Windshield Washer Fluid: Antifreeze & TEuro Guide

Hello,

After I almost had a stroke recently at B.U.V while looking at the "special offer on windshield washer fluid antifreeze," I wonder if there isn't a cheaper way.
"The price for 5 liters of antifreeze that protects down to -70°C (when undiluted) is now 13 euros, and even the cheaper, watered-down versions aren't cheap either."
Last winter, I used approximately 25 liters of -70°C concentrated antifreeze, which was about 5 canisters, during many highway trips.
I then searched the internet for the composition of windshield washer fluid antifreeze. On a medical website, a post about poisonings mentioned the following composition of an unknown but presumably common product:
- 49% Ethanol (Spirit)
- 19% 1,2-Propanediol

The rest consists of water, cleaning agents, and fragrances.

Therefore, it makes sense to mix the cleaning solution yourself when prices are favorable in the chemical trade, by simply adding water and a bit of dish soap.

Best regards, Rainer.

Years ago, there was an article about this in a car magazine, which I'm going to summarize from memory:
Content: 1. Contains a high percentage of low-quality alcohol (e.g., denatured alcohol), which protects against freezing and prevents streaks when wiping.
2. A higher-quality alcohol (e.g., ethylene glycol, as found in antifreeze), will remain as a thin film on the glass, preventing it from fogging up or freezing immediately.
3. Detergents (such as those found in dishwashing liquids).

Christian.

Hello Rainer,

I haven't trusted the expensive stuff from German stores for years. Whenever my parents (or acquaintances) were on vacation in Sweden, I had them bring back two canisters of concentrate from there. That stuff is great. Unfortunately, the smell will definitely get your passengers drunk , and the police alcohol checks are sure .
Price for 5 liters of concentrate: approximately 2-4 euros (which yields about 30-40 liters of cleaning solution under our moderate temperatures).
The disadvantage of various antifreeze products is that they can prevent the pump from building up proper pressure because the fluid is slightly more viscous. I haven't experienced any problems with the product from Sweden so far.
The looks on the faces of the salespeople in Sweden are always great when a foreigner buys several canisters of antifreeze at once.

Just read:

Dish soap with alcohol.
'The homemade cleaning solution performed well at minus five degrees Celsius. According to ADAC, everything was sparkling clean. However, it froze at minus 20 degrees Celsius. We tested it using the dosage recommended by vehicle manufacturers.'
In higher concentrations, alcohol can damage rubber and make the hoses of the washing system porous.

Source: http://www01.wdr.de/tv/service/geld/inhalte/981119_3.html

The question is, how high is it?

EDIT:

If you're already doing some research:

Nice post.

Google --> Search in Groups --> 'What substances are in windshield de-icer?'

I think that will answer all the questions.

For the formulation of windshield washer fluid suitable for temperatures down to -15°C, it is recommended to use:

1 liter of water.
0.62 liters of isopropyl alcohol.
Shot of dishwashing detergent.

Prices:
Under http://www.omikron-online.de/cyberchem/preise/prs-html/probesch/0264-prs.htm

10 liters of Isoprop is offered for 48 €. A bit expensive, or? A pharmacy wants 11-17€ per liter.

'Does anyone know of any cheap sources for isopropyl alcohol?'

Varianti wrote:

...In higher concentrations, alcohol can damage rubber and make the hoses of the washing system porous. Source: http://www01.wdr.de/tv/service/geld/inhalte/981119_3.html The question is, how high is it???

Hi, if the commercially available product contains 49% alcohol, not much should go wrong .

Best regards, Rainer.

Of course, one can never be certain. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes.

EDIT:

I was just at Wessel&Müller. I saw a 5-liter can of brake cleaner in a corner for 18.xx EUR. It also said '100% active ingredient' on it. In my opinion, brake cleaner is made of isopropyl alcohol, right?

That's already cheaper. Here, 5 liters of all-purpose cleaning concentrate for use down to -15°C costs only 9.50 EUR.

HI!

I completely agree with you, Rainer!
I've always used a mixture of rubbing alcohol and detergent; it's the best solution and not expensive either!

Best regards: Marko

Rainer K. wrote:

Last winter, I used approximately 25 liters of -70°C concentrated antifreeze

during many highway trips.

Hi Rainer!

Where are you going, to a place where it gets minus 70 degrees?

Best regards,
Uwe

Uwe wrote:

Rainer K. wrote: Last winter, I used approximately 25 liters of -70°C concentrated antifreeze during many highway trips. Hi Rainer! Where are you going, to a place where it gets minus 70 degrees? Best regards, Uwe

Hi,

Of course, I'm not pouring the -70°C concentrate directly into the tank, but mixing it with water. That way, you can easily get 15 liters of cleaning solution from 5 liters of concentrate, which will then work down to approximately -20°C.
The mixing ratios and antifreeze properties are usually printed on the back of the canister. When skiing, a temperature of -30°C is recommended.
It's almost always cheaper to buy concentrate and mix it with water yourself than to buy pre-mixed -30°C cleaning solution, since water costs practically nothing.

At the Bahr hardware store (near the TV tower) in Nuremberg, I was able to stock up on -70°C concentrate for 7.89 euros yesterday. At A.T.U., it cost almost double.

Best regards, Rainer.

'So, I've been buying pre-mixed windshield washer fluid from the hardware store (5 liters, about 2-4€) for many years and diluting it 50/50 with water. It's worked perfectly for many cars – I don't have a garage. If there's too much plain water left over from the summer in the reservoir at the beginning of winter, I add about half a liter of alcohol. I haven't had any problems with that so far, except for the smell!'

Regards,

Jürgen.
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When will we finally have real winter again???