Fit that is brand "new" for me, I'm concerned about the cars' paint/gloss being ruined, premature rusting through the water drainage holes or even the washer fluid hoses and pump being damaged long-term. The key here is long-term, as I want to keep my car forever.


PS:
I am fully aware I'm asking a crowd of people known to remove their windshield wipers for aerodynamics and remove the fluid from the reservoir for weight reduction. But I hope at least a few still use windshield wipers & fluids and can share your point of view.

[ksa8907]

I started using the pink rain-x early on and never use anything else. I forgot to switch to rainx after i bought my cts and was letting the dealer fill it.... until the bottle froze solid, luckily it didn't break anything.

[oil pan 4]

I just use water during the summer.

[MobilOne]

I use the blue stuff from Walmart. It works better than water and is cheap to buy. I don't like Rainx

[Xist]

Dollar stores out here sell gallon bottles of blue fluid. It works so far.

[vskid3]

I like the orange Rain-x. Barely more than the cheap stuff at Walmart and seems to work much better.

[Gasoline Fumes]

I use plain water or the Rain-X stuff. If I ever want the blue stuff, I know a junkyard that gives it away.

[user removed]

A jug of washer fluid and a can of wax both last me years. I use Rain-x on the windshield and seldom use the wipers. Wiper blades last a very long time. The last set I replaced was the Sentra and they were falling apart, painted the peeling wiper arms at the same time.

regards
mech

[Fat Charlie]

Blue fluid is so cheap and lasts so long that it wouldn't occur to me to DIY it- I'd be running at a loss right away. I don't use Rain-X fluid because of the paint, but I do windex (store brand) and use the wipe-on Rain-X.

[Andrei_ierdnA]

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

... I don't use Rain-X fluid because of the paint, but I do windex (store brand) and use the wipe-on Rain-X.

Have there been consumer complaints on the Rain-X fluid ruining the paint on cars?

I have not tried any of the Rain-X products yet, but I have tried waxing (Turtle Wax) the windshield on my old Intrepid with decent results. However using windshield fluid appeared to wear off the wax pretty fast.

I think I may have a bit of a problem ...obsession with always having a clean windshield - also want the dashcam to capture good clean footage, just in case. I seem to use a bit everyday and will go through a 1 gallon (3.5 L) jug every 2 months regardless of the season.