Help! smelly screen wash

Neil_Sedaka

Does anyone know why the water in my screen washer bottle keeps on going smelly?
Seems ok with just water, but if I add screen wash it goes bad within a couple of days, have tried a few brands of screen wash but it still happens, I'm baffled

JohnCleary

Neil_Sedaka wrote:

Does anyone know why the water in my screen washer bottle keeps on going smelly?
Seems ok with just water, but if I add screen wash it goes bad within a couple of days, have tried a few brands of screen wash but it still happens, I'm baffled

This one has always baffled me too, I think your putting in too much screen wash, you only need a drop of the stuff in the summer

mike65

Sounds like the inside of the water holder has become contiminated with a fungus of some sort and there's a reaction.

Mike.

JohnCleary

What a scientific reply! You might actually be right, im gonna check it out on my own bottle since ill be removing it Monday anyway (My whole front end is getting a facelift)

drdre

my screen wash is also very smelly i donot know why:mad:

mike65

What a scientific reply! You might actually be right, im gonna check it out on my own bottle since ill be removing it Monday anyway (My whole front end is getting a facelift)

I bet this hot weather is'nt helping, heat promotes bacterial activity.

Mike.

highdef

Yeah, I have smelly one too when I squirt !

bazz26

highdef wrote:

Yeah, I have smelly one too when I squirt !

LOL :D

AMurphy

I got a box of some orange stuff from a co called Wurth - Limerick.
I tends to smell. However the stuff with antifreeze I use in winter does not.

So I'd agree there must be some natural component that tends to rot or support bacterial growth in the orange stuff.

What you could try (Hidef take note), is add some iodine to the bottle, let it sit for a while and then flush it out. Then refill as before, see if anything has improved.
Otherwise, try alcohol/solvent based washes, rather than soap based ones.

unkel

bazz26 wrote:

LOL :D

Indeed ROFL :D:D

causal

AMurphy wrote:

What you could try (Hidef take note), is add some iodine to the bottle, let it sit for a while and then flush it out. Then refill as before, see if anything has improved.

I knew those government issued iodine tablets would come in handy for something

Otherwise, try alcohol/solvent based washes, rather than soap based ones.

I'm not a chemist but I would have thought solvent wouldn't react well with plastic, rubber, paint? Or do washes have small enough concentrations?
My windscreen additive is scented like apples, ahhh, breath-in, relax, breath-out.

causal

AMurphy

I'm not suggesting 100% concentrate Acetone, etc.

Cheap Vodka comes in plastic bottles, try that. otherwise, use IPA