Our top picks will set you up with the best choice for every season.
By Mike Bumbeck
Best Overall
Rain-X 2-in-1 All Season
Best Value
SONAX Clear View
Honorable Mention
303 Instant Windshield Washer Tablets
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Windshield washer fluid comes in a variety of formulations for every season and driving situation. Choosing the best windshield washer fluid depends on where, when, and what you drive. We rounded up a variety of pre-mixed, ready-to-use gallons, plus concentrated liquids and dry-dissolving tablets, and put them to the test to help you make the best choice.
Checking and topping off your windshield washer fluid reservoir is a crucial part of a safe driving experience, and should be considered regular maintenance like checking your oil or tire pressure. But if you’re pouring water or even Windex in the reservoir, you’re making a mistake, and taking chances with a vital component to safe driving.
How We Tested the Windshield Washer Fluids
We made our best windshield washer fluid selections based on a combination of performance, value, usability, availability, and the shipping experience. Summertime testing precluded any de-icer and winter mix blends, but we have four-season experience thanks to near-eternal Vermont winters and relentless road salt. New England without snow is a world full of bugs, and we cleared plenty of bug guts and dirt road dust in our road tests. All test products were purchased with a mix of online shopping and local store pickup.
Best Windshield Washer Fluid Reviews & Recommendations 2022
Best Windshield Washer Fluid Overall
Rain-X 2-in-1 All Season
Best Windshield Washer Fluid Tablets
303 Instant Windshield Washer
Best Windshield Washer Fluid Concentrate
SONAX Clear View
A Few Words About Concentrates
We bought all of our test washer fluids locally and online and discovered a few things about ordering windshield washer fluid online. Some pre-mixed gallons carried a significant premium over the same gallon off the local shelf, and availability was thin. Conversely, there was a large variety of concentrated and tablet washer fluid options we had never seen on any local shelf.
After watching a few trucks pull up and drop off a giant box with a single pre-mixed gallon of windshield washer fluid wrapped in plastic bags inside, we came to the conclusion that concentrates are a better economic and packaging choice when buying washer fluid on the internet. This cart full of washer fluid concentrates were all ordered online.
SONAX and 303 Instant Washer Fluid Tablets were our favorites of the bunch, but each concentrate offered a combination of performance and convenience. Formula 1 and Qwix featured measuring chambers for easy mixing on one bottle of GUNK made 1.5 gallons. Super concentrates like Aqua Charge are probably better for high-volume home mixing and offer tremendous value.
We certainly don’t know everything and had no idea there were so many different concentrated products out there. The main drawback is that liquid and dry concentrates are great in the summer but require adding methanol for winter use. Check with your state or local laws concerning methanol and concentrated washer fluids before ice season starts.
Best Value Windshield Washer Fluid Concentrate
Aqua Charge Windshield Washer Ultra Concentrate
Best Windshield Washer Fluid for the Deep Freeze
Prestone De-Icer
Types of Windshield Washer Fluid
Premixed:
The most commonly available type of windshield washer fluid comes in ready to use plastic gallon jugs. They’re available in a wide variety of formulas from summer bug melting blends to deep freeze winter de-icers.
Liquid Concentrates:
Liquid windshield washer concentrates pack a lot into a little. They’re great if you don’t like storing gallon jugs. Concentrates can be mixed with water directly in the washer fluid reservoir.
Dry Tablet Concentrates:
Dry tablets offer the convenience and economy of just-add-water concentrate compressed into a no-spill compact package. Quick-dissolving tablets are easy to store and can be dropped directly into a water-filled reservoir for instant washer fluid.
Washer Fluid Formulations
Summer:
Summer washer fluids are formulated for use in above freezing temperatures only. All of our concentrated and tablet washer fluids were developed for summer use and require the addition of methanol for use below freezing.
Winter:
Winter washer fluid formulas contain methanol or ethylene glycol to prevent freeze-up in the lines, nozzles, or on your windshield. Make sure to empty any leftover summer fluid before topping up the tank with a winter blend.
All-Season:
All-season formulas promise it all with a year-round mix of ingredients for every situation. Year-round washer fluids are a great option for moderate winters, but keep an eye on operational temperature ranges as they vary between brand and blends.
Specialty:
Specialty formulas fill in the gaps with bonus capability. Bug blends put some extra power in the tank to clear grasshopper guts, de-icers can cut through deep winter freezes, and water beading hydrophobic polymers can help your windshield repel rain and snow.
Best Windshield Washer Fluid Pricing
- Under $5. Five bucks will get you one or more gallons of the highest quality pre-mixed washer fluid right off the shelf. Be wary of quality with under-a-dollar gallons.
- $5-10. Some specialized products might slot into this category, but you’re more likely to encounter washer fluid in this price range on thruways, turnpikes, or gas stations.
- Over $10. Concentrates, tablets, and OEM factory fluids can crest the sawbuck mark, but some online premixed gallons carried a premium over off-the-shelf prices.
FAQs
You’ve got questions. The Drive has answers.
Q: Why can’t I use water?
A: You can, but you shouldn’t. Water won’t clean as well as washer fluid and will freeze up as the temperature dips. Tap water minerals can leave paint streaks and spots. Long-term mineral scale can clog up the washer fluid pump, lines, and nozzles.
Q: What’s in windshield wiper fluid?
A: It ain’t Windex. Manufacturers use proprietary ingredients depending on the product formulation. Summer blends might contain some ammonia or bug dissolving enzymes. Winter washer fluid often contains methanol and some ethylene glycol to prevent freezing.
Q: How do I add windshield fluid to my car?
A: Consult your owner’s manual for the reservoir location or look for a tank away from the engine with windshield wipers on the cap. Grab a funnel and pour away. Concentrates can be mixed with water directly in the tank. If you’re not sure, don’t pour.
Q: What should I do if the washer fluid is frozen?
A: Sprayer nozzles are usually the first thing to freeze up. Try pouring some winter-blend washer fluid over the nozzles. Household rubbing alcohol or methanol can also do the trick. Alcohol might help loosen up frozen reservoirs, but a thaw out is the safest bet.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the best windshield washer fluid depends on where you live and drive. Dry and moderate temperate zone drivers can get by on a summer or all-season blend. Got summer bugs? Go for a specialty bug battling blend. Changing out to season-specific blends in spring and fall is a good plan for continental zone drivers, and de-icers are the answer for deep freeze driving.
This article has been updated with new products and information.
