Rain-X has long been the product of choice with its only drawback being the longevity of the product on the windscreen. Happily, however, you can now add some concentrate to your washer fluid meaning that every time you clean your windscreen, you get a little top up of Rain-X. The invisible hydrophobic coating will repel rain, sleet and snow while making the removal of road salt, ice, mud, and bugs easier. To apply, use a cloth on a clean windscreen and once dry buff clean with a clean dry cloth.

the SOFT99 Glaco Roll-On is the strong water-repellent liquid wiper in the Glaco range. The foam applicator means that less product is wasted on your cloth for application, simply squeeze the tube and apply it to your windows. The two step application will mean it takes slightly longer than some products as you have to wait for the repellent to dry before buffing with a microfibre cloth.

This is a sealant you apply to glass having cleaned and dried it already. You then put a little on the pad provided and cover the pane of glass; leave it for ten minutes and wipe off the excess with a damp microfibre towel. Meguiar's suggests a second coat "for best results".

Gtechniq talks about its G1 products having a superior adhesion to glass than its competitors' thanks to impressive chemical bonding. It certainly works and the "lasts up to 20,000 miles" claim is legitimate. However, the catch is you need to set aside some time to apply it. For best results, you ought to apply three coats, first in a circular motion, second horizontally, third vertically to the windscreen followed by the G2 residue remover (supplied). It's a bit of a faff but considering it's once in a blue moon, it's worthwhile.

If applying a dedicated rain repellent doesn't take your fancy, instead you can top up your car's washer bottle with some screenwash with rain repellent in it. You might as well since screenwash needs topping up every so often anyway. Don't expect this to be as good as the products above, but it's still very effective.

Like the Gtechniq product above, this is a hydrophobic coating. The difference of course is that this is for bodywork. You apply it in a similar way too: wet the application pad and rub it onto the surface, one panel at a time before buffing it with a microfibre cloth after a couple of minutes. For best results do two coats. Comes in 30ml or 50ml bottles and lasts for a remarkable maximum of 24 months.

Ceramic polymer coating on cars provides fantastic long-lasting water repellency and protection from UV, acidic substances like bird poo, and light scratches. It also helps protect a previously applied polish. This two-stage kit from Autoglym is one of the top ceramic coatings out there. The preparation solution removes any old wax or other protectants on the car's surface, and the ceramic coating provides protection for up to 12 months.

This is a new all-surface protectant for cars. In regard to ceramic coatings, this is graphene-infused, which is another step up. Said graphene-infusion creates a hardy polymer coating that provides not only great water repellency but also UV protection. This can be applied to all exterior materials including glass, headlights, and wheels.