A clean windscreen is an essential part of safe driving for obvious reasons; if you can’t see the road clearly, you’re more likely to be a hazard on the road, potentially causing harm to other road users.

Even if your windscreen is clear when you set off, it’s important to have a quick and convenient way of clearing your windscreen of dirt and debris while you drive. This is where screen wash comes into play, but not all screen washes are created equal.

In this blog, we’ll detail the key differences between summer and winter screen wash and why it’s so essential to make sure you’re using the correct one.

Do I need screen wash?

The short answer is yes. Outside of the legal ramifications of failing an MOT, there are also safety considerations that must be kept in mind. Particularly on motorways, where spray is constantly bombarding your windscreen, it’s crucial to be able to clear your windscreen at a moment’s notice to keep yourself and others safe.

Water by itself often isn’t enough to break down the dirt and grime that sticks to windscreens, and can actually make it worse by smearing the dirt across the windscreen. 

Common windscreen problems in summer

During the summer, spray is less common because there is typically less water on the roads, but there are some unique problems that the summer weather throws at drivers. For starters, even the most minor specs of dirt or grime on the windscreen can contribute to increased glare when the high summer sun hits them.

You’re also more likely to come across pollen and insect debris during the warmer months of the year. Summer screen wash is specially formulated to effectively break down and remove bugs and pollen, helping to keep your windscreen clear of grime.

Common windscreen problems in winter

In the winter, it’s not just the cold that’s your enemy. Grit or salt on the roads creates a dirty film that sprays onto your windscreen, obscuring your view. To break this down, you can use an effective screen wash across your windscreen to ensure your view is clear. This is also important for the likes of snow and ice on your windscreen too. A specific winter screen wash is designed to work in cold weather, melting ice at temperatures as low as -10°C, which could be crucial to getting you on the road in no time.

Do I need a screen wash that’s specific to the season?

All screen wash serves essentially the same purpose: to clean your windscreen of dirt and debris, but different weather conditions present different problems.

If you use winter screen wash all year round, you might find that it’s not as effective for summer windscreen issues like bugs or pollen. This is because winter screen wash doesn’t contain the same active ingredients found in summer screen wash that will break down pollen and insect debris.

If you use a summer screen wash in the winter, you may find it’s not the most effective once the mercury drops below 0.

In other words, it can be incredibly useful to have a screen wash that matches the season.

Ready To Use Summer Screen Wash

  • Breaks down bugs
  • Clears pollen from the windscreen
  • Streak-free finish to prevent sun glare

Ready To Use Winter Screen Wash

  • Works below freezing temperatures
  • Clears the windscreen of grime from salt spray
  • Can be concentrated or diluted to match conditions

Extreme Performance Screen Wash

  • Melts ice down to -18°C
  • Prevents sun dazzle to maximise visibility
  • Removes dirt and bugs fast

It’s clear to see that screen wash is a crucial aspect of car maintenance that shouldn’t be ignored. Whether you opt for a seasonal screen wash or an all-weather screen wash, it’s important to ensure that the screen wash reservoir is never short on high-quality screen wash.

Check out our full range of screen wash for your car today.