Austin has been experiencing some interesting weather in 2014. Freezing temperatures and rain have created a icy mess for this Texas town. There have been hundreds or car accidents, road closures, school closures, work delays, and more due to the weather. But when you do actually have to get somewhere, one of the main pains for driving in this icy weather is having to defrost your car.
How many minutes do you spend on average scraping ice off your windows on those cold winter mornings? Probably way too many! Texans aren’t used to this kind of weather and aren’t used to having to prepare your car for icy conditions, so use these tips to save some time and effort:
1. Cover it up
You can prepare for an icy morning by covering your windshield at night with a large piece of cardboard, a folded sheet or a towel. Use your windshield wipers to hold your cover in place at the bottom and then use a weight of some sort to hold it in place at the top. In the morning all you have to do is simply remove the windshield cover and your windshield will be free of snow or ice! There still may be a thin layer of frost, but your car heater will be able to take care of it in a few minutes.
2. Brand formulas
Another way you can prepare for an ice day is to buy commercial or brand formula deicer. Every fully stocked auto store is sure to have a shelf or two completely devoted to deicers and ice preventers. Ice preventers should be sprayed on your windshield each night when there is ice predicted for the next day to create ice-free mornings. If any ice does accumulate after use of these products, it’s usually a thin layer that can be scraped off easily. Deicers are used the morning of. Simply spray on an icy windshield and scrape as usual. By spraying on a deicer, you’ll see how much easier and quicker it is to deice.
3. Homemade deicers
Most commercial deicers will work just fine, but if you don’t have the money to spend it on costly deicers, you can just do it yourself! It’s easy to make your own deicer, and it works just as well as any you would buy in a store. Fill a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol and add a few drops of dish soap. Mix it well and spray it directly onto your icy windshield. After a minute or two, most of the ice will be partly melted, allowing you to just brush it aside with your scraper.
4. Keep your car running while you defrost your car
To make the job easier when you’re deicing your car, turn your car on and keep it running while you’re scraping off the ice. Keep all the doors closed and put that air on HEAT and defrost on full blast. This will help warm your car up and help naturally melt the ice off your car. If your car comes with a remote starter, turn your car on while you’re getting ready in the morning for an even easier deicing process. A remote starter for your car will likely set you back a couple hundred dollars, but after a few uses, you’ll think it’s worth it.
Something that can also be a pain during the winter months is when your windows and windshield start fogging up from the inside. When you need the window defogged as soon as possible, what you should do is rapidly lower the inside temperature of the car so that the moisture stops condensing on the glass. Turning the defrost vent on without heat or opening the windows is the fastest way to get rid of the fog on the window.
Make your life easier this winter by following any of these easy tips. Being prepared will make the job of deicing your car a less hassling one. Keep your car in prime condition and keep yourself safe on the roads.
