Car windscreen washers. Windscreen cleaning fluid being sprayed onto a car windscreen, where wipers use the fluid to clean the windscreen. This cleaning fluid contains the chemical methanol, which helps to break down the dirt and oil that accumulate on car windscreens. The fluid can also contain the antifreeze chemical ethylene glycol. The jet spray mechanism is operated from inside the car, and the fluid is brought to the nozzle (lower right) from a reservoir underneath the car bonnet.