Rain X

[michael mulroy]

Has anyone out there used the Rain X product on plastic faceshields?

[Rinkydink]

Seems like I have read on this board that is a no no. It isn't nice to the Lexan or whatever material the shield is made of. Rain X is for glass I believe. I use Plexus with great results. I'm sure someone else will further our knowledge.

[RFW]

Seems like I have read on this board that is a no no. It isn't nice to the Lexan or whatever material the shield is made of. Rain X is for glass I believe. I use Plexus with great results. I'm sure someone else will further our knowledge.

I don't know firsthand about Rain-X, but use of any chemical on polycarbonate (Lexan) should be done with great care. PC is extremely solvent sensitive. Even exposure to gasoline can damage PC helmets (and most are made of polycarbonate these days) enough to compromise their impact withstand capability. More aggressive solvents (like Rain-X may contain) can cause crazing of visors, enough to affect visibility.

 

Bob.

[ChuckS]

Rain-X BAD

 

 

Plexas GOOD

[Boffin]

Has anyone out there used the Rain X product on plastic faceshields?

 

The solvents in Rain-X will cause the plastic to become brittle, even though there will be no visible damage. A year or two I was helping a lass who had crashed her Suzuki Bandit-S when a tailpack had dislodged and jammed her rear wheel. She was quite baddly shaken, but unhurt, except for a facial cut caused when her visor shattered. Whilst we waited for paramedics/police I chatted to her about all sorts of things, and I talked about bike/gear care and cleaning. It transpired that she used Rain-X on her visor and the screen of the bike. The screen had also shattered.

 

Cya, Andy

[kudzu]

I can't/won't dispute the terrible consequences of using Rain-X on faceshields cited by others, but I have used Rain-X on the outside and Rain-X Anti Fog on the inside of Arai face shields regularly for a couple of years. Based on my experience, will continue to do so. Haven't found anything that works better and haven't had any problems.

[Haynes]

I immersed a small piece of acrylic plastic in a Rain-X bottle and after two weeks, could see no deterioration.

This doesn't discount the fact that it could do hidden damage to the structure of the material.

I used to use it on windscreens and face shields and over the long term had no problems. I stopped using it because others board members advised against it.

[* SHAG *]

Has anyone out there used the Rain X product on plastic faceshields?

 

I've been using Rain-X on my helmets & shields for years!

I also use it on system cases of 1150!

[Warren_H]

I’ve used Rain-X on auto windshields for decades and am a big fan.

 

My Rain-X bottle states: "Do not use on plastics unless pre-approved by the manufacturer of the plastic to be treated. Do not use or allow product to contact painted surfaces, non-clear surfaces, surfaces treated with anti-reflective, scratch resistant, or other coatings."

[MG37221]

I won't put it on my windshield. Too expensive to replace when it yellows & such but I do use it on my faceshield often and like the way it works. I've not had any problems with yellowing either.

[flyingreg]

Rain-X will degrade the plastic of windshields and faceshields. The plastic will become brittle. Use it at your own risk with the knowledge that Rain-X does not recommend their product for the purposes that we would like to use it for.

[RFW]

I immersed a small piece of acrylic plastic in a Rain-X bottle and after two weeks, could see no deterioration.

This doesn't discount the fact that it could do hidden damage to the structure of the material.

I used to use it on windscreens and face shields and over the long term had no problems. I stopped using it because others board members advised against it.

The problem here is that most windscreens are not acrylic.

 

It is not at all surprising that there was no damage to the Acrylic sample, but that may not mean much. Most windscreens are made of polycarbonate (Lexan). Acrylic (Plexiglas) is very resistant to organic solvents. Lexan is VERY sensitive to same.

 

Bob.

[Beemeroil]

Interesting regarding the Lexan susceptibility to deterioration from RainX. The question then is what wind screens are made of Lexan? Does anyone want to answer?

[Rags]

To get off the Rainex topic..

 

Has anyone used Rejex. I use it on my car and windshield. Its made for acrylic paint finishes and is a good product.

[RFW]

Interesting regarding the Lexan susceptibility to deterioration from RainX. The question then is what wind screens are made of Lexan? Does anyone want to answer?

The answer is ....most of them.

 

But it is easy to tell if a particular windshields is Lexan or Plexiglas (acrylic)..... The DOT requires the material to be indicated right on the windshield, as I recall. Look for the fine print embossed somewhere on it. If it states it is "polycarbonate" then it is Lexan (Polycarbonate is the name of the polymer; Lexan is just GE's tradename of this material).

 

Failing that, get a tin of lacquer thinner (it MUST be Lacquer thinner, not "paint solvent" or anything else). Now, find an edge of the windshield that is normally not very visible (usually down near the bottom). Wet your finger tip with lacquer thinner and immediately (while the liquid is still wetting your finger) touch it to this edge and hold your finger top there for 10 seconds.

 

Now remove your finger. If you felt it was a little tacky as you removed your finger, and if there was a visible imprint left, then the windshield if PC. If NOTHING happened,and the edge of the windshield is as shiny as before, and has no trace of a finer print, then it is Acrylic (which is totally unaffected by the toluene in Lacquer Thinner.

 

Remember to touch the edge ONLY, and to keep all thinner away from the front and back surfaces of the windshield!

 

Bob.

[Beemeroil]

Thx for the testing proceedure. I will use the same on my helmet visors.

[RFW]

Thx for the testing proceedure. I will use the same on my helmet visors.

Don't bother with the visors. They are guaranteed to be Polycarbonate. Acrylic can shatter (even the high impact stuff) and is never used for this purpose being so near to your eyes. Acrylic has been mostly (but not entirely) displaced by polycarbonate for windshields for this same reason.

 

Bob.

[Beemeroil]

Thanks.

[Ken H.]

I immersed a small piece of acrylic plastic in a Rain-X bottle and after two weeks, could see no deterioration.

This doesn't discount the fact that it could do hidden damage to the structure of the material.

I used to use it on windscreens and face shields and over the long term had no problems. I stopped using it because others board members advised against it.

Keith, Did you then try breaking it to see if it had become more brittle? Or put a piece through a bunch of apply, let dry repeat cycles then seeing if it becomes brittle?

 

Most of the concern with Rain X on plastic face shields is that it causes the elastomers to migrate out of the plastic making it less shatter resistant. Without any visible damage.

 

But then I'm no chemical engineer, so I don't know if there's anything to it or not...

[Jon_M]

Has anyone out there used the Rain X product on plastic faceshields?

You already have a wide range of opinions about Rain X, so maybe this doesn't matter, but Consumer Reports tested the product several years ago and pronounced it useless. I am one of the multitudes who use Plexus and agree that it works well.

[kudzu]

Consumer Reports tested the product several years ago and pronounced it useless.

Who should I believe, Consumer Reports or my lying eyes?!

[Jon_M]

Who should I believe, Consumer Reports or my lying eyes?!

 

Trust your judgement. They tested it several years ago and perhaps it's been improved. As I recall, they said that the effect is transient and quickly washes away in a prolonged rain. My dad used to sacrifice a cigarette, rubbing it over the windshield whenever a rain started. Worked great for a short time. Not a reason to start smoking, however.

[Haynes]

Keith, Did you then try breaking it to see if it had become more brittle? Or put a piece through a bunch of apply, let dry repeat cycles then seeing if it becomes brittle?

 

Most of the concern with Rain X on plastic face shields is that it causes the elastomers to migrate out of the plastic making it less shatter resistant. Without any visible damage.

 

But then I'm no chemical engineer, so I don't know if there's anything to it or not...

 

Ken, I didn't try breaking the acrylic. I've also done the same test with polycarbonate without any visble damage but in my earlier post I did not make my point clear. My point is that we should not expect the damage to be evidenced by a visual examination. The structure of many plastics can be severely compromised by contact with liquid solvents or solvent vapours.

I believe the that the cleaning agent in Rain-X is isopropyl alcohol or something closely related. If this is the case, I would be concerned about Rain-X on many types of plastics.

[Haynes]

A large part of fog prevention on a surface is to get it as clean as possible. Any dirt residue attracts vapour when the surface is colder than the ambient air.

 

A gentle application of car polish should clean the surface and offer some fog protection. I used to do this when I rode a Norton about 30 years ago but haven't done it in my BMW life. I know that polishes are abrasive but I suggest that the cloth may cause as much abrasion as the polish.

Does anyone use car polish or wax for fog prevention? Apart from scratching, what are the possible problems? Are there any ingredients in car polish that could harm plastics?