It’s winter and that means you may find yourself with a frosted windshield when you’re rushing out to work in the morning. Battling frost is annoying, but it can also be dangerous if you ignore the problem. Frost happens when the temperature is low and humidity is high. Even thicker ice build up can happen in many situations and can be dangerous if it blocks your vision. Here are several recommendations from the mechanics at Rapid Chevrolet for removing frost or ice from your windshield.
The go-to method for many people is to simply start the car and run the defroster. Make sure to choose the defrost setting so warm air is directed at your windshield. The drawback to this method is that your car is already cold and will take several minutes to warm up and produce heat. If you don’t have a lot of time to wait or don’t want to idle the engine you may want to do this while you’re also using another method of clearing the frost. Also make sure to idle your vehicle in a safe location.
Scraping the frost off the windshield takes some effort and an ice scraper in your car at the ready. But, if you find yourself stranded without an ice scraper, it’s possible to use a credit card to scrape ice so you can drive safely. Hold the credit card on the longer sides and use the short end of the card to scrape forward digging into the frost. Be careful not to go beyond a 20 degree angle or you may break your credit card in the cold.
If you don’t have far to go between a water source and your car, one method you can try is using a bucket of lukewarm water on your windshield. Use water that is warm to the touch as using water that is very hot could crack your windshield glass. Pour the water over the entire surface. If some frost or slush remains use your hand or a scraper to clear the windshield. If the air temperature is extremely cold this method risks freezing other parts of your car like doors and windows so it’s best used in temperatures at or just below freezing.
Using a de-icer is an excellent choice for speeding the process of clearing your windshield. De-icing fluid can be purchased or you can create your own. One popular recipe is to use three parts vinegar to one part water. Mix in a spray bottle and apply to frosted windshield. You can also mix a cup of rubbing alcohol with a couple of drops of dish soap to make a de-icing solution. With these methods, just spray your window and wait for the solution to soak into the frosted area. If it’s extremely cold or depending on the thickness of the ice, you may still need to scrape the windows but it should be easier after applying the de-icer.
Some de-icing sprays have the added benefit of preventing the formation of frost. With these products, you’ll spray the area when parking for the night, and frost will be less likely to form and much easier to remove. Covering your windshield with a blanket or piece of cardboard will also help. You can also purchase windshield snow covers that are easy to remove even in wet conditions.