As a paint mfr myself...
There is a plethora of acrylic paints on the market. The one thing you must understand is that most are formulated for a specific or range of applications. Those used in the plastic modeling realm are formulated to adhere to plastic whereas others are made for paper or even fabric.
Each too has its own properties as to how well it covers and at what thickness it must be to get said coverage and provide its specified color. Some go on in minute mils of thickness others seem more like it has to be troweled on.
Yes there are paints that cross over to different surface applications, one has to use what they find works best. Immediate results may prove later to be less than acceptable. Nothing worse than a few weeks or months down the road the paint applied starts to have adverse effects such as flaking, chipping and peeling off.
Not all paints react with all solvents in the same way. Some don't react to clear coats, they might cause crazing in the clear coat.
Windshield washer fluid uses alcohols and glycols which can be used as a thinner for some paints. BEWARE it does pose a breathing hazard! It also may react adversely with some paint formulations. One must always test before application, especially on a model you are building.
As with most paint, you can apply it to just about any surface, however it may not give the desired results. Just because its there on the shelf, cheap and in larger vessels at a most appealing price point, doesn't mean it will work as one wishes. READ THE LABEL.
I met a lady once in the craft store looking for answers about a paint application problem she was having. She showed me the product she was using, I read the label and it clearly stated not for use on wooden or porous surfaces without a primer or sealer applied first. When I showed her this she was furious, then why sell it in a craft store if you can't use it on wooden craft stuff? Now I have ruined my project. 
We'll had you read the instructions ma'am you'd not had the problems you've encountered. And they say women always read or ask for directions. 
You may find that to get the proper adhesion you need, you may first have to properly prime with a product that allows compatibility between the surface material and the paint.
My suggestion is, get yourself a test mule to test the paints you're interested in trying on your models. Don't make the mistake of committing to using them on a build project. If you do and the results are not what you desired...We won't have to tell you...I told you so. 