Does Windshield Wiper Fluid Color Actually Matter?

Refilling the windshield washer fluid reservoir should be part of your weekly auto maintenance routine. In most cases, distilled water does the job well, but it's different if you live in places with extremely hot or cold weather, where debris can quickly coat your car's windshield. 

Commercially available windshield wiper fluids could do more than help the wipers rid the glass of dust, dirt, and contaminants. Since wiper fluids come in various colors and formulas, the sheer variety could make it tricky to choose which wiper fluid is best for your car.

Moreover, there is no standard color for wiper fluids, but inspecting the label will reveal the purpose behind a wiper fluid's mysterious hue. It all depends on the brand and the type of windshield wiper fluid. Like engine oils in conventional, semi-synthetic, and full synthetic blends, wiper fluids have different mixes for de-icing, water beading, dissolving bugs, etc. Each has a different color, and each formula works differently.

Wiper fluids could come in blue, orange, green, yellow, or purple. Blue is the most common and is typically a standard degreaser, while some brands label green wiper fluids for removing bugs, and orange or yellow are for all-season or summer driving. Depending on the brand, purple wiper fluid is for de-icing or winter driving, and has properties to prevent the liquid from freezing in icy climates.

Since windshield wiper fluids come in many colors and types, mixing fluids of different colors is generally not advisable. However, doing so will not permanently harm your car, wipers, or windshield glass. The only downside in mixing wiper fluids of different colors is the potential to reduce the promised benefits of each product. 

For instance, mixing blue (standard) with green (bug-repellent) might lessen the bug-cleaning properties, while mixing purple (winter blend) with yellow (all-season) could be detrimental in cold weather. It's best to avoid mixing wiper fluids, but having wiper fluid in the reservoir is better than just water, and selecting what color of wiper fluid depends on the application or the prevailing weather.