The low temperatures that have come hand in hand with the latest storms are a double-edged sword for drivers: they not only affect driving, but also the condition of the car. If you are one of those who park on the street, you already know that ice on the windshield is a constant in winter: reason why we want remember everything you should not do to eliminate it… unless you want to change the front window of your vehicle.
1. Hot water
Some people may think that with hot water the ice will disappear from the windshield: it is not so. I may delete a part and It may also be that with the sudden change in temperature the glass of the moon breaks: especially if it already has some impact. If Goddess Luck is on your side and this does not happen, after a few minutes the water will cool down… and you will continue to have the same problem.
In return, you can use alcohol 90 degrees (yes, the one we use to disinfect wounds) because the freezing point is different from that of water. Another option is to buy a specific liquid to defrost the windshield.
2. Wipers
Running the windshield wipers and pouring water is not a good idea. First of all, if there is ice or frost, it is most likely that the rubbers are glued to the glass: by activating them you will only be able to break them and scratch the glass. And in second place, water will make things worse because it can also be frozen.
At this point it is advisable to keep in mind that Windshield wipers must be changed at least once a year: It is one of the components that suffers the most (especially with extreme temperatures) and if they are not in good condition, they will not fulfill their mission correctly.
On the other hand, in winter it is recommended Pour a specific product that contains antifreeze into the windshield wiper reservoir: Water or soap and water can freeze, as can hoses, system electric pump, and sprayers.
3. Salt
You may come to think that if the maintenance services put salt on the asphalt to prevent ice sheets from forming, this solution can also be used for the windows of your car. It is not like that: the compound they use has a specific composition and, in addition, the salt prevents freezing, although it does not defrost. What it does do is scratch the glass and corrode the sheet metal of the body.
4. Scratch
Scraping the ice off the windshield is a good idea. as long as you don’t do it with a metallic instrument because you will scratch the moon. Use a plastic squeegee: it works effectively, does not damage the glass, can be kept in the glove box and is cheap. If you don’t have one on hand, you can use a plastic card, but not the bank card because it will surely be damaged.
5. Heating
Be careful if you are going to turn on the car heater to help defrost the windshield. The DGT recalls that, according to the tests that have been carried out, With an outside temperature of -10 degrees, in more than 80% of cases setting the heating too high can cause the glass to break after five minutes. With -5 degrees, it happens 70% of the time and at 0 degrees, it reaches almost 60%.
one of homemade tricks
To avoid finding ice on the windshield during the coldest months of the year, there are some homemade tricks that you can apply: rub the glass with a peeled potato or spray it with a mixture of water and vinegar, are two of them.
If you prefer something more practical, simple and, above all, cleaner, you can always cover the car with a tarpaulin or cover the window with cardboard (held with wiper arms) or with a blanket (fastened with the front doors). In this way, the ice will fall on these surfaces, thus avoiding its formation on the car window.