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Rain-X Review Summary Points

Popular Rain-X car care products include an exterior detailer, fast wax, glass cleaner, and waterless car wash.

Some Rain-X products are classified as “2-in-1” cleaners, like a glass cleaner that doubles as an interior detailer and a waterless car wash that doubles as rain repellent.

The exterior detailer was our favorite in the care package Rain-X sent us.

Our Rain-X Review Process

The care package Rain-X sent us included four products: Exterior Detailer & Water Repellent, Fast Wax, Glass Cleaner & Interior Detailer, and Waterless Car Wash & Rain Repellent. Each offers a time savings and convenience factor, as they are designed to be easily applied post-wash or between washes to get that showroom shine. 

After several days of rain across the Detroit metro, we tested the products Rain-X sent us on our 2022 Ford Escape (YouTube video here). 

During those rainy days, we drove I-96, Telegraph Road, and M10, three busy roadways with heavy traffic here in the Motor City. By the time we hit the wash bay, a lot of road grime had accumulated on our lower quarter panels, and we were excited to see if anything Rain-X sent us could help.

Here is our quick but detailed (see what we did there) review of the care package Rain-X sent us. 

Exterior Detailer & Water Repellent

Our Take

Exterior detailers give your vehicle that extra “pop” after washing it. They are also convenient if you need a quick touch-up between washes. Over the years, we have relied on exterior detailers from many top brands, including Meguiar’s and Mothers, but this was the first time we used one from Rain-X. And we were pleasantly surprised!

How We Used It

After running our Ford Escape through the wash bay, we used the Exterior Detailer & Water Repellent to remove leftover dirt and grime on our lower quarter panels. It also took care of a few leftover hard water spots that we didn’t get with the spot-free rinse.

Rain-X classifies this as a “2-in-1” product, meaning you have an exterior detailer with a water-beading effect. When it comes out of the bottle, it looks like skim milk, but it gives your paint a shot of caffeine that ultimately leads to a silky exterior shine.

Customer Reviews

Amazon’s AI-generated summary text of reviews finds that customers like Rain-X Exterior Detailer & Water Repellent for its water resistance, appearance, and ease of application. However, some are mixed on the product’s cleaning ability.

Fast Wax

Our Take

Rain-X Fast Wax provides some of the benefits of a complete hands-on wax job, but the main selling point here is time. While you can apply it to dry paint post-wash, you can also use Fast Wax while your car is still wet.

How We Used It

If you apply Rain-X Fast Wax while your vehicle is still wet and then wipe it down with a clean microfiber towel, you combine waxing and drying into one step. Although there is no substitute for a proper wax job, Rain-X Fast Wax is a good alternative if you are pressed for time.

Customer Reviews

Amazon’s AI-generated summary text of reviews finds that customers like Rain-X Fast Wax for its ease of use, shine, and finish.

Glass Cleaner & Interior Detailer

Our Take

We are accustomed to having a separate bottle of glass cleaner and interior cleaner, but Rain-X takes a two-in-one approach with a solution that is safe both for interior surfaces and windshield glass.

The selling point is the convenience of not having to switch bottles while working on your car, and the combo fluid provides equal shine quality as both a glass cleaner and an interior detailer.

How We Used It

After several days of rain in the Detroit metro, we were keen to try this Rain-X product as a glass cleaner. In general, glass cleaners increase visibility, especially at night, and it’s recommended to apply them on both the exterior and interior sides of your windshield.

Using a clean and dry microfiber towel (one designated only for windshields in our collection of towels), we removed a lot of leftover dirt and grime from our exterior glass following all the rain. We use a second clean and dry microfiber towel to remove leftover streaks.

Customer Reviews

Amazon’s AI-generated summary text of reviews for Rain-X Glass Cleaner & Interior Detailer finds that customers liked how little scrubbing was required when using it inside their vehicle. Reviews on streaks were mixed for the glass cleaner, which might be addressed using a separate clean and dry towel.

Waterless Car Wash & Rain Repellent

Our Take

In 2019, Rain-X received a Product of the Year award in the Car Care category for its Waterless Car Wash & Rain Repellent. The Product of the Year award originated in France over three decades ago and now encompasses 40 countries. They accept entries yearly of packaged goods that demonstrate consumer innovation, with a winner named in each category through an online study conducted by Kantar of 40,000 consumers. 

Based on our experience, the award was well-deserved for Rain-X.

How We Used It

Like the exterior detailer Rain-X sent us, we used Waterless Car Wash & Rain Repellent on the “problem areas” of our Ford Escape, including the lower panels. Even after a roll of quarters in the wash bay, using the high-pressure spray gun and the soapy scrub brush, our lower panels always need a little extra love. The photos below will enlarge so you can see what we mean.

Pre-Wash Photo: This is right before we parked in the wash bay.

Post-Wash Photo: Immediately after using the spray gun and soap brush. You can see the leftover, stubborn road grime on our lower quarter panel.

Finally, this third photo is after hitting the lower quarter panel with some Rain-X Waterless Car Wash & Rain Repellent. Although it took several applications and some elbow grease after we took that photo to get things completely clean, we were pleased with how well it worked to remove the excess dirt, grime, and tar down by our front wheels.

Customer Reviews

Amazon’s AI-generated summary text of reviews finds that customers appreciate how easy Rain-X Waterless Car Wash & Rain Repellent is to use. While it will clean glass, some customers report seeing streaks on their windshield afterward.

Are Rain-X Car Care Products Worth It?

Rain-X will always be among our first choices for wiper blades, as they have never let us down during our typically harsh Michigan winters. For the spring and summer months, when the sun stays out for longer, we are content to keep using the Rain-X products outlined here, and we feel confident recommending them to you as well. 

That said, we also recommend trying a few different brands and seeing which one you like best. We have used products from Meguiar’s, Mothers, and Turtle Wax in the past, all with positive results. If you like the DIY approach, you can invest in a portable pressure washer, like this one from Chemical Guys we recently reviewed.  

In this care package from Rain-X, the Exterior Detailer & Water Repellent was our favorite, although we liked how the Fast Wax could be applied while the paint was still wet to combine waxing and drying in a single step. 

Consider An Automatic Wash To Save Time

Washing your vehicle helps keep the body and chassis in good shape, preventing grime from accumulating over time. Consider an automatic wash if your schedule is tight, as many locations and franchises have utilized the latest tunnel technology to clean your vehicle in a minimally invasive way. If you go enough times, a monthly subscription may pay for itself. 

When you get home, you can take a few minutes to apply one of these Rain-X products for that extra shine. 

Carl Anthony is the Managing Editor of Automoblog and the host of AutoVision News Radio and AutoSens Insights. As a respected automotive industry thought leader, Carl has appeared on numerous podcasts and radio shows, including Wrench Nation, Cars Yeah, The Car Doctor, and Brains Byte Back, in addition to appearing as a regular contributor on MotorMouth Radio on WHPC 90.3 FM. His work can also be seen and heard 24/7 on the Automoblog YouTube channel.

Original article: Rain-X Review: Exterior Detailer, Fast Wax, Glass Cleaner & Waterless Car Wash (2024)