0TheRadioFlyer97

those of you in Houston and surrounding areas have experienced a rather annoyin bout of rain/sun/rain/sun.

Question: is Rain X safe for use on paint? because every time i try to get my car clean, it pours all over it (daily driver) and leaves water spots all over it.

mrosa65

I would call them to make sure that their glass products are paint safe.

Their number is 1-800-416-1600

Personally I would use a good sealant which was made for your paint.

bugman

I think that's good advice. You don't want to be the first person to try it and get bad results from the experiment.

IMHO, no surface treatment can truly protect you from water spot damage. Rainwater itself should not pose a problem - it'll only leave spot marks if there is already dirt on the car (like pollen).

The real evil is ground water (i.e. sprinklers). the calcium and magnesium in the water will be deposited on your paint, and at the low pH of the water will etch (eat through) the clearcoat. As I said, no surface treatment can claim to protect you from that. You should really try to have a quality sealant on the paint nonetheless, but look at other factors for protection.

car cover
garage
keep towels in the car, and VERY light quick dry each morning before work(provided that the car is clean)

Kale

rejex is your friend in this case.

mrosa65

Bugman is 100% correct. Rain water may cause some minor spotting. You should be able to remove them easily with a QD spray. Ground water on the other hand that is loaded with calcium and magnesium is totally different.

I've tried a LOT of products in the last 6 years since moving to Florida and I still haven't found one that will totally protect your car from mineral etching.

cadguymark

I wonder if acid rain is a problem though? in some parts of the country it is more of a problem than others, generally east of heavily industrial areas the rain is more acidic, probaly has other pollutants in it too, no telling what that does to a cars finish

Rob4092xx

RainX and Zaino CS have many similarities.

Same consistency.

Same results on glass and black plastic trim.

Same application techniques.

Whattya think?

dclafleur

Ah you guys haven't had the privilege of an Oklahoma/Texas dirt rain. Between the wind and the tendency of the ground to be dry in large parts of the state on a regular basis our air tends to have large quantities of dust and dirt in it. In Oklahoma sometimes we will get rain storms that leave bright red splotches all over everything. Next time we get a good one I'll be sure to take pictures and show you, it is something else to see. If you get caught in one you'll find your clothes brown and red in minutes.

Only way I've found to deal with them is to wash the car again. If it is just a quick shower the dirt dries on the car quickly.

jeremyttt

I live in Tampa, Florida so i feel your pain with the whole rain/sun things. I use Adam's on my car and it works extremely well. My car is not garage kept "dont have an acess to one" so its in the rain and sun everyday. Usually after work towards the night i will just wipe the car down and it looks good as new.

0TH0001@properautocare.com

I think the appication techniques are completely different, I also think the while RainX has to be removed by buffing, CS doesn't, I think the smell is different, and I know for a fact that CS lasts much longer.

What do you think?

JJU

I heard somewhere that RAIN-X (type that goes on windows) is NOT good for paint.

RAIN-X makes a spray on wax and a "wash & wax" product. Those should be safe for paint.

Please call them.

bugman

Hmmm... that sure is not my experience at all.
RainX has a VERY Strong odor, and leaves a heavy film on the surface that must be wiped off -- sometimes with great difficulty.
CS has no odor, seems to have a thinner consistency, and of course is not wiped off at all, but dries clear on it's own.

It's safe to say that they are not the same product.

But always good to wonder this about car products - there is a heck of a lot of "re-packaging/re-branding" that goes on out there.

Rob4092xx

My bad...you are right! They are not similar in smell or application!

JustinEvans

Definitely works great! Use it on my c6 ever since my Subaru buddie told me his secret to keeping his 2016 so clean all the time and in the Midwest the weather and gravel roads are brutal on a clean car