Clear Vision: How to Apply Windscreen Repellents That Actually Last

Give the whole car a wash, or at least the glass and surrounding trim. You don't want dust blowing onto your clean glass halfway through. Make sure the glass is cool to the touch, don't do this if the car's been sitting in the sun all arvo.

Spray your water or glass cleaner as lube and run the clay bar over the glass. You'll hear it 'singing' at first as it hits the bumps, then it'll go silent. That's when you know the industrial fallout, salt, and bug guts are gone.

Dry the glass, then hit it with your glass polish. Work it in circles with a bit of elbow grease. This removes the 'traffic film', that nasty oily layer that comes off the exhaust of the trucks in front of you.

Use your IPA (alcohol) mix and a clean towel to wipe the glass one last time. This ensures there's absolutely zero polish residue left. The glass should feel 'grabby' now, not slick.

Mentally divide the windscreen in half. You want to work on one side at a time so the product doesn't dry out too much before you can buff it.

Chuck a few drops of your chosen repellent onto the applicator pad. You don't need to soak it; a little goes a long way with the good stuff.

Work the product into the glass using small, overlapping circular motions. Ensure you get right into the corners, but try not to get it on the rubber seals or plastic trim.

After the circles, go over the same area with straight up-and-down lines, then side-to-side. This 'cross-hatching' ensures 100% coverage. No missed spots.

Most products need 5-10 minutes to bond (check the bottle). It'll start to look a bit cloudy or hazy. That's the carrier solvent evaporating.

If you're using a long-term coating like G1, I usually chuck a second coat on the windscreen immediately. The side windows usually only need one.

Take a clean microfibre and buff away the haze. It might feel a bit tough at first. If it's being stubborn, a tiny spray of water or glass cleaner on the towel helps it move.

Get a torch or use the sun to look at the glass from different angles. You're looking for any 'rainbow' streaks or hazy patches. Buff them out now or they'll be stuck there.

Don't forget this! Put some glass cleaner on a rag and pinch the wiper blade, sliding it along the rubber. You'll be shocked at the black gunk that comes off. (Unless you're smart and just bought new ones).

This is the hard part. Most coatings need to stay dry for at least 3-4 hours to fully harden. Don't go through a car wash or turn your wipers on yet.