I have noticed that for many of us it is the return of frosty windows in the mornings on our cars and work vehicles. After spending half the morning scraping thick ice from the windscreen I decided to take a look at different ways to get the ice from my car windows without all the effort of scrapping it off. What I found was a few myths, a few silly solutions and a good handful of ways that might well work and those are what I bring you here…
1 – Use a Better Ice Scraper
There are probably thousands of designs of ice scrapers out there and some of them are quite unusual, but what I didn’t know is certain ice-scrapers are good for certain types of snow. For thinner layers of ice, a “cone” style scraper will often be the best choice, but for snow and thicker ice, you will be better off with a sturdy long-handled ice scraper that you can really put some effort into.
2 – Heater On, Windows Open
If you ask me this sounds counterintuitive, but having tested this myself I can tell you it works (for me at least) by cracking all the windows open just a small amount helps swap the humid air inside your car with dryer outside air, speeding up the heating process.
3 – Think Ahead
While it is often too late for most of us one of the better ways of defrosting that car window is to prepare the night before. Not only by giving your windows a spray with night-before de-icer, but also rubbing a small amount of Vaseline on both the windscreen wipers and the door seals. This is especially useful in nights when your car will become covered in thick ice or snow.
4 – With Water
This is one of the most common ways and there are various myths relating to it. Firstly it is VERY rare for a windscreen to crack even when boiling hot water is poured over an ice-cold windscreen. Yes, some people have seen their windscreen break but this is often down to cracks, nicks and hairline fissures in the windscreen letting ice in and causing the break rather than the hot water itself. But either way, using lukewarm water will give you the best results as hot water can freeze a lot faster and this can cause refreezing.
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5 – De-icing Spray
This is probably the most common way people will defrost your car and more often than not it is the old can of de-icer that does the trick. But as a bonus tip, you can also spray your own homemade mix of 50% vinegar & 50% water onto the windscreen and it will do just as good.
6 – Car Covers
While it can be a hassle to do this when you come home after a long day at work one of the best ways to keep your car ice-free is to cover it over. Maybe just cover the windscreen with a windscreen frost protector or even better the whole car with a car cover. Pulling it off only takes a few moments and most the time you will be good to go the moment it is removed.
7 – Use a Portable Car Heater
While there are plenty of things to consider when using one of these plug-in gadgets it can be a lifesaver if you have a car that is low on fuel or one that you don’t want to leave your car running unattended. Just plug one of these portable car heaters into the lighter socket and walk away for 30 minutes. Just do your research on them before you get one as some will defrost too slowly to be worth it and others will only defrost a small space just in front of them.
8 – Use What You Have
Did you forget to buy an ice-scraper the other day and now you are faced with a long wait while you defrost your car? Why not use a credit card or that store card you no longer need, or even a CD case will do just as good. Even getting a thin layer of ice off the windscreen will help speed up the defrosting process and get you on the road quicker.
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9 – Use a Bag of hot Water
This is not the tip fo pouring water over the windscreen it is about placing that hot water into a watertight food bag and dragging that bag across the windscreen. This might sound like a crazy idea, but it works great, especially on thin ice. Having tried this method myself I was surprised at how well it worked.
10 – Go Hightech
This is an ‘Iglu’ windshield defroster and it uses a combination of ultrasonic vibrations and heat to defrost your windscreen. It is battery power, app-controlled meaning you can operate it from the warmth of your home and come out to a windscreen that is clear and ready to go. Sadly this is just a concept design at the moment, but they will soon become a reality for us to purchase. There are other windscreen heaters and other gadgets that do much the same and have features like app control, so do take a look for yourself at the number of different high-tech devices out there.
Do you have any tips for defrosting your car windscreen in the morning? If you do please leave a comment below and share it with the world.
