Review & Giveaway Rain-X Wipers and Car Care Kit

Right now I am angry at my car. After the infamous BK incident, it seems my car is truly possessed. Today after work I briefly stopped at home before going to pick up Deja across town at the After School Care Program. Lucky I did. After I had checked out what bills decided to cross my threshold this lucky day, I headed back outside to pick up Deja. I got to the end of the street and noticed a burning smell. And as I went to make a left turn, there was a screeching sound followed by thudding and shaking. Nope. I wasn't going there-not again. I turned it right back around and headed towards home. Hubby the car care expert came out to take a look and verified my suspicions, that I did have a funky noise going on. Since it was RAINING outside, we'll put off repairs until the weekend. I seriously think that new cars are programmed to work great for five years from the date that they are sold. After that, once the loan is paid off (mine was in December) all hell breaks loose.

Back to the rain issue. It's been pretty dry around here lately, unusual for February, but I am not knocking it. This morning when I left to take the kids to school it was pouring out. I hate driving in the rain, I just can't see good at all with fogged up windows and streaks on the windshield. Whether it be rain, snow, sleet or a wintry mix, good visibility is SO important. When the driving conditions are bad already, you definitely want to take your time and SEE where you are going. I was quite surprised to find out that nearly a quarter of all accidents happen in extreme weather conditions, such as snow and rain. Just this morning there was an accident not too far from here where a young man rear ended a stopped police vehicle, causing over $12,000 in damage to the cruiser. Luckily no one was hurt, but the young man admitted due to road conditions he just couldn't stop AND his vision was impaired, so he did not see the flashing blue lights on the side of the road until it was too late.

I can't tell you how important it is to get your car road ready for extreme weather. Your car needs to be ready to handle any situation, and you need to be prepared just in case you end up stuck in your car during a snow or ice storm. We keep blankets, energy bars, some water, heat packs (like hunters use for cold feet/hands) gloves, some extra clothing, kitty litter and a small shovel in my trunk. Also, we make sure that when it gets cold, we get our gas tank filled up-condensation can cause the lines to freeze if you don't have it at least half full-and we also add dry gas as well. The last thing you want to have is frozen lines or a stalled engine. We also check our tires regularly for signs of tread wear and make sure the air pressure is good as well. Also, check lights to make sure the bulbs haven't burnt out, keep your windshield washer fluid tank full, use antifreeze if needed and make sure you have windshield wipers that show no signs of wear or streaking.

My husband was very jealous when I received a pair of Rain-X Latitude Wiper Blades http://www.rainx.com/Products/Wiper_Blades/Latitude.aspx and a bottle of Rain-X X-treme Clean glass and plastic renewer, and a bottle of Rain-X Weatherbeater 2-in-1 Glass Cleaner + Rain Repellent to try out. Since rain was predicted last night, I made sure I had hubby install my wiper blades. They went on super easy and today driving the kids to school in the pouring rain I noticed a BIG difference in visibility. No streaks, just a clear line of vision. And you know how sometimes you have some blades that made annoying squeaking sounds when you use them? These ones had no noise at all, which was just great. Here are some some of the neat features of these wiper blades:

Easy to install-

For use on either originally installed standard or curved style wiper blades
Pre-installed with small j-hook adapter and contains multi-adapter for side pin, large j-hook and bayonet wiper blade arms
Rain-X Latitude® Version -2 wiper blades fit I&L (Insert & Lock) and PTB (Pinch Tab Button) wiper blade arms
High performance wiper

Contoured design applies even pressure along the entire blade length
Specially blended graphite coated rubber blade delivers the ultimate smooth, clean, chatter-free wipe
Built-in aerodynamic spoiler significantly reduces drag, noise and wind lift
Ice resistant frame

Prevents ice and snow build-up through the elimination of exposed metal components
Durable, rubber-encased substructure increases wiper flexibility and adherence to the windshield in harsh conditions

I haven't had the chance to use the other two items yet, but hubby has threatened me with bodily harm if I take "his" Glass & Plastic renewer because this is one product he can really use in the summer time as he works nights and he gets so many dead bugs on his headlights.

I, on the other hand, will be using the 2 in 1 Glass Cleaner & Rain Repellant on a regular basis, as it will help with rainy weather year round. Rain-X products can be found nationwide at several retailers, VIP and Walmart to name a couple in my area. It's always a great idea to keep your eyes on the Promotions page as well, since there are currently a couple of rebate offers going on. http://www.rainx.com/Promotions.aspx
Wanna win a set of wipers and car care products for your car? Thanks to the good folk over at Rain-X and My Blog Spark (www.myblogspark.com) I have a set to give away!

Giveaway starts today and will end at 11:59 pm EST Friday, February 20th. Giveaway is open to US residents only. You don't have to be a blogger to enter, but you must leave an email in your post so that I can find you to let you know you've won. If you win, keep in mind that you will need to let me know the year, make and model of your vehicle so that I can share this information with the sponsor so they can send you the correct wiper blades.

For your first entry, please visit Rain-X (www.rainx.com)and check out the products they have. Tell me the name of a product you'd like to try OR look through the Tips & Information section and come back and tell me a tip or something you have learned.

EXTRA ENTRIES: (leave separate comments for each additional entry please)

1. Follow me on blogger for ONE entry. If you already do, leave me a comment letting me know.

2. Follow me on Twitter AND send out a tweet about the giveaway for TWO entries. Come back here and leave me a comment with a link to your tweet.

3. For FIVE extra entries, blog about this giveaway with a link back to this post AND to Rain-X. Come back here and let me know you did it.

Good luck!

This wonderful giveaway opportunity was made possible by My Blog Spark!