How To Defrost Your Car Windows Quickly And Safely
Winter is coming, and based on reports it's going to be a cold one!
As temperatures are already dropping, get ready for the dreaded morning routine of thawing your car before you can drive off to work. We look at some of the best tips to defrost your window quickly and safely!
Tips
- Use a scraper, be careful to hold the scraper at an angle and to not scratch or damage your glass. If the ice is too thick for this to be effective, try combining it with some other options below.
- Use a card if you don’t have a scraper in a pinch. Make sure to choose a more disposable card though, such as a loyalty card. Do not risk bending your credit card or drivers licence!
- Use a de-icer, available in aerosol or spray forms, leave the spray to sink into the ice for a couple minutes before you go in with a scraper and it should be a lot easier.
- Use your car heater, turn the heating up all of the way, and aim the fans at your windows. This will start the ice defrosting from the inside and will really help when you come to scrape it off!
- Lukewarm water, use the water to soften up the ice as you scrape at it. Be careful to only use lukewarm water and not hot.
- A solution of rubbing alcohol and water, one part water to two parts alcohol is supposed to clear the ice right up!
What Not To Do
- Do not use boiling water! It is tempting to want to get rid of the ice as soon as possible, but boiling water will cause the glass to change temperatures dramatically which causes cracks or weakness in the glass.
- Don’t use anything sharp. Don’t chip away at the ice with a sharp object, this will chip or scratch your glass.
- Do not drive, this seems obvious but do not start driving and hope the glass will clear up quickly. This is not only dangerous but it’s against the law.
- Don’t leave your car running as you go inside, there are reports every year of people getting their cars stolen as they were inside waiting for them to heat up.
Prevention
To prevent ice build-up try using something to cover your windows at night to reduce the amount of ice on there by the morning. You can get tarps or window covers, but even a folded sheet will help. Getting a ‘night before de-icer’ is also a good option, spray it on the windows as you park up for the night and in the morning you will have less or no ice! Or try getting a de-icer for your window cleaning solution, to similar effects, this should help prevent the ice building up. They coat the window in a film and help prevent the ice sticking.
