Tips to stop your car windscreen from freezing
With temperatures getting below freezing overnight during winter, many of us are waking up to a frozen windscreen on our car. This can be very annoying, especially if you need your car in the morning for commuting.
In this article, we’ll give you our top tips to prevent your windscreen from freezing.
Windscreen Cover
A windscreen cover can help prevent your car from frosting over by covering the glass itself. This way, the frost will build up on the cover, so when you take it off on a cold winter morning your windscreen will be frost free! You can purchase a cloth from various retailers, or make one yourself.
To make one yourself, use thick cardboard, such as an Amazon box. Using newspaper or other thin paper won’t work, as it will absorb the dampness and freeze to your windscreen, making it even harder to get off than ice!
We recommend putting a windscreen cover on in the evening before temperatures begin to drop so that you can prevent frost from forming. Using a windscreen cover could save you time in the morning and prevent you from being out in the cold de-icing your car!
De-icer
You can spray de-icer on your icy windscreen in the morning before getting in your car. This will melt away any ice and you can simply use your windscreen wipers to wipe off any residue. When using a de-icer, make sure you cover every bit of ice on your windscreen. Otherwise, if there is still a bit of ice when using your wipers, it could tear them and you may have to get them replaced.
You can also buy windscreen wash with de-icer in it. This saves you from having to spray the car yourself, as you can just use your windscreen wash to melt away any ice.
Night Before De-icer
Another type of de-icer you could use is night before de-icer. You can spray this on your windscreen the evening before and will help prevent frost from forming overnight. If any frost still forms, the night before de-icer will prevent it from sticking to the windscreen, therefore making it easier to clear away.
Ice Scraper
Whilst an ice scraper won’t prevent your car from freezing, it is always useful to have in your vehicle in case you don’t have any other frost preventing measures. If you get back to your car after work and it’s covered in ice, an ice scraper can help with defrosting your car. If used correctly, an ice scraper will not cause any damage to your windscreen or wiper blades.
What To Avoid
There are a few things that you should definitely avoid when it comes to clearing ice off your car.
Don’t leave the car engine running whilst unattended. A lot of people will start their car so it can de-mist and heat up, but then go inside and leave the vehicle unattended. Unfortunately, many cars are stolen because of this. If you want to leave your car to heat up, you could turn on the ignition and then use your de-icer. This means your car can warm up whilst you’re clearing the windscreen.
Using your windscreen wipers to clear ice without scraping or de-icing isn’t a good idea. Wiper blades won’t remove any ice, but the ice could tear and rip your blades. This will result in them not clearing the windscreen properly and you’ll need to have them replaced.
If you need to purchase new wiper blades, please click the button below.
Wiper Blades
You should not begin driving before your windscreen is completely clear. If a police officer notices you driving without full visibility, they will deem it as driving without due care and attention, and you could end up with penalty points on your driving licence.
The worst thing to do with a frosted windscreen is to pour boiling water on it. Due to a sudden temperature change, your windscreen will crack, meaning you can’t drive anywhere. A cracked windscreen is classed as driving without due care and attention as well, so pouring boiling water on the ice isn’t worth it!
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